Saving and Storing Elephant Ear Bulbs

[@chriztine1119]

I found this a year later & it still is one of the best out there! Thanks!!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Glad you like it! Thank you!

[@elizabeth683]

Great information and easy. I have had a large Alocasia for 4 years now and would always carry in the whole thing. Your way is a lot easier to do. Thank you !

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Glad it was helpful!

[@raymondkulp5042]

Thank you you made the entire videos so simple! Now I actually know what I'm doing instead of having to watch 10 more videos to piece it all together! Good job dude

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I try to keep them simple but informative and interesting. Thanks again.

[@virendranaresh7237]

Thank you for your video of elephant ear plant I live in British Columbia so from October till February March it’s still cold. I will try the way you store your storage of elephant ear plant and will see in February or March how are they doing? Thank you for your video greatly appreciate Vern Naresh in British Columbia Canada. Thank you.👍

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Good luck! And thanks for watching. Hopefully all will go well for you.

[@ctm75]

Just lurking on YT for bulb/corm/root system storage. FYI when you cut a lot of tissue off a quick soak in Physan 20 and then coating the cut parts with cinnamon which helps dry them out and prevents mold or mildew. Thanks for sharing!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thanks for your input/ideas/suggestion. I am familiar with Physan 20, but by another name of Consan 20. That is a great suggestion. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@cindypenner4998]

Thanks, very helpful, heading out to tackle the job now. I've done this with canna lilies so hopefully will gave the same good results.

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Good luck! And Thanks for watching.

[@ahnaahna7278]

Oh thank you so much. I named the mother bulb....Francine....and now 3 years hence.....she has produced babies. She is in a big pot on a south patio outside....but I probably will just mulch around her.....this winter(Atlanta, ga). If I have to move away.....I will rake her with me. Thks again. Ahna USA

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thanks for sharing your story. Those are the best.

[@tongiahooks8500]

Thank you so much video very helpful,I didn`t if i could lay bulbs on something in my room to dry out. Your the best!!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Glad you found this video helpful.

[@elizabeth683]

Question. I live in New Jersey, and my plant is still looking great. At what temperature should I cut her leaves and bring the bulb inside? Thanks!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

I wait for a freeze to happen, so 32F, which burns the leaves down, but does not freeze the root. So watch your weather and enjoy them as long as the weather holds out. Good Luck!

[@carlacourtois5905]

Thank You So Much Gary!!!! I agree I'm so glad i didn't have to watch 20 videos to get the jist!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

You are so welcome. Thank you for watching.

[@PatriciaWalsh-nh6mq]

Should I mist/dampen canna bulbs during their hibernation? Thank you for the info!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

For storing Canna bulbs/roots/corms it is not necessary to mist them. Cool and dry is the way to go.

[@terrypaige9394]

Wonderful video! Very informative!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thank you.

[@Catlady8]

I am planning to move w/in the next 3-6mo so I have begun propagating plants I want to take with me after growing them in my yard the past 20+ years. I dug up some of my Elephant Ear bulbs today that were not in the prettiest location so I figure instead of replanting them now (April) I want to take them with me & plant once I’m in my next home. My question is, since some had just broken thru the ground with a green tip & the rest are still bulbs that were underground, can I use this same process & start “overwintering” them now, so to speak, and then take them out next Spring & plant them? Thanks for any advice. Your video was very straight forward & helpful.

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

I would think so. However, since they have started breaking their dormancy, you might see some continued growth after you have dug them up. I would keep them in the ground as long as you can before moving.

[@good-timeshomestead2183]

Do you cut off the roots after it cures? I just found your channel this morning. If you don't mind me asking, what grow zone do you live in. Thanks for the information you shared! Happy Gardening

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Depending on how many roots are attached, usually they will dry and can just rub them off. If they stay attached, it doest hurt anything. I am in a Z4b growing zone. Wyoming, USA. Thanks for the question and watching. Hopeful you find the content helpful.

[@good-timeshomestead2183]

@@SuccessfulGardens1 Thanks, This was the first year I grew the big ears. LOL Love them but last night was a big frost for us. I have them in my high tunnel for now but was wanting to winter them soon. Thanks for the zone, it helps me compensate hardness of what you are growing to what I can grow. 6 AB zone here. Enjoyed your video. Happy Gardening

[@PatriciaWalsh-nh6mq]

Is it necessary to mist/dampen the bulbs during the course of their hibernation? Thanks!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

No for Elephant Ear bulbs, it is not necessary.

[@coulthardrr]

When you are letting the bulbs dry out do you keep the uncovered box in the house out of sunlight, or in a window so the sunlight dries them faster? I know once they are dry you keep them in a cool dark place, but what about when they are drying?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

I have a root cellar/storage room where i dry mine out. But out of direct sunlight and not too fast is best. So over 2 days out of sunlight should be good.

