Repotting Giant Elephant Ears & Care Guide || Alocasia macrorrhiza || giant taro

[@francesjones9644]

What a testament to your growing skills - the plant is so huge it won’t come out of its pot!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

thank you

[@sharonfox5643]

I've grown these for years in Tennessee, USA. They are so beautiful in front of my porch. They get early morning sun and very late evening sun. I used to put them in the ground but they get too big! So now I use pots I also struggle to repot in spring. I usually divide then. I lay them on a large piece of cardboard to catch the dirt and pull at the pot mostly. It's really hard. I give away a lot. I use a dolly to roll them to the basement in winter.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Although it may be a pain to divide big plants, it's good to be so successful with it, right! Happy growing.

[@irmaarreola7654]

I am in NC and i have grown mine for 3 years in a pot. She has grown so enormous! She keeps outgrowing her pot. I have run out of options so I have put her in a 100 gl. Livestock watering basin I found at tractor supply. She must weigh at least 100 pounds. Has given so many babies which I have split and grown and given away. I call her my “Little Shop Of Horrors” plant I love her. 🥰

[@FloridaBikeVlogger]

do you water them often? I am not too sure if I am watering enough or if I am over watering. sorry for commenting

[@sharonfox5643]

@@FloridaBikeVlogger If you overwater, it will rot the bulb. I have good drainage so if it doesn't rain I have to give it a good soaking. I usually water if the first 2 inches of soil are very dry. Water more often when the temperatures are high such as 80's and 90's with no rain.

[@michaelmehrer2177]

Thanks for the video!. I find that kneeling or sitting on the side of the pot is often enough to break it loose. And you have the perfect knife for the job!

[@NinjaOrchids]

This is such a gorgeous plant! I love it! Good thing you did this.... what a stunning alocaecia 🤩

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@martinafaust4851]

What a monster of a plant! You will certainly need a larger greenhouse to accommodate it in future! Great video :)

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Oh no. I hope not!

[@amberlowery9030]

Girl😀 wow power to you. That is not easy , and you handled it. I'm the exact same way, and I have a HUGE one I'm about to repot. you're video is awesome! Thank you, I learned a lot! Your awesome!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Haha, thank you. Yes, that was my workout for the week 😅 I wish you all the best with your alocasia.

[@SophiaLMitchell]

What a beautiful plant!

[@themaskaraltd9235]

গ্রামের মধ্যে কচু শাক চাষ করা খুব ভালো লাগলো কচু শাক দেখতে অনেক সুন্দর ছিল কাজটা খুব ফাটাফাটি 🇧🇩

[@dahliaflowers1334]

The bucket just gave birth, great job

[@GardeningatDouentza]

😊

[@TheEnthusiasticGardener]

Love this plant, it looks amazing and I felt your struggle trying to get it out of its pot. Great video Rachel 😁

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you. We all must do what we must do, as you know :)

[@AraceaeFanatics]

That was a good workout, I broke a sweat watching you pull that apart from the first container. A lot like moving young banana plants from one pot to another. I use a lot more sand in my mix for these.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

The things we do for our plants, eh 😄😄😄

[@boostjunkieMike]

What a magnificent plant ❤️

[@kokobean240]

You are strong 💪 Good job

[@Jojodancer1978]

Great video, and great job on handling the colossal plant.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thanks! He is a brute!

[@BBQNBLUES]

Racheal; Here in the Southern US "Elephant Ears" are quiet common. Most gardeners store the Big Stalk/Bulb dry & replant in the Spring. Once they get so Large as to have a "Neck", we just chop the tops off & the base will re-sprout.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Such a boaster 😀

[@sunnycharacter]

Haha,your kitty was all, “mummy, your plant is broken.” Lol

[@gigigaming97]

Such a beautiful stunning plant! 😍 awesome

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thanks so much 😊

[@FloridaBikeVlogger]

thanks for video. I am going to attempt repotting one that I got as a gift.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Go for it!

[@agonz1438]

I loved your beautiful plant - thank you so much for sharing the repotting and information! Loved the video!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

You are so welcome!

[@sunnycharacter]

Those pots look amazing with the handles. Have not seen any of those here in Texas but would love some!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

That's a shame. There easy enough to buy here

[@sunnycharacter]

@@GardeningatDouentza I may be able to find some online, thanks!

[@mayraflores2639]

Beautiful plant😍

[@MarkCampbell553]

Always enjoyable. Always educational.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Aw, thank you. What a lovely comment.

[@juicedtoyalltwenytweny2996]

Love, love it!

[@mnkycmnkydu]

Wonderful! Looking forward to doing this very thing with mine come Spring.. Last winter I kept mine in the living room..(room temp) and hardly ever watered it.. (someone had told me to treat it like a cactus in winter) Seemed to have worked. Fingers crossed, I am going to do the same thing this Winter.. Such a fun plant! Mine is "Borneo Giant" Thanks for the video! :)

[@GardeningatDouentza]

What a fabulous plant to have in your living room in winter. I'm sure it brightens your days 😀

[@mnkycmnkydu]

@@GardeningatDouentza It does. It has good company, as my living room gets PACKED with plants for Winter.. Cheers!

[@mnkycmnkydu]

@@GardeningatDouentza well it made it thru Winter number two. In the living room and barely watered. It only lost two of 7 leaves and is eager to get potted on very soon. How is yours doing?

[@danielmoeller8457]

It will do great that way, I am lucky enough to live in a tropical environment but both alocasia and colocasia do well with a dormant period.

[@TracysHomeGarden]

We actually use the stalks to make our Vietnamese Fish Sweet & Sour soup. Looking at the beautiful Elephant ear plant gives me the craving! A stalk that size would be about $40 CA in a Chinese grocery store. Thx for sharing! 🙏❤️🇨🇦🌱

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Wow, how interesting. I didn't know! Don't tell my husband or he will chop up my prized plant!

[@dannisorchidjourney]

Oh this is exciting! I just recently found a love for elephant ears! Gorgeous 🌱 plant!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

So cool!

[@fujimartin1121]

Thank you for sharing, very informative😊

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Labraxsquad20]

Love this video thanks Rachel.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you and take care.

[@pinayjunglehome4737]

I love this.I am planning to buy one of this

[@GardeningatDouentza]

A superb plant. Happy plant shopping!

[@mayarada2059]

Fully watching and support ,understand you've done a great job

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thanks for the visit

[@Spyder6664]

Thanks for making this! Really helpful as I need to repot mine (kept indoors) which has shot up from 30cm or so to well over a metre in just 8 months!! Most of it's growth from (like you) always standing in an inch of water (which originally happened by accident). Only difference is I only use discarded aquarium (fish tank) water to water it (& all my plants), which it/they seem to really thrive on due to the increased nitrates I think.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Ah yes, that fish tank water provides your Alocasia with free food. No wonder it's thriving.

[@jamesz.williams8746]

I'm growing these as anchor plant for my front porch spring/summer planter here in South Carolina where summers are hot and humid hopefully they do well.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Best of luck!

[@miksrieksts-hofmanis5875]

Oh it was so hard to watch that I couldn't help you in lifting. Next year I'll have to repot mine too.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I wish you could have been there to help me too 😀

[@ahnaahna7278]

I love mine! Named original bulb...Francine. Now there are baby ears....so next year I will have to divide them up. Ahna. Atlanta/Georgia/USA

[@GardeningatDouentza]

May Francine go on to flourish in your care. I sometimes give plants names too 😉

[@Tazza107]

Ga'day there .. What i normally do if the plant wont come out of the pot is i hold the stem of the plant with one hand and the other hand i grab a peace of timber ,say just over a foot long and 3" wide and tap the top edge of the pot back ... That will push the pot off the root ball or you can get someone else to hold the plant up right by the stem and you can tap the pot off...Well that's how i do it and you see how easy it is ... Hope this idea will help you in the future.... Cheers from Down Under... Oh buy the way love your video

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Hi Tony. You make it sound easy! I really couldn't hold that giant plant with one hand, let alone wield a plank with the other 😲 The 'someone else' involved was busy holding the camera so your second option was out too. But thank you for offering your wisdom and I wish you a very happy weekend.

[@krishnaksingh2928]

Nice

[@wesleyhackney]

It is helpful to mash on sides of container or use a hammer or mallet to tap on sides to loosen up the soil and roots without damaging the plant

[@GardeningatDouentza]

cool

[@SailingSquib]

I´m keeping alocasia several years, my plants are as big as yours, I plant it every year in the garden late april or beginning of may till the first frost, then I dig it cut down all the leaves exept the last one. repot it and store it in our frost free greenhouse. Winters in Austria are colder than in Ireland, so the temperaturesin the greenhouse are about 5° C for nearly three months.When the sun rises and it gets warmerand the new leafes begin to come I replant it in very rich new compost with horn shavings and brown artificial fertilizer. Two month later I can plant them in the garden with some new leafes. I dig a much bigger hole than the pot and put some chicken manure compost in it, before planting. the next six months the alocasias will explode to more than two meters.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you for letting me in on your growing tips and I wish that 2021 brings you monsterous alocasia growth. Happy new year.

[@SailingSquib]

@@GardeningatDouentza I love your greenhouse with all this heathy plants inside

[@GardeningatDouentza]

@@SailingSquib Thank you

[@nitestrike1000]

Beautiful plant and impressive re potting effort but one should never attempt to re-pot a plant this large and heavy on your own. I'm a man and I always call for help so as to avoid back injury.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

So true but sometimes help is just not available.

[@FernandaNascimentoOrchids]

That was harder than unmolding a Cake. You sure need an extra pair of hands and a larger greenhouse ❤️

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Unmoulding a cake is indeed tricky. Kudos 😀

[@Jojodancer1978]

I was thinking exactly that lol

[@miche7032]

Where did you find the strength to pull that huge plant out of its pot & put it back in the new one ? I really thought that you were going to call for help. You are one strong lady.👍🏼👍🏼

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I do my best. Thank you 😀

[@marcellolicchello6811]

Ho una alocasia in vaso di circa 3,20 una pianta davvero maestosa .. ho sempre usato sin da piccola concime liquido per piante verdi e' mai stata esposta al sole diretto pertanto una pianta di facile cura.

[@wandashaw3551]

Wow!

[@lifewithangelica8132]

can we get an update video. also have you consider dividing this so it will be more manageable size wise?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Hi there. Check out my greenhouse videos for updates on this plant. I guess in time I will divide it but for the moment I'm enjoying having a huge specimen!

[@RafaelEstremera]

How many bulbs did you use for this plant?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I grew this plant from one seed. I can't say how many bulbs it has produced by now.

[@glorias6517]

Yikes! At 1st, when it slid out of pot, the trunk looked delicate, but I see it is sturdy. Your a “She Woman!” Lifting that Elephant. 😮...💪 That a girl Rachel, show us how it’s done. 😃

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Haha. You just recounted my thought process as I unpotted the alocasia. It is a brute at the end of the day thought, despite initial indications.

[@micholitzia5726]

In the tropics this plant will grow large corms out of the ground. Is it too cold for that in Ireland?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Yes, too cold in Ireland.

[@micholitzia5726]

@@GardeningatDouentza One more question, at what night time temperature do they stop growing? I am wondering if its OK for me to leave mine outside now since it is really big.

[@micholitzia5726]

Where I am at its now 5C at night, 15 during the day. Will they go dormant if I bring them outside now?

[@AGRORIMBAsaminto]

Good

[@tippysdaddy7468]

Massive but beautiful plant, hope you didn't suffer from all that manual work, in repotting it, it looked a tough, but rewarding job. Hope you dont mind me asking, but, how have your outdoor Sarracenia done this year Rachel?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you for your great comments as always. In reply to your question, my sarracenia have done brilliantly this year after the repotting. They are featured in garden tour videos and the sarracenia update video too as they just grew really big this year and are doing great. I am so glad I divided and replanted them. Happy growing.

[@MiscellaneousMichelle]

💚

[@z0ned]

Where do you get bigger pots from? I’m having such a hard time finding some

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I don't know where you are but I saw them for sale in Beechdale Garden Centre, Clonroche.

[@HariFloraLandscape]

👍👍

[@cindycyr4272]

How much watering in winter? You’ve got to water some at least

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Watering depends on temperature. I keep my alocasia at low temperatures in winter (minimum of 5 Celsius) so I don't water it. If I were to water it at those temperatures it would rot.

[@jawaharbhawancouncil3948]

I cant use a bigger pot because of space restrictions in my home and my alocasia has outgrown its pot. What shall I do?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

you could try cutting the roots. It works with some plants, not with others.

[@melanieklarofficial]

I hear taro called colocasia and alocasia. Which is it?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

I think it is both. That's the problem with common names. The most widely eaten taro is Colocasia esculenta so if you're talking about edible taro, you're talking about colocasia.

[@scottjones4888]

why didnt u split into s bunch of smaller plants

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Because I don't want a bunch of small plants

[@scottjones4888]

@@GardeningatDouentza could sell the small plants

[@paulap5578]

Can you separate the plant into two? How and when would you do that?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Yes, the plant can be divided. Spring is a good time.

[@humfyb2544]

Omg getting it off the pot is such a labor! 😅😅😅

[@GardeningatDouentza]

😅

[@SouthernYankee]

I bought an elephant ear tuber but it’s still not growing. I’m afraid I planted the tuber which was quite long upside Down.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

If in any doubt, always plant tubers/bulbs on their side. They can sort themselves out if planted on their side but usually not if upside down.

[@romuloalbano4256]

Why did you not separate those baby alocasia before putting it in its new pot?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Because I want one big plant

[@smoll.miniatures]

I just purchased an 3ft alocasia in Asda. It’s my first plant infact 😊 It seems to have smaller plants surrounding it at the base, is that all coming from the one bulb or could I repot these do you think. Thanks and good video!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

You can divide your alocasia when you repot it, if you like. I chose not to as I prefer one larger plant.

[@ericnyamu9981]

i bet now its talking to the international space station. lol.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Haha. Not quite.

[@pcrana1]

I recently purchased one and have found your video incredibly informative! Couple of questions: 1. do you let the pot sit in water all day long or do you do "bottom watering" ( as in letting the soil absorb the water upwards) 2. Do you use special water (distilled) or regular tap ? 3. My plant's leaves keep guttating (dripping water from their leaves) is it something you came across with yours too? Thank you in advance!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Hi there and congratulations on your recent purchase. In reply to your questions, I just leave my plant sit in a saucer of water the whole time. I have seen this plant growing is ponds so I have no fear of root rot. I use regular tap water on the plant (I have soft water). And, no, I have not found that my plant drips water from the leaves. I've seen this in ensete bananas but not with the alocasia. Perhaps you have a particularly humid environment? Anyway, hope this helps. Happy growing.

[@pcrana1]

@@GardeningatDouentza Thank you so much for your response! I have started using dechlorinated water and letting it sit on it for periods of time and she has surprised me with a new leaf coming through! On the environment bit, I keep it in a dry environment so it is a bit odd to see it dripping all day. Had one last question, the roots in my macrorrhiza are slowly poking through the drainage holes and look healthy but wrapped around the sides of the pot, do these like staying root bound for a while or should I repot it asap? Thank you again!

[@GardeningatDouentza]

@@pcrana1 Repot now if you want your plant to get even bigger quickly. If it's already big enough then it won't hurt the plant to delay a little.

[@MrBaconwhopper]

What helps to get it out of the pot is to squeeze/compress the pot on all sides and tap on the sides and bottom. Then it will come loose.

[@sunnycharacter]

😎I was talking to my ipad watching that and saying, “Ma’am, push in the sides!”

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Enough with the silly comments. Everyone knows about squeezing the sides of a pot to loosen a plant. Please note that you can't push in the sides of a pot this big and rigid.

[@gramyhaze8195]

Or get a man to do the job 😂

[@colincruickshanks7578]

You're not repotting. You are potting on. Repotting is when you remove a plant from it's container, carefully remove as much compost as is reasonably possible from around the root ball and then put the plant back into the same or similar sized container and diligently fill the newly created spaces between the plant's roots with fresh compost. Depending on the species of plant some root pruning may, or may not be done. Of course this process should be done at the right time of year according to the type of plant you are repotting. Potting on a plant is to remove a plant from it's container, putting it in a larger container and filling in around the space between the plant's rootball and sides of it's new container. Some light root pruning and/or gentle teasing out of roots may be done depending on the type of plant. and the time of year. Lovely Alocasia. I managed to get an Alocasia 'Borneo King' which was tiny at the end of last Summer but has kept on growing despite being micro propagated up to now by four times it's original size. Watch your back though. That's a heavy job for one person. Well done. Any problems yet with red spider mites? I heard that they can be prone to them.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Good morning, Colin, nice to hear from you and your Borneo King sounds great. No spider mite yet on my alocasia, thank goodness. The words 'repot' and 'pot on' are interchangeable in English, as any dictionary will tell you. With terrestrial plants the process of removing all soil is seldom done unless the plant is suffering from some sort of pest or has been incorrectly potted. Hope this helps.

[@michaelmccarthy4077]

I feel like I'm a bad influence. I mentioned that unifoliate Streptocarpus you have to Geoff (Tropical Plants 53 Degrees North) and he looked it up, went on the Dibley's website and ordered it. 😬 Also, don't throw your back out lugging that Alocasia around. Obviously they get ridiculously large around these parts. You end up having to take a machete to them. 😱

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Michael, was there ever any doubt that you are a bad influence 😂😜😜🤣

[@sandiesorchids9387]

Does it die back on you in winter?

[@verawallace9055]

It's not winter hardy , you cannot leave it outside in the winter

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Hi there. In reply to your question my alocasia does not die back in winter. It remains evergreen in the greenhouse at a 5 degree minimum. It just doesn't put up new growths so is in a kind of dormant state. And, yes, Vera Wallace's reply is correct. It is not hardy in my climate, where it is a greenhouse plant.

[@reymundounday2854]

How much there mam?

[@brigidscullion5292]

Wonderful plant. I hope I don't offend you but kneeling and lifting is a really bad thing for your back. The correct way to lift. is to stand with knees bent so the legs take the weight and not the back. The muscle in the lower thigh, is the largest in the body and suitable for lifting.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

You don't offend me at all. Of course I know the correct way to lift things but it is not always practical, especially when you're trying to stay in shot for video. Have a good day and happy growing.

[@gudangbotochannel8302]

excuse me ma'am I have alocasia macrorrhiza "Borneo Giant" about 9.6 feet high, if you are interested in collecting

[@GardeningatDouentza]

It would be a long journey from Ireland to Indonesia but thank you.

[@gudangbotochannel8302]

@@GardeningatDouentza no problem because shipping in bulbs and packaged safely

[@maureen6710]

You could have been a vet Rachel😀

[@GardeningatDouentza]

A vet? Really? Coincidentally that is what I wanted to be when I was in school.

[@maureen6710]

@@GardeningatDouentza Well you're certainly strong enough💪 As you were trying to pull the plant out of the pot, for some reason I thought it must be quite a similar job to helping a cow give birth! and requiring the same kind of strength!

[@snipeweedan]

Why don't you half it and eat the other half?

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Because I wanted a big plant

[@RealBradMiller]

Next year you'll need seven people to repot it! 😅

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Haha. Yes, probably. Have a happy Christmas.

[@Jack-er6wi]

I thought this got taller?? 🤔

[@lilyb1011]

Separate the pups! And plant them up in smaller pots!🤷‍♀️

[@GardeningatDouentza]

No, thanks.

[@rinacahyanti374]

Hie

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Hi

[@rinacahyanti374]

Your phone..

[@erlindamagallanes5013]

Be careful of the sap

[@be6715]

I am concerned you're going to do yourself an injury! I would have divided that brute, so you wouldn't have had to lift such a root ball.

[@GardeningatDouentza]

Thank you for your concern but I am okay.

[@fionalixiouzkinch9368]

I hope you seperated them esp the babies in other pot so they have own nutrients

[@GardeningatDouentza]

As you can see from the video, I left the plant intact as I wanted one large clump.