Elephant ear or taro ( Colocasia spp . ) is a tropic herb with large , gaudy leave . In the north , it can be grow in with child can or directly in the garden bed , but the Tuber must be grasp up and stored indoors for the wintertime . Over time , plants can become crowded in their container or seam . At this point , disjoined elephant ears for the wellness of the plant life . Divided tubers can be stored or replanted , as condition and demand dictate .
Separating Elephant ear in the North
Step 1
expect until the first icing . leave will turn brownish and begin to die out back .
Step 2
turn out the industrial plant back about 2 to 4 inches from the ground using pruning snippet . Compost pass foliation .
Step 3
Use a garden spade or branch to rustle the tubers . Carefully create a perimeter around the base of the flora , about 8 to 12 in from the stem . Insert the nigger or fork at a 45 stage angle and labour the handle down to lift the tubers from the soil .
Step 4
Brush the soil from the tubers and trim the stems back to 1 or 2 in . grant the tubers to dry for 24 to 48 hours then wrap them in peat moss or vermiculite . storage in a cool , ironic location where the temperature will not drop below freezing .
Step 5
Divide elephant ear tuber in late winter or early fountain and plant indoors . Elephant ears can take up to four weeks to break dormancy , so this will allow the plants to get a good first on the growing season .
Step 6
Select the largest tuber sections . Look for slenderly self-conceited area on the tuber . These are the corm that will produce new increment . apply a acute knife to snub sections that contain at least one corm .
Step 7
Plant sections in a well - run out potting mix . Keep the plants warm and well - watered .
Step 8
Wait until the weather has warmed sufficiently and after all risk of frost has passed . Move the plants to their raw location and water regularly .
Separating Elephant ear in the South
Divide crowded elephant ear by lightly inclose a garden spade into the dirt circumvent the works . Dig 8 to 12 inches away from the stems to avoid damage the genus Tuber .
inclose the nigger beneath the plant at a 45 degree slant and go up the antecedent mass out carefully .
consist the plant on its side in a shady localisation . Use your hands to pull aside the mass of genus Tuber .
Select the most robust of the divide plants and replant them quickly . Extra plant can be actuate to a new location , planted in pots for future employment or trimmed back , dried and stack away .
Water replanted elephant ears daily for three to four weeks .
Tip
Elephant ears are heavy feeders and benefit from a bi - hebdomadary fertilization with a 10 - 10 - 10 water system - soluble product . Poor maturation is triggered by cold temperatures , too slight water or a lack of nitrogen .
Warning
Use aid when rationalise back elephant ear . The leaves hold a pocket-sized amount of oxalic acid , a skin irritant .
