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To care for elephant ears, grow the plants in moist, well-draining soil that is slightly acidic. Elephant ear plants require plenty of humidity and need regular watering to grow fast. Apply a high nitrogen fertilizer regularly to encourage growth. Growing indoors, put the elephant ear plant in indirect sunlight.
How do you look after an indoor elephant ear plant?
Elephant ears like to stay consistently moist, but not soggy. Be especially careful with watering if you use a pot without drainage holes. Always test the soil with your finger first. Humidity is also important to elephant ears, so it’s a good idea to set the pot in a saucer of water elevated by pebbles.
Can you keep elephant ears indoors?
Upright elephant ears (Alocasia) can be brought indoors and grown as houseplants. Keep the plants in bright, indirect light and keep the soil consistently moist, not wet.
How often should I water my elephant ear plant?
Plan on giving plants at least 2-3 inches of water per week. Fertilizing: Elephant ears are heavy eaters, as well as drinkers.
How often do you water elephant ears indoors?
But with such big leaves many people wonder how often they should be watering their plant and how much water they should give it. Elephant ears require regular watering especially throughout the growing season. Both indoor and outdoor elephant ears require about 2 – 3 inches of water per week.
How do you keep elephant ears alive?
Growing Elephant Ears In Your Garden Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. Keep elephant ear plants well-watered during the growing season, especially during dry spells. After new growth appears, a light fertilizer may be applied.
How fast do elephant ears grow indoors?
Just like Colocasia plants, well-watered Alocasia elephant ears will start to sprout in a period of about three to eight weeks whether they are planted indoors or out. Also like Colocasia, they’ll rest for a few months between growing cycles, losing leaves before growing speedily in the warm seasons.
Should I mist my elephant ear plant?
This tropical house plant can be somewhat fussy, preferring the high humidity of a greenhouse to an average home. However, a room humidifier and frequent misting of the leaves will give it the moist air it craves. Regular misting also helps to keep away red spider mites that are attracted to dry conditions.
Why is my elephant ear plant leaves turning yellow?
The most common cause of yellowing leaves in elephant ear plants is a watering issue. Generally, it’s said that elephant ear plants should receive two to three inches of water each week. If they’re getting more water than that, then you’re going to need to tone things down so that you don’t drown the plant.
Are elephant ear plants easy to care for?
Growing elephant ear plants is easy. Most of these plants prefer rich, moist soil and can be grown in full sun, but they generally prefer partial shade. If growing in pots use a rich, organic potting soil and plant them at the same depth.
Can you overwater elephant ears?
Crown, leaf spot, and stem or root rot: These diseases are caused by overwatering and usually appear as dark brown or black spots on the leaves surrounded by a yellowish rim. To prevent this, avoid over-watering, keep the leaves dry, and provide it with good air circulation.
How do I know if my elephant ears need water?
Watering: Soil should be maintained evenly moist but not saturated. Water when the soil starts to feel a little dry. If your Elephant Ear plant gets too much water, it will let you know by “weeping” or dripping water from the tip of the leaf.
Why do elephant ears droop?
Elephant ears may droop because there is a problem. Try adjusting the amount of light or water or applying a fertilizer. Another reason for drooping is that the large leaves become too heavy. Staking can help support the plants and prevent drooping.
What is bright indirect light?
What is bright indirect light for plants? Bright Indirect light is when the sun’s rays don’t travel directly from the sun to your plant but, instead, bounce off something first. Plants in bright, indirect light will cast blurry, indistinct shadows.
How often do elephant ears get new leaves?
The growth expected from elephant ear plants is moderate. During the active growing season you can expect around 1 leaf every month or slightly less than this.
Do elephant ear plants need full sun?
Elephant ears are tropical plants and the hotter and more humid the weather, the faster they grow. Colocasias display their leaves with tip of the heart pointing down. They prefer full sun and consistent moisture.
Do elephant ears have flowers?
Although elephant ears are grown primarily as foliage plants, they can bloom – but flowers are not common in the Midwest. The inflorescences are the typical aroid type with a white to yellow or light green spathe surrounding the spadix.
Should elephant ears be cut back?
In climates with frost, an elephant ear plant dies back each year. Cutting back an elephant ear is easy, but timing and good pruning habits are essential to maintain a healthy, thriving plant for years. Cut back an elephant ear plant two or three days after the first killing frost when the foliage turns brown.
Why are my elephant ears curling?
The main cause of curling leaves in Alocasia is the lack of appropriate plant care. If the plant’s leaves are curling, there’s a high chance it’s not getting enough light, it’s either being overwatered or underwater, a potassium deficiency, pest infestation, low temperatures, lack of humidity, or even over-fertilizing.
Do I cut off yellow leaves?
Generally, it’s safe to remove a few yellowed leaves from your plant. Removing yellow leaves keeps your plant looking healthy and your garden looking green. Removing yellow leaves can also reduce the risk of disease, which can develop more quickly on decaying leaves rather than healthy ones.
How do you fix elephant ear leaves?
To Fix Elephant Ear Plant Broken stem – Two things to resolve broken stem, either cut it and remove the stem from the base and the elephant ear plant will grow new in a few months.
