How to Propagate Elephant Ears Plant (Division Method Explained) - Garden Knocks (2024)

FAQs

How do you divide elephant ear plants? ›

Use a sharp knife or your shovel and bisect the section away from the parent. Tubers cut cleanly with a texture like a potato. Rhizomes are separated from the main mass. Ensure each new plantlet has a good root system already in place and the rhizome, or tuber, has no blemish or rotten area.

While elephant ears can't be propagated from cuttings like many plants, you can divide the tubers of a healthy parent plant. Do this in the fall, then plant the tubers in containers or store them for the winter and plant them outdoors in the spring.

🌿 Encouraging Regrowth. After the chop, your Arrowleaf Elephant Ear will likely sulk, but give it time. With proper care, it'll bounce back with vigor, sporting full and natural shapes like it's fresh out of the plant salon.

Elephant ears can become quite prolific over time. The best time to divide them would be as they begin emerging in the spring. Fall division could be done, but it will make the plants less winter hardy. You could also lift and store for the winter and divide when replanting next spring.

Seeds should be removed from the pods and rinsed. Use a humic rich medium with a generous amount of peat. Sow the seeds on the surface of the soil and then lightly dust them with a pinch of medium. Spray the top of the soil with a misting bottle and keep the medium lightly damp but not soggy.

When to propagate: The best time to take elephant bush cuttings is in spring or summer when the plant is actively growing. How to propagate faster: Dip the cut end in rooting hormone and plant in well-draining soil. Keep the soil moist but not soaked as the cutting roots.

The best time to take cuttings is in spring and summer, during active growth periods, to give the cuttings a good start. Choose a stem with plump leaves with a general look of good health. Use clean hand shears to clip your cuttings just below a node and allow them to dry for a few days before planting.

Petroleum-based chemicals should be avoided, or test first on a few leaves to be sure the material will not damage the leaves. Although it can be grown from seed, this plant is most often propagated from cuttings. Stem cuttings are easily rooted within 4 to 6 weeks in any type of potting medium in warm temperatures.

Liquid glyphosate formulations have been effective on elephant ear above the water line, but ineffective on plants in the water. They are broad spectrum, systemic herbicides. Systemic herbicides are absorbed and move within the plant to the site of action.

Do elephant ears spread? Some elephant ear plants spread along the ground, while others grow in clumps. Runners will quickly form a large mass of plantings, which can be good or bad. If you're worried about them spreading out of control, choose a clumping variety.

What do you do if you touch an elephant ear plant? ›

Calcium oxalate crystals make all parts of Hardy Elephant Ear toxic. Children are more at risk; keep the plant out of their reach. Immediate response crucial: Rinse skin, seek medical help if ingested.

Pots and planters are better for these plants and more so if you have a water line going through them. I love to throw coffee grounds in their direction and they respond well to the extra love. I have also put these plants into the ground where they come up every year. They are in shade from the bright hot sun.

Light. Most elephant ears will thrive in full sun (at least six hours of direct sunlight per day) or part sun (two to six hours of direct sunlight). You can veer towards planting in light shade with a couple of hours of direct sunlight if you live in a very hot or dry climate.

You can prune your elephant ear plant to keep it looking neat and healthy. Cut off any yellow or brown leaves and trim back any overgrown stems.

When should I repot my elephant ear plant? Re-pot your elephant ear plant every two to three years, or when the roots are crowded in the pot.

Do elephant ears spread? Some elephant ear plants spread along the ground, while others grow in clumps. Runners will quickly form a large mass of plantings, which can be good or bad. If you're worried about them spreading out of control, choose a clumping variety.

Dividing & Transplanting: Elephant ears reproduce via offