Overwintering Elephant Ears: How to Overwinter Elephant Ears

Overwintering a plant is the process of ensuring a plant survives the winter by protecting it from the cold and providing extra light in the long, dim winter months. In the case of elephant ear plants (family Araceae, genera Colocasia and Alocasia, among others), gardeners in cooler climates can overwinter these perennials, which are native to the Southeast Asian tropics and subtropics.

Elephant ears grow year-round in their frost-free, native tropical climates, but they have since spread across the continents. Gardeners in cooler temperatures who wish to treat elephant ears as perennials can overwinter these plants with the following methods:

1. 1. Overwinter outdoors: If you live in a warm enough climate, you can overwinter elephant ear plants in the garden. Be sure to check with the recommendations for your particular species and variety of elephant ear plants—some can tolerate USDA hardiness zone six, while others won’t survive in a cooler climate than nine. When the temperature gets cool enough, depending on your variety of elephant ears, it will drop its leaves and go into dormancy. Trim the stems back to two to four inches above the soil line. Then, cover with a couple of inches of shredded leaves or mulch to protect the tuber (or corm) from the coldest temperatures. You can resume watering in the spring.
2. 2. Overwinter indoors: If you grow your elephant ear plants in pots, you can bring them inside for the chilly winter months. Elephant ears can make for good houseplants, provided with the space, light, and time to give them proper care. If already potted, prune all but the two top leaves, and bring the plant indoors before the first frost. Once inside, keep them in bright, indirect sunlight and moist (not wet) soil. If your plants are in the ground, you can dig them up and transplant them to appropriately-sized pots indoors, pruning and potting them before the first frost. Keep them in a cool (forty-five to sixty degrees Fahrenheit) well-lit part of the house, out of direct sunlight. These will be semi-dormant, so be sure not to overwater—every couple of weeks should be sufficient.
3. 3. Overwinter tubers: Tubers, also known as the bulbs or the corms, are large rootlike masses that help provide elephant ears plants with nutrients and energy. If you live in a particularly cool climate, and if your variety of elephant ears has larger tubers, you can dig them up and store them over the winter. Dig the tubers with a garden fork, starting a foot away from the base of the plant, being careful not to damage them. It’s best to do this after the winter temperatures reach forty degrees at night and the plant begins to enter dormancy. Brush off excess soil, then place them in a container, like a cardboard box. Use peat moss or wood shavings to gently pack the tubers, cover them and store them in a dark, dry place no warmer than sixty degrees Fahrenheit. Check the tubers occasionally for signs of rot or decay.

Many gardeners successfully overwinter elephant ear plants from season to season. Below are some tips for the overwintering process:

1. 1. Identify the variety of elephant ears. It’s essential to know the particular elephant ear species and cultivar to overwinter successfully. Some varieties survive outside in temperate climates, while others won’t survive if the nights get too cold.
2. 2. Carefully choose the tubers. If digging up your elephant ear tubers, select the biggest and healthiest looking ones. After brushing them off, give them a careful inspection, and discard any with signs of pest damage or rot.
3. 3. Dry the bulbs and tubers. Before packing your elephant ear bulbs or tubers, it’s helpful to leave them out at room temperature for a week. The circulating air will dry the tubers, lessening the chances of decay.

After the danger of frost has passed, simply move the pots outside or replant your elephant ears in your garden. Follow these steps to plant elephant ears:

1. 1. Choose the site. Elephant ears require partial shade and ample room to grow. The size of the tuber or bulb will be a reliable indicator of how big the plant will grow: The bigger the tuber or bulb, the larger the plant will grow. Choose a planting area with partial shade that has enough space to host your plants.
2. 2. Prepare the soil. Elephant ears are heavy feeders that prefer slightly loamy, acidic, well-draining soil. Before planting, amend the soil with a couple of inches of organic matter. Next, loosen the first eight to 10 inches of soil, so the roots have room to spread as the plant grows.
3. 3. Dig. Dig a hole large enough to fit the entire bulb or tuber—around five to six inches. Each of the plants should have around two feet of space between them for smaller plants, and three to four feet for taller elephant ears.
4. 4. Plant. When you’re ready to plant, place the blunt or flatter side of the tuber or bulb downwards in the soil, ensuring that the growing tip is about four to five inches below the soil line. Cover the plant with four to five inches of soil. Tamp down.

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