How to Plant Elephant Ear Bulbs 🐘🌿

[@calirocker323able]

If someone couldn't tell the difference between top and bottom, I tell them to plant them sideways and let nature figure it out😂 Elephant ears are easily my fav plants.

[@SpokenGarden]

Yes, that's a great tip!

[@kathryncummins5210]

Exactly what I did because I had no idea 😂🤣

[@ericab936]

lol good one 👍🏾

[@ruthwuebbeling9584]

Thank you very much for explaining how to properly plant an elephant ear bulb. This is the first video on youtube that actually made sense to me. I am a seasoned gardener and can find my way around a garden but this is the first time I planted an elephant ear bulb in the ground. I bought the bulb from Eden Brothers, but they didn't include any instructions on how to plant it. I just saw this video is a year old and would love to see how the planting progressed. Have a lovely day!

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi there! Actually, we made a video exclusively for Eden Brothers in the past year so they have one now! We're very happy to hear this was helpful for you! All of our bulbs have returned for years every spring! We shared lots of photos of them growing/blooming on past videos and on our IG posts! Hope you're enjoying them!

[@aok2727]

Thanks for letting me know about up and down. I planted mine about 15 minutes ago and you told me I had done them wrong!! I have them resituated and wow, I am relieved!

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi @aok2727 ! 👋👋 Oh gosh, well we are glad we could help and thank you for watching our video. Sorry for the delayed response and we hope you are having a wonderful spring! 😀😊👍👍

[@rhondamoore3300]

Thanks for the tip regarding the concentric circles. Others just said smooth or rough end and honestly, both ends look rough on mine. The circles are much easier to figure out.

[@tinawiddick1051]

Ditto

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi @rhondamoore3300 ! 👋👋 Oh, we are sooo happy we could help. 💚💚 Sorry for our delayed response. Thank YOU for saying that and for watching. We hope your spring is off to a wonderful start! 😀😉

[@yvonneballard2126]

Hi, my question is do I have to dig the bulb up at fall/winter and take indoors or can I leave it in the ground and cover with mulch to help keep it warmer?

[@ItsNanaImHere]

​@@yvonneballard2126they said in a comment they leave them , I left mine n they all turned to mush like a slimy inside last year after a bad winter😮❗... In lighter or warmer winters they came back tho 😢, I'm confused about them 😉💭❗ I ❤ them n was so sad , they're a lil expensive 🌱🌞🌱, Caladiums are a 'll pretty to n groove in partially Shade or 🌞 too 💖💯❗

[@kiman6]

I planted mine sideways with the top sticking out. So far it’s doing pretty good, and I have mine indoors under a grow light. I saturated the soil when I first put it in, and haven’t watered it since. I think I planted it about 2-3 weeks ago and it’s pretty well sprouted. My second one I thought had rotted has a teeny tiny little sprout 🌱 next to the pointy part of the bulb. I think it’s finally sprouting but this video is helping me to know how to plant it properly!! Thanks!

[@PVJSLJ]

I'm in North Central Louisiana. The best place for elephant ears to grow here is on creek banks with dappled sun.

[@barbaracoleman6641]

I planted my bulbs in two planters in front of my house last year. They overwintered there and came up with a vengeance this year. I rent a house and the landlady is encouraging me to divide and plant them in the ground. I got mine at a local gardening center. The leaves shocked the daylights out of me last year. They are enormous!

[@jericalane2506]

I planted some as well and they’re huge!!

[@SupremegreenlawncareLLC]

I love Elephant ears! I usually purchase them as plants, however I got a bulb for the first time, and plating it tonight!

[@SpokenGarden]

Thank you for watching and for sharing! The leaves get SO BIG!! WOW!!😮😀 Such a fun plant.💚💚

[@SpokenGarden]

Ginormous, right!?!😮😮

[@SpokenGarden]

Oh, that's sooooo fun!! Yay!! We hope they grow HUGE for you! 😉😀

[@DianeOscar]

Hello! Did you do an update video? I can't wait to see it!! I just planted one today!

[@beanerschnitzel794]

you answered my question! yes! The concentric circle is the top! my little ball arrived in a perfect circle and no instructions so thank you

[@SpokenGarden]

That's great! Yay!! We're so glad this helped you! Thanks for watching!

[@dianac2596]

Helpful information. Planting mine today in ground and in planters. Thanks so much!

