Elephant Ears in Containers

I purchased an elephant ear (Colocasia) tuber on sale for 25 cents at the end of June. I  potted it around the 2nd week in July.  I added a handful of compost to ordinary potting mix.  The container is fairly large - more than 3 times as wide as the tuber.  The tuber was planted in an upright position. When in doubt, plant them sideways.  They will always manage to right themselves. After potting, I watered liberally. Thereafter, the plant was watered daily.

The first growth appeared within 2 weeks. As the weather turned hotter, watering was increased to twice daily.  A weekly application of diluted liquid organic fertilizer was applied. To do well in containers, these fast growing tropical plants need plenty of nutrients and water.  Nutrients are washed from the container during watering.

The plant quickly outgrew my 12 x12 sunny deck.  Mature elephant ear plants may need as much as 5 feet of space. When the weather turned hot, the plant's leaves began to turn yellow and curl.  This was not surprising, These tropical plants prefer partial to full shade. The plant was moved to a shadier location.  It immediately started to flourish.

The elephant ear's large chartreuse green leaves impart a dimension of height and color to the shade garden. It provides the perfect focal point for an otherwise less than spectacular planing bed. Proper container size, watering, fertilization and shade are essential to growing lush elephant ears in containers.