Elephants Ears

Last year I picked up a couple of Elephants Ears bulbs in the bargain bin down the GC. One grew a couple of very pathetic small leaves, the other just a mound on top of the bulb. I was clearing out in the greenhouse yesterday, when I tipped out these two pots, thinking they were dead, and one of the bulbs had a couple of lumps on it, looks like it may be shooting roots??? (very technical!!) Has anyone got any tips on how to get these things to grow???? I kept them in the greenhouse all last summer, thinking maybe they need lots of heat, but going by my track record of killing everything, what was I doing wrong???!!! :rolleyes: (I got them in July - was it too late to start them?)

 

Hi Honey Bee,

My experience of Elephants Ears in my garden is that I can't STOP them growing! I have two HUGE patches that really need thinning out - they like this time of year, so I'm not sure that heat is factor for making them grow?

Cheers,

Dave

 

Ah, now, do you mean Bergenia cordifolia or Colocasia esculenta? They are both commonly referred to as elephant's ears, but the treatment is very different. One is a very hardy outdoors perennial, the other is a semi-tropical bedding out or conservatory plant.

 

I was talking about Bergenia, but I'm sure you could probably tell that from my post! Sorry for any confusion! :D

 

Hi Honey Bee, any time I have divided my Bergenia, which is usually autumn, I put them straight back into the ground.Mabe they got too hot in the greenhouse over the summer.I would plant them out now. Mine took a bit to get get going but like Dave they have spread quite a bit now.I have never heard of Colcasia esculenta so if it is that type then I'm not much help.

 

I bought a Colocasia bulb two yeard ago. I planted it in an 11" pot as I wanted to clear a bed in the garden first.

I planted it out in the garden when it had a couple of good sized leaves and the knobs on the side of the bulb had sprouted too.

The top of the bulb was about 6 inches deep in a fairly moist area by the pond.

It made it through it's first winter and looked good all last summer until the frost killed off the top growth. I'm looking forward to another good summer display this year too, it can spread quite quickly, but few people can resist the magnificent bulbs. It is slightly frost tender, but planting it so deep should help.

[ 10. March 2006, 12:02 PM: Message edited by: Rich ]

 

I'm with Dave ihg and Dalbuie - I haven't come across the Colocosia. If it's the bergenia, I totally agree - get it out in the garden if the ground isn't frosty - it likes damp and cool conditions, and I've never managed to stop the stuff growing either! Good luck, HB!

 

Thanks for getting back so quick!!!

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: no wonder I'm always killing stuff!!!! I just assumed it was a "tropical" sort of plant!! I'll nip out and put them in by the pond - I'm having the diggers in after Easter (mechanical type!!) and will have to lift them, as no part of the garden is going un-touched, so would it be better to put them in a pot, but I'm scared I might over/under water them.......? And do they get slugged?

 

This is where the gardening industry goes wrong marketing two plants with the same name particularly as we have been growing Bergenias with it's common name of Elephants ears for so long. Colocasias only been widely marketed here since the jungle effect and tropical design themes perpetuated on tv in recent years.They could have kept it's common name of Taro but Elephant ears sounds more dramatic.

 

i thot bergenia had rhizomes not bulbs, ?

 

quite right! But I think bulb covers all that stuff, rhizomes, tubers, etc! But I'd call them rhizomes, myself! :D

 

ps Honey bee - I think the leaves are too tough for slugs - if it's bergenias we're talking about?? I've not seen any holes in them in areas that were slug-infested :D :D

 

Just googled the Taro version elephant's ears - nice-looking plant myabe another one for me to try out?? http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week232.shtml :rolleyes:

 

I haven't got any!

 

What a pity, Strongylodon! They would have looked so good beside the spiders!