[@princessresinista9080]

Thank you for this! I dug mine up last year and saved them inside. I started some inside and out in containers and plan on throwing some out in the yard today! ❤

[@natsoray]

That is a wild interpretation of a 'teaspoon' lol

[@sharitawilliams-burrus116]

Thank you for the very informative video without all the fluff! I came to KZbin to find the correct way to orient the bulb. Your video came up first, and you did not disappoint! Can you put more than 1 bulb in a container? Also, can liquid fertilizer be used when planting?

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi there! Great questions and yes you can place more than one bulb in a container, but make sure to follow the spacing needs. And yes you can use a liquid fertilizer. Be sure to only apply it to the soil and not the leaves, unless the directions state otherwise. Thank you for watching and we hope our other videos are helpful.

[@kdrazalotg-usa6345]

Thank you for both types of planting tips because I actually wasn’t sure if planting in pots or the ground, and I already have one plant that my daughter gave me, was a little worried about how much water they actually need...It’s doing fine, and my bulbs I got from Amazon are coming soon...did not know about Eaton Brothers or your book😄👍

[@SouthernYankee]

Ok so I think I now know why mine isn’t growing. It’s upside down. Going outside to fix that today. Lol I thought the nodules were the buds and it’s totally upside down. No wonder no growth.

[@cassiewilson9112]

Very helpful thank you! 😊

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Cassie!! 👋🏼👋🏼 Thank you for watching and we are very happy this video helped you. 😉😊

[@haroldmassey5966]

Thanks for the tips.

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Harold! 👋 We hope they were helpful and thanks for watching!

[@normanziegelmeyer7693]

I enjoy your video and learned much.I have a question, we planted a large bulb about 3inches in diameter given to us by a son last year.When dug up last year I saved the big one and 3-4 babies.They were planted this year and I noticed the small ones grew very well and produced large leaves but the large one only produced small leaves. Is this normal? do the leaves normally get smaller as the bulb gets older ? Last year the larger one produced gigantic leaves. Thanks

[@brande658]

i just tried to plant mine but i bought them from a store and the ones i have are more round, so i couldn’t really tell the difference between the top and bottom. hopefully i planted it the right way..(fingers crossed)

[@RealJingy]

I need to tell you my elephant ear travels.. Years ago I grabbed an 8 inch round bulb & threw it in a large 23 inch terracotta pot...sitting in well draining cactus mix soil it was not treated proper, eventually rotting and dusting away... Next attempt was four 7inch & smaller bulbs that I placed in the same cactus soil only this time I'd water & never really let it fully dry out but let it dry between waterings and now have a grand total of 5 plants; 2 - 3 leaf growers, 1-2 leaf grower that I am super jazzed about on account of it being in it's own 10" pot, 1 grower in a giant ceramic/glazed 13" tall 14" round and weighs 5lb at least...fully loaded soil &bulb has to be 10 to 15lb... should be a good home once established. I have one starting in a 6" pot inside the house that has one giant ear lobe starting out the top & 2 smaller green pointy shoots coming out lower down, closer to soil. This one is in a bowl of water I have been emptying & refilling EOD, & I am excited... So far the elephant ears are the only joy for me as I seem to only kill plants which sustain hummingbirds, sadly. So I appreciate any info you two have on growing these things.... I'm going to try regular light fertilizer treatments.... Thanks for your output I will use again Cheers

[@SpokenGarden]

Hey RealJingy! 👋 We hope you are doing well and that's all great news about these amazing and fun plants! Great job growing them and giving them a home to grow. Sounds like a solid plan on regular fertilizing. Hope to see you at the LIVE this morning (8am)! Thank you for being here and always being such a positive influence on others. 😉💪👍😎🌞

[@my3sonsmjc]

Thanks for sharing...you explain things so thoroughly...I went into the website to order the bulbs but it says out of season...isn’t there off season fall and Winter?

[@gordonrain7152]

Many thanks for the pointers (pardon the pun) on the elephant ears. Believe it or not I'm planting these at elevation in Colorado and am hoping for the best. I did get a giggle out of you're pushing the bulb through and past the bulb-tone you laid when trying to get the bulb at the proper depth...hopefully the bulb dragged some of the bulb-tone down with it. : - )

[@danahoover1216]

Thanks so much for this guys. I can now sink mine in the ground. Where I've wanted them....xoxo dana from pa

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Dana! 👋 That's awesome!! Yay!! Keep us posted! 😃

[@danahoover1216]

Hey guys. Yay!!! Been waiting for this one. Love yas xoxo dana from pa

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Dana!! I know, right? We finally got this one out!! We definitely had you in mind, too! Can't wait to watch all of our elephant ears grow this season! 😃💚

[@glennbryant237]

When winterizing my Elephant Leaf Bulbs I don't think I cut the Stem 😮close enough.About an inch pertruding from the bulb. Will that be a problem? Can I cut it closer?

