Today one huge Mammoth Elephant Ear 'bulb' is planted. How long will it take for it to grow? If you have one of these planted in your yard or not, I would enjoy hearing about your experiences.
Mammoth Elephant Ear
I am trying to get them started in the house - last year when I planted them out it seemed to take forever for them to do anything. I think they need warm soil. Once the soil warmed up and I saw activity - Holy Hannah, the thing took off! I have some that I didn't pot up yet and might still put those outside as most of what I read says to plant in early spring....I guess I'll consider it an experiment.
Thank you for responding, Anitabryk2. Since April through July, NE PA had a lot of rain. This is the first year planted and the M.E.E. plant has 3 small leaves. Is that normal? Maybe it will grow larger before frost. Do you know if it has to be dug up and stored until next spring?
Hmmm, my ears are very large. How much sun does it get? Yes, you need to dig it up and store it for the winter.
Anita, I always pictured you with normal-sized ears. My nose is big. Don't you think you should start your own thread for confessing large body parts?
Jane, sorry for the interruption but I couldn't resist.
when i lived in louisiana, i had elephant ears that grew over my table.we used it as an umbrella. it depends on what variety you have. some stay small. . i potted one and kept it as a house plant. careful though, some people are allergic to the sap.
Erica - when you lived in LA, did the EE's go dormant?
I have an elephant ear which is getting it's third leaf. It is in a decorative 8" pot. I don't think it will get beach umbrella size up here in NE but it has already outlived the last one I had a couple of years ago that got gnawed to death by a skunk or a squirrel or something. I will take a picture tomorrow.
Martha
anita- no. elephant ears were all year round. they were invasive too if you weren't careful. boy do i miss being able to garden all year round. you couldn't grow tulips and crocus,but green all year made up for it.
I figured that was why your EE's were so big. I hear they use them as umbrellas in some neck of the woods!
Dave is too funny!
I planted my first EE in May and it did nothing (visible) for the longest time but now has it's third leaf, just like gardenmart's. Wow! I wanted something big and noticeable but just didn't believe the size it would get to in dead shade! I'm impressed.
I will dig it, Janecline, and save it for next year! May even get two black ones...maybe.
Ericalynne: but we have the beautiful white cover in winter - don't you like that?
Anita: love the idea of using them as umbrellas - maybe even for fairy statues!
Can we all take pictures to compare sizes for Dave?
Sounds good - I will be away until next week, so you will have to wait until then :)
My EE feels at home today. It's got to be 99-100 degrees outside. Just like Florida! I was out doing preemptive watering this morning around 7 and it was 80 or so then. But the hibiscus and the EE seem happy!
Martha
I was out early, too, also watering. I felt like I was walking into an oven turned on the highest heat. Yes, the plants here seem happy and oblivious to the heat we scorn, Martha.
my nastertiums are wilting and my roses aren't enjoying the heat but everything else seems fine. somthing ate all of the buds off my perrenial sweet pea!!! didn't touch a leaf, just the buds. even left the stems. i planted it from seed 2 years ago and this was the first year it was going to bloom! i don't even know what color it is!!!
How tall was it, ericalynne? I'm wondering if it was bunnies or deer.
it's only 3 ft tall. and its up against a fence. too close to my house to be deer and i have a mean and sadistic serial killer cat so it can't be bunnies. i'm thinking some kind of bug/caterpillar. probably my new number 1 enemy- japanese beatles. they ate all of the buds off my hollyhocks and are working on my roses as we speak.
I despise them but that doesn't do you any good. All I can offer is my sympathy.
