Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Propagate Elephant Ears
How to Propagate Elephant Ears. A herbaceous perennial named for its enormous, heart-shaped leaves, elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta) is a statement ornamental plant in water gardens and indoor poolside features. This tropical native, also known as elephant ears, elephant's ear and taro, is hardy in the warm, wet climates of U.S. Department of...
A herbaceous perennial named for its enormous, heart-shaped leaves, elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta) is a statement ornamental plant in water gardens and indoor poolside features. This tropical native, also known as elephant ears, elephant's ear and taro, is hardy in the warm, wet climates of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11 and can reach up to 8 feet in height under perfect conditions. Also a reliable food source, elephant ear produces edible roots in thick, tuberous clumps that are ideal for propagation by division.
Things You'll Need
Waterproof gloves
Measuring tape
Garden shovel
Sharp knife
Teaspoon
Slow-release, high-phosphorus fertilizer
Mulch
Watering device
Put on waterproof gloves to prevent elephant ear's mildly irritating sap from touching your skin. Expose the plant's roots carefully by digging into the soil 8 to 12 inches from the plant's base. Loosen the soil around the plant by hand.
Pull the plant's roots apart by hand. Separate tubers, which look like slender, ridged potatoes, and their associated roots from the main plant by using a sharp knife. Ensure each tuber retains at least one bud. A bud is a small sprout on a tuber.
Select a planting location with well-drained soil in partial shade. Dig one hole 2 to 3 inches deep for each tuber. Space the holes 2 feet apart in rows 4 feet apart.
Place one tuber in each hole with a bud facing upward. If a bud is not readily recognizable on a tuber, then plant the tuber horizontally.
Add 1 teaspoon of a slow-release, high-phosphorus fertilizer to each hole. Fill the remainder of each hole with the soil you removed to create the hole. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch on top on the soil covering the tubers.
Water the site well. Keep the soil moist, but not soaking wet, throughout the growing season.
Repeat the application of 1 teaspoon of slow-release, high-phosphorus fertilizer once each month, placing the fertilizer on top of each tuber's soil. Water deeply after fertilizing.
Harvest the tubers from the plants after six to eight months.
Tips & Warnings
Do not plant the tubers until nighttime temperatures reach at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Elephant ear is considered an invasive plant in some areas.
If not properly cooked, elephant ear can cause a stomach ache.
