Elephant ear storage

darkstar · Nov 16, 2008

I have giant elephant ears and im meant to dig them up befor it freezes and put umm in basement .
Do i cut off the green and just store the bubs?
Do i try to store the entire plant , they are huge.
Could i cover the bulbs with mulch and leave umm in the ground?
Ill get a pic these are some of the coolest ive seen.

No_Bivy · Nov 16, 2008

Whats a Elephant ear?

darkstar · Nov 16, 2008

Picture

Its this plant.
Grows from a bulb the bulbs on these are very big.
Lotta folks supposedly dig them up and put umm in basement for the winter.
I dont know what to do with them its about to freeze.

TC3 · Nov 16, 2008

I wanna say it's a type of hosta ??? :scratch:

It seems like the bulbs would be as big as a Volkswagon ?
Could you just throw a bale of straw over it ?

CurSedVoyce · Nov 16, 2008

This is a good site ... Guess you treat them like most bulbs in freezing zones. Cut leaves off. I have seen winter storage of the whole plant, but you have to put them in like a large pot or half barrel and keep them in a place they wont freeze in.
Here ya go Darkstar

http://www.emilycompost.com/elephant_ear.htm

darkstar · Nov 16, 2008

Yeah the bulbs are big that why i dont wanna dig umm up.
They are way cool though and supposedly that what everybody does .

TC3 · Nov 16, 2008

Betcha people just tell you to dig 'em up then stand around the corner sniggering at you & watching ?!? LOL
Cut the leaves to the ground & throw a bale of straw on them. Lazy arse, aren't I ? LMAO

CurSedVoyce · Nov 16, 2008

Could you get some PVC pipe, some fittings and some plastic and make a cube like green house over each plant??

SkwerI · Nov 16, 2008

Philodendrun (spelling is probably wrong). They grow wild in wet areas here. I'd guess that they'd be hard to kill unless they froze or completely dried out.

The juice can cause mild itching or rash, but it's not as bad or long lasting as PI. Just wash it off after handling them.

http://www.dasignsourcebotanicals.com/plant_details.cfm?id=535

TC3 · Nov 16, 2008

CurSedVoyce said:
Could you get some PVC pipe, some fittings and some plastic and make a cube like green house over each plant??

F**k it, diggum up.

CurSedVoyce · Nov 16, 2008

Yeah that might work TC. Says they go dormant. So if they are like Irises, that would work. Just have to keep the bulb from freezing and they will come right back next year I would think.

darkstar · Nov 16, 2008

Well that answers all my questions spot on.
Ill wait till the first frost and then get to digging

CurSedVoyce · Nov 16, 2008

Nice thing about digging them up is being able to split them in the spring (more plants). Of course downside would be having to dig up more plants the next winter.. LOL

No_Bivy · Nov 16, 2008

It doesn't seem like you need to dig em up.......how deep is the bulb? Mulch over it. Your winter aint that bad there. You haven't had a frost yet?

darkstar · Nov 16, 2008

Nope no frost but expected to go down to 27 f this week.
I am sorta tempted to see if they would survive the winter .
But man they are such nice bulbs id hate to see um go all mushy.

Stumper · Nov 16, 2008

Skwerl said:
Philodendrun (spelling is probably wrong). They grow wild in wet areas here. I'd guess that they'd be hard to kill unless they froze or completely dried out.

The juice can cause mild itching or rash, but it's not as bad or long lasting as PI. Just wash it off after handling them.

http://www.dasignsourcebotanicals.com/plant_details.cfm?id=535

And do not eat raw. Oxalic acid will make your tongue and mucous membranes feel as if 10,000 tiny cactus spines are embedded in you. (It is not necessary for you to ask how I know this.)

Dave Shepard · Nov 16, 2008

I think you are exaggerating, I heard it only felt like eight-thousand cactus spines.

Stumper · Nov 16, 2008

I must have taken a larger bite. :whine:

Al Smith · Nov 16, 2008

No he's not telling a tall tale ,not that he can't though .

Way back when my watchcat ,George of the jungle, decided to chow down on my ex wifes houseplant philidendriam and it nearly killed him ,he dropped to about 15 pounds .He recoverd though and within a couple of months he was back up to his normal mean nasty 22 pounds . He didn't fool with the plants after that .

brendonv · Nov 16, 2008

I've done alot by digging them up, cutting the leafs off, and throwing them in a box till next year.

Al Smith · Nov 16, 2008

I don't know if a philidendrum is second cousin to a rodadendrum but they will take a northern winter with no problem . If it related to a hosta ,no problems at all ,they are tough as a nail .

The only thing I ever remember digging up was poppies for my ex wifes granny and they were the white ones too . :/:

brendonv · Nov 16, 2008

They turn to mush up here over winter.

darkstar · Nov 17, 2008

They are frigging awesome plants .
im keaving mine out till the leaf turns brown then digging umm.
They didnt brown last year till december.

NickfromWI · Nov 17, 2008

Al Smith said:
I don't know if a philidendrum is second cousin to a rodadendrum

No relation.

I wouldn't dig the ears up because I wouldn't want a plant that required that much work all the time.

I would mulch or straw it.

I used to build mini-greenhouses so my bonsai trees could make it through the WI winters. It wasn't THAT hard.

love
nick

Bermy · Nov 30, 2008

That looks more like Taro than Philodendron to me...not as glossy, no wavey edge, no gap at the top of the leaf...
I'd dig them up if there is a chance of freeze, but what do I know, I live in the sub tropics...the only thing that freezes is the ice in my drink!

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