[@DesiNanointheUSUSA]

Good Job Sir Humaira From USA Texs

[@barbaramorrison9743]

Hi, I planted my EE over 2 months ago in a pot placed it into plastic container with a lid, kept it moist and kept it warm. I have nothing coming up, I'm so sad. Do you think I should dig it up and have a look at the bulbs. I live in the UK but have not let the container dry out. Kind regards 'sad' Barbara from Ashford Kent UK.

[@PVJSLJ]

A friend of mine gave me rooted elephant ear babies. About how long does it take for them to grow tubers?

[@dmix2263]

I have bulbs I’ve planted and the leaves came up and are doing well in my containers. But now I have what appears to be more shoots coming up from under the dirt. Wish I could add a photo

[@kyirose2995]

I got my bulbs today. They were shipped sideways and because of the moisture in the packaging and around the outside they started sprouting just like that. I puy the sprout side up with one large and one small bulb together in 5in nursery pots because I was only supposed to get three but I got extra and didn’t have enough soil to plant them all separately in proper sized pots. I’m going to get more soil eventually and repot them when they need it. While they’d like outside better than inside we have a lot of animals in the area that wouldn’t know not to eat it and would die since it’s toxic to them. Since I can’t constantly be watching for everyone’s outdoor pet ans strays I’m planting them inside whereI can at least control my pets.

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi kyirose2995! 👋👋 That's great you got your bulbs planted and fun that you got extras! Have fun growing them inside and thanks for watching!

[@MsKittenEyes]

Hi! I need help with my mammoth ear. I planted a new bulb. It grew a stem, but it seems the outer stem is rotting. What can I do?

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Darnessdee! 👋 We are sorry to hear your plant has some rot. To minimize the rot and help it be as healthy as possible, keep an eye on how much water it gets. It likes moist soil, but not really wet soil all the time. Also, make sure to keep or move away other plants from around it so it can have free air movement around it. Make sure also to give it it's basic needs of partial shade, and being planted in rich and well-draining soil. Hopefully this helps and we hope your elephant ear bulb gets healthy. Thank you for watching and commenting! 😃👍

[@jasonalexander9098]

Great Video! A+

[@lhug921]

What is that plant with the beautiful red blooms over to the side?

[@Indian-girl09]

How many can sprout from 1 bulb

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi @Indian-girl09 ! 👋👋 That is a great question and sorry for the delayed response!! These bulbs do create little "babies" from the "mother-bulb" (like the mother-ship, 😮😉) as little balls attached to the sides and near the bottom of the "mother-bulb". This happens about 2-3 years after your initial bulb has been planted and grown in your garden and is thriving under growing conditions. If a bulb, in general, is stressed with too much or too little water, the wrong sun exposure, too cool or too high of temperatures, or other stresses, then it won't so readily reproduce the "babies". So, keep your bulbs in their "happy place" for growing conditions and give them some time. You will have your bulb-babies. Hope that helps and happy spring gardening! 😀😊👍👍

[@Indian-girl09]

@@SpokenGarden wow things so much ! The video was so informative for beginners ❤️ thanks to you both

[@richarddugger3029]

Is there a follow up video on the elephant ears somewhere that I’m not seeing?

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Richard. We filmed a brief follow-up here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/monIqneZrKp4gpI. all the Elephant ears we planted in our previous garden grew well but we moved and did not take all of them with us. We'll talk more about it in this video linked here. Thanks for watching!

[@richarddugger3029]

Thank you

[@denisec4547]

Enjoy the video, would like to know if you can grow them as house plants

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Denise! 👋 Thank you for saying that and for watching! 😉👍 We believe Elephant Ears can be grown as house plants, yes. Here is a great resource by Longfield Gardens about their Elephant Ears and suggestions to grow them indoors (almost to the bottom of the page): www.longfield-gardens.com/article/All-About-Elephant-Ears Hope that is helpful and thanks again for watching! 😉👍

[@Tina1234125]

Best time of year to plant bulb?

[@Tina1234125]

Is there a hole in the bottom of that container?

[@SpokenGarden]

@Tina Hargrove - Good question, and yes. There are holes in the bottom of these containers, so even if they get watered a little too much, the excess water will drain out. We also planted in well-draining soil, so not too much excess water (if slightly overwatered) will stay around each bulb for too long. Hope that helps and happy gardening!! 😊😀🌞👍

[@doncherney8649]

Do these bulbs duplicate? -don from Lorain Ohio USA 🇺🇸

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Don!! 👋🏼👋🏼 Thank you for watching and that is a great question. Yes, they do! They will reproduce with smaller corms or cormlets (just a kind of bulbs) attached to their side or base. This is possible if you have hardy varieties (most are zoned for 8 or 9 (depending who you listen to) to zone 11. If you grow these bulbs outside of these zones, you can still have them reproduce by overwintering them inside (dig up and store), but you have to watch the cold temperatures closely so you dig them up for storage before the temp drops too low for too long. Dig up to store once they have withered back to the ground AND before the ground gets too hard to dig in AND before really hard freezes/cold set in. Each year can be different for temperatures, so just use your best judgement. Hope that helps and you grow some of these amazing plants. They are soooo beautiful!! 😎😀

[@doncherney8649]

@@SpokenGarden thanks for the very detail reply! -don from Lorain Ohio USA 🇺🇸

[@mpharr2]

Why not plant using Bio-Tone Starter ?

[@SpokenGarden]

Great question! 👍 The Bulb-Tone is specifically formulated for bulbs to give them that extra boost for spring and summer flowers. It does include Espoma's microbes, but the Bio-Tone Starter also has mycorrhizae to further enhance the soil biome around any newly planted plant. It's for more general planting around your garden. Here are the links to both products if you would like to know more: www.espoma.com/product/bulb-tone-2/ www.espoma.com/product/bio-tone-starter-plus/ And, here is our Amazon affiliate link (Bio-Tone Starter): amzn.to/3UxNIQB Hope that helps. Happy bulb planting! 😀😊

[@beckydunn4733]

Well elephant ears grow inside?

[@devbachu7072]

Wonder if that variety is ebidlle

[@willissimpson7888]

What zone are you in?

[@marknaira]

Update video?

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Lao! 👋 Thank you for watching and for your update question! It is coming soon, for sure, this month. So, keep a look out for it and we will mention them today on our Live, 10/16/2021, at 9am, if you want to join us or hit the replay. Either way, we hope to "see" you there! 😉👍

[@carolemaisonneuve6191]

I don’t see that this pot had drainage?

[@abibahhjtengah1591]

Can i buy the bulb from you

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Abibah! 👋 Thank you for watching and for asking your question. We don't sell bulbs or plants right now, so sorry to tell you that. We did get our elephant ear bulbs from Eden Brothers and you can click this link: bit.ly/3zICAUS to see what they have available. Thanks again for watching! 😉👍

[@NqobileHadebe]

Anyone that boil the bulbs and eat them with fine salt? They taste like potatoes: but they are slimy and smell so earthly. Those that like to eat clay can safely opt for the elephant bulbs its food!

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi there! We haven't every tried eating them. Thanks for watching and for taste-testing them for us all! 👍👍

[@YazidHLH]

We eat it here in java, and we plant it everywhere just put it in ground and 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ they grow big

[@kellydukepoo2450]

Mine still haven't came up. Been over 8 weeks 😢 My friend said, "they will". I hope he isn't just saying that to keep me from crying!

[@SpokenGarden]

Hi Kelly!!👋🏼👋🏼 Thank you for watching and for your comment. We were noticing some of ours haven't come up yet either and did check them a few weeks ago to see if they were dead or rotten, but they were still healthy and solid. Just no growth yet, so could be the cooler nights we are still getting here and the soil temperature hasn't been warm enough. Would you like us to make a video about how to check your Elephant Ears?

[@kellydukepoo2450]

@@SpokenGarden yesterday pleeeese!

[@SpokenGarden]

We'll get it on our content calendar coming up really soon! Stay tuned!!

[@barbarawalker3620]

😊😉🙂

[@OldTimerGarden]

Shouldn't you have amended your soil, it looked pretty compacted?

[@tammygillettVictoryGarden]

Mine NEVER grow

[@Flower_hoarder]

🌱🪴🌿HELPFUL 🌿🪴🌱

[@SpokenGarden]

We're glad this was helpful for you!