[@coulthardrr]

@@SuccessfulGardens1 thanks for the quick reply, so a dark room is fine?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

@@coulthardrr yes.

[@larrydemonte2218]

Put mine in pots and I brought them indoors. They’re only about 2 feet high. I would imagine they should do OK

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Sounds like a great way to keep them over the winter. Thanks for sharing.

[@retake1697]

Thank you for your video. My question is can i place leaves and stems in my compost or just the leaves of the elephant ears only?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Great question. Yes you can place all of the parts of the stem and leaves into your compost pile. Depending on the size (length) of the stems and leaves I would cut them into smaller sizes, no longer than 18inches.

[@kathycollins7628]

My elephant ear bulbs are huge!! The plants grew well over six feet this year and now im trying to dig them up. Does it matter how big the bulbs are for this process? also I have carrot looking roots or tubes growing off the sides of the bulb. Will these grow if I plant them next year?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

So cool that your plant grew to be over 6 feet tall. Size doesnt matter just make sure the box or crate is big enough to cover and store. As for the carrot looking roots, i am not sure? I wish we could share pictures....i am wondering about new side shoots, which would grow into new stalks.

[@TamiGoldmann]

Thanks for doing this video. I was searching for elephant ear in a pot. I planted one the size of a small grapefruit in a ten inch pot. The first frost came and it died. Now, it's root bound! I tried cutting them away but it looks like I'm cutting into the flesh. What can I do? Aside from planting it in a bigger pot next year (if it survives)? Any advice would be appreciated.

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Great question, I would pull it out of the pot and loosen or wash the dirt away from the roots. Let it dry for a couple of days and then the roots will break off more easily, don't cut into the flesh. Store the bulb in dry material, like showed in the video an then wait until spring. I would recommend a bigger pot, a minimum of 14 inches but would go to a 20in large pot. Hope this helps and thanks for watching and commenting.

[@clarkriccobuono3903]

I made a big mistake. I left mine in their big pots and it got too cold. In my greenhouse. I pulled them all out of the dirt and am trying to dry them out. Should I put them in my garage?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Great question, tricky situation. Not knowing how cold, it got, can be the biggest factor. Now that you removed the bulb from the pot and soil, the best thing to do is to monitor it for any soft or damaged spots. Some of the smaller spots can be cut away, however, if you notice that there is damaged to at least 20% of the bulb, you might just be best to start over in the spring with a new bulb. Good luck...and it happens to all of us.

[@sdeejo1sj]

Do you do the same with Alocasia's?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Yes, if you are digging and storing them.

[@morgancross93]

Watching in Nov. 2024

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thanks for watching.

[@jillmorgan7309]

Do you think you can leave Elephant Ear outside in the Atlanta, Georgia area?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

I am not sure of your zone. It is possible, but I would check with one of your local nurserys/ gardens centers such as on of the Pike Nursery's in the Atlanta area.

[@MagicalMoments92]

Where would you recommend to store the bulbs to dry out?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

I would recommend a mild/cool dry area. I put mine in a large flat box and placed it in the middle of the pantry floor. After about a week, then I put the bulbs in a box filled with shredded paper, you can use pine shavings, closed the lid and then I just placed the box on a shelf. My garage isn't insulated and gets really cold during the winter (water bottles will freeze), so I have a shelf, there again, in my pantry that I can place until spring. Good Luck and thanks for asking a question. Hopefully it was helpful. Gary

[@stormyj7777]

Wondering how your tuber on this video turned out in the spring/summer? Looking forward to doing this with mine this fall. Cheers!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thanks for watching and commenting. In the video i mentioned and showed the rotting spot and how i cut it out before storing. When i pulled the bulb this spring, the rotting tissue contined to spread. I thought about trying to see if the remaining bulb would grow, but i decided to just throw it out. However, other bulbs and my canna roots, (watch my video on cannas) survived and i planted them again this spring.

[@annstacey4964]

Bummer that the bulb didn’t make it. Have you been able to get other elephant ear bulbs to survive?

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

@@annstacey4964 yes. This years crop looks a lot better to. The one I showed in the video really is showi g the importance of checking the bulbs for damaged tissue.

[@elizabethdibble5159]

Just subscribed. Thanks. If I have multiple bulbs, do they each need to be in their own box or bag to store? Is it better to do this so if one does rot it will not affect the others? Thanks again.

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Thanks for watching and subscribing. As for multiple bulbs, they can all be in the same box. However, if you notice one or are concerned about one, i would isolate it just in case. And once the outer skin has dried or cured, preparing for winter storage, it shouldn't infect other bulbs.

[@davidhunter5062]

That’s an awfully big soft ball!

[@SuccessfulGardens1]

Yes it is!

[@mayshirazi8564]

Why don't you remove the babies first? 😳😳😳