What is the best way to water my Elephant's ear?
There are plenty of viable ways to supply your Elephant's ear with water. If you grow your plant in an indoor pot, for the Elephant's ears in small pots, you can bring your potted plant to your kitchen sink. Then, use the faucet to add water to the container. By holding the pot in your hands, you should easily notice when the water begins to run through the pot’s drainage holes, at which point you can stop watering. The cold temperature will hurt the plants' root system, so please don't do this during winter or in cold climates. Most of the time, watering via your faucet is permissible for the Elephant's ear. However, if the local tap water contains a high proportion of fluorine, chlorine or salts, you should consider using rainwater or lake water. Also, since the Elephant's ear can respond well to overhead watering and watering directly into the soil, you can use a watering can, hose, or just about any tool you’d like to water it.
What should I do if I water my Elephant's ear too much or too little?
If you discover that you have underwatered your Elephant's ear, your first step towards remedying the situation is to give your plant some water. Water deeply until excess water runs from the container’s drainage hole, or if you grow outside, water until the soil has become entirely moist. If you find your Elephant's ear is receiving too much water, begin by reducing your watering schedule. You also want to address the soil and container your Elephant's ear grows in. If either the soil or the container makes it difficult for water to drain efficiently, your plant will likely become overwatered again. Resolve the issue by moving your plant to looser soils and/or a container with bigger drainage holes or a more porous material. Also check the location of the plant. If the plant is in places like a corner, then it is recommended to move it to a window or around a door to enhance ventilation. Making sure the plants are in a well-ventilated location can reduce the occurrence of overwatering to some extent.
How often should I water my Elephant's ear?
The Elephant's ear is not a species that requires consistent soil moisture. Instead, it is better to allow this plant’s soil to become dry between waterings. If you are like the many gardeners who grow Elephant's ears in containers, you can judge whether or not it is time to add water by how dry the soil within the container is. For instance, if about top half of the soil in your container has become dry, it is time to add water. You can feel it by inserting your fingers or sticks into the soil or with soil moisture meter. For those who grow the Elephant's ear outdoors, you can plan to do your watering about once every other week, provided it has not rained recently.
How much water does my Elephant's ear need?
After waiting for the first several layers of soil surrounding your Elephant's ear’s root to become dry(top half of the soil), it is time to add enough water to make them moist again. The amount of water it takes to achieve that goal depends on if you use a container, how large that container is, and how large your plant itself is. For a small Elephant's ear growing in a small to a medium-sized container, one to two cups may be enough to dampen the soil sufficiently. As you would expect, the volume of water you supply should increase for a larger plant. The best way to make sure your plant has received enough water is to stick your finger or a trowel into the soil and feel whether it is entirely moist. Alternatively, you can water until you see excess water draining from the holes at the bottom of your container.
How can I tell if i'm watering my Elephant's ear enough?
Overwatering and underwatering are both bad for the health of your Elephant's ear. These two issues also manifest themselves in subtly different ways when they occur. Elephant's ear that receives too little water may begin to develop yellow leaves. Underwatering may also cause the leaf margins to become brown and brittle. By contrast, Elephant's ear that gets overwatered will often show yellow and brown marks on its leaves at the same time. Overwatering can also lead to diseases like root rot, some of which may also be visible on your plant. However, if you know the signs of overwatering and underwatering, you stand a good chance of correcting both issues.
How should I water my Elephant's ear through the seasons?
During spring and fall, your watering schedule for the Elephant's ear will remain relatively the same, which will involve watering this plant about once every week. During summer, you may find that the hot weather causes your plant to need more water than usual, especially if it grows where there is a considerable amount of daily light exposure. In the winter, if it's hard to find some warm places for you plant, your Elephant's ear will enter a dormant growth phase, in which it will need far less water than usual. At this time, you may get by without watering your plant at all. If you do choose to water during winter, you should not do so more often than once every two to three weeks.
How should I water my Elephant's ear at different growth stages?
After planting a new, young Elephant's ear or after transplanting an older Elephant's ear, you will probably need to give this plant more water than usual. Young plants often need consistent soil moisture during the early stages of their growth to help them adapt to their new growing locations. Transplants also need more water for a brief time to overcome transplant shock. In either case, you may need to water multiple times per week until your plant has exhibited continuous healthy growth. In most situations, your water should be moderate and should never be significant enough to cause overwatering.
What's the difference between watering Elephant's ear indoors and outdoors?
There are a few reasons why you may need to water an indoor Elephant's ear more often than one that grows in the ground outdoors. First, indoor growing settings tend to be drier than outdoor ones, often due to the effect of air conditioning units. While thw size of the pot and the soil determines the warer accumulating ability. Additionally, when your plant grows indoors, it will rely on you entirely for its water By contrast, Elephant's ear that grows outside can receive water from rain. If you are in an area with high rainfall, you may not have to give it extra watering. When there is not enough rain, you should water additionally to ensure that the soil does not dry out completely.
How can I prune my Elephant's ear?
Pruning your Elephant's ear is a fairly simple process. First, you will need a reliable set of hand pruners or hedge trimmers. You may use a clean pair of sharp scissors if you don’t have pruners or garden shears on hand. It’s important to always clean your gardening tools before and after using them to prevent the possibility of spreading disease or infection to other plants. To prune your Elephant's ear simply allow your plant to go dormant over the Winter. Some time between late winter and early spring – or when new growth starts to appear – take your clean pruners or trimmers and cut away any dying, damaged, yellow or declining foliage. Repeat this process until you reach the base of the plant or until there are no dead pieces left to cut. When pruning, be careful not to damage the new growth that may be emerging near the base of your plant. These parts cannot be restored and pruning can increase the ventilation of the plants and facilitate their growth. Any pruning that is done to this plant should be cut straight across the blades or stems. No angled cuts are required. Diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Elephant's ear is growing.
What should I do after pruning my Elephant's ear?
Once you’ve pruned your plant, you should dispose of the stems and leaves either by composting the healthy ones or throwing out the diseased parts. You can also fertilize just before or after pruning, which gives Elephant's ear a little vitamin boost that can provide it the nutrients needed to better protect itself from any nearby pathogens or diseases. Do not water the Elephant's ear immediately after pruning as this can lead to fungal infestation of the plants through the wounds. You don’t need much after care when you’re done pruning. It might benefit from light watering and some liquid plant food to encourage new growth.
How can I prune my Elephant's ear during different seasons?
Early spring and late winter are the best times to prune your Elephant's ear on a large scale. If you want to control the size of your Elephant's ear, you can prune them as you wish, but be careful not to prune more than a third of the size of the plant. Yellow and diseased leaves may appear during the summer months when the Elephant's ear is growing vigorously and these types of leaves need to be pruned back immediately. These parts of the Elephant's ear cannot be restored and pruning increases the ventilation of the plant and facilitates its growth.
When should I prune my Elephant's ear through different stages of growth?
Strategic pruning is usually done at different times of the year or during certain stages of growth depending on the plant. However, knowing when to prune your Elephant's ear depends on where you live and how established your plant is. For example, if your Elephant's ear is a new resident, it’s a good idea to wait until the plant starts to grow back before you start pruning. On the other hand, if your plant is already established, you will want to prune the dry or dead parts in plant before new leafy growth appears in early spring or late winter. This is the time of year when plants are dormant and pruning causes the least damage to them. This is also the best time of year to do more extensive pruning. It’s important to note that if Elephant's ear is pruned too late in the season, it can leave new growth at risk for damage or disease. However, if your Elephant's ear is indoors this is not a problem and you can prune at any time. Since this can affect the long-term health and appearance of your plant, it’s important to keep this in mind when deciding when and how to prune. As your Elephant's ear grows larger over time, you can trim it as needed after annual pruning. Dead, damaged, or diseased leaf blade foliage can be removed as it appears. This could be done anytime when your Elephant's ear is growing.
How much sunlight does Elephant's ear need every day?
Although this plant doesn’t particularly like a lot of light, it does need some throughout the day to photosynthesize and therefore grow properly. Full shade plants like Elephant's ear don’t need a full eight hours of sunlight per day, but they do need access to at least six hours of indirect sunlight every day in order to grow at a healthy rate.
What kind of sunlight does Elephant's ear need to thrive?
Elephant's ear is a shade-loving plant that requires lots of shade. During the hottest parts of the day, this plant needs to be protected from direct sunlight; however, it can tolerate partial sun during other parts of the day. Morning sun is ideal for Elephant's ear, but it can tolerate small amounts of afternoon sun if it’s not too hot in one spot for the entire afternoon and evening.
How can I protect Elephant's ear from sun damage and overexposure?
There are a few tricks to planting Elephant's ear that can prevent you from having to take extra measures to protect it from direct sun. You can try strategic shade planting using buildings or trees to plan where to plant, or even layer using taller plants that can tolerate bright, direct light all day. Otherwise, you can try using shade cloth to build a sunshade over your Elephant's ear facing toward the sun during the hottest parts of the day.
What happens if Elephant's ear gets inadequate sunlight?
Unfortunately, too little sunlight is still possible, even though this plant loves the shade. You might notice leaves straining to grow towards better-lit areas, leaves that grow progressively smaller, and even generally-stunted growth. In these cases, you can try moving Elephant's ear if it’s in a pot, or move other foliage out of the way so that some of the sunlight can reach into your Elephant's ear.
What happens if Elephant's ear gets too much sunlight?
Elephant's ear can be damaged fairly easily from sunlight overexposure. When its leaves are exposed to bright, direct sunlight for multiple hours per day in the same spots, you may begin to notice some yellowing and/or brown discoloration at the leaf tips. The leaves in heavily burned spots may also start to curl under or in. These are signs that your Elephant's ear is being cooked in the sun, and needs a little bit more shade to be happy.
Does Elephant's ear need different sunlight care for different growth stages?
In some climates, sunlight for plants coming out of dormancy may be a bit much. When your Elephant's ear is in its early stages for the year, it shouldn’t be exposed to much sunlight. The new, tender leaves are far more susceptible to sunburn than mature ones, so be sure to shade your plants properly if they aren’t already protected from direct rays of sunlight. It’s important to keep the first foliage intact, as this will be the primary source of energy the plant as it puts on new growth for the year!
Why do I need to fertilize my Elephant's ear?
The leaves of the Elephant's ear comprise most of its main structure, and fertilization is one of the most impactful ways that you can ensure that those leaves look great while also serving their function. Proper fertilization will help your Elephant's ear hold leaves with consistent color and a healthy texture. Fertilization also works below the soil's surface to help your Elephant's ear generate new roots and maintain the roots that are already part of the root system. This means that fertilization will not just keep your plant healthy now, but it will also help your plant be better capable of absorbing soil nutrients in the future.
When is the best time to fertilize my Elephant's ear?
If you grow your Elephant's ear outdoors each year, this perennial plant will send new growth shooting out in early spring. The emergence of those leaves is a sign that the time is right to begin fertilization for the year. Often, a Elephant's ear will perform just fine with a single application of fertilizer when the spring arrives. However, if you wish to maximize the growth of your Elephant's ear, you can repeat the feeding multiple times throughout the spring and early summer. If you choose this route, you can feed your Elephant's ear about once every month to a month and a half.
When should I avoid fertilizing my Elephant's ear?
In the late fall and winter, your Elephant's ear will enter a dormant phase in which it will no longer produce new growth. At this time, you should avoid fertilizing your Elephant's ear. If you choose to fertilize multiple times during spring and summer, you should begin reducing your fertilization rate as summer approaches, as your Elephant's ear 's growth rate will also slow. Overall, it is never a wise choice to fertilize your Elephant's ear during times when the weather is unseasonably hot or when the soil is extraordinarily dry. Fertilizing in either of those cases can stress your Elephant's ear and cause it to perish prematurely.
What type of fertilizer does my Elephant's ear need?
Fortunately, choosing the best fertilizer for a Elephant's ear is a very straightforward task. These plants will thrive on a general-purpose garden fertilizer that has equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A fertilizer that has a ratio of 10-10-10 or something similar will be very effective. When in doubt, be sure to avoid fertilizers that have high amounts of nitrogen. Most of the best fertilizer for a Elephant's ear will come in a granular form. These fertilizers should be slow-release and will be very easy to apply to the soil. It can also be helpful to feed your Elephant's ear using an organic soil amendment such as compost.
How do I fertilize my Elephant's ear?
Wait until your Elephant's ear has just barely poked its first leaves through the soil's surface in early spring. Once you see that sign, apply a granular slow-release fertilizer with a balanced formula to the soil that surrounds the base of your Elephant's ear. You can repeat a similar process later in the season if you choose. When reapplying fertilizer to a Elephant's ear, you should, again, apply the fertilizer to the soil at the base of the plant rather than to the plant itself. At times, this may require you to move some leaves out of the way to access the soil above the roots. It's also often a good choice to water your Elephant's ear before and after you feed it.
What happens if I fertilize my Elephant's ear too much?
The Elephant's ear doesn't necessarily need to receive high volumes of fertilizer each year, which means overfertilization is entirely possible. If you overfertilize your Elephant's ear, you will likely notice first that the leaves have turned brown. Overfertilization of Elephant's ear is especially common if you use a fertilizer that has higher concentrations of nitrogen. High nitrogen content will likely cause the leaves of your Elephant's ear to become discolored, lose much of their moisture, and begin curling at the margins. Many gardeners avoid such complications by limiting fertilization of their Elephant's ear to once per year in early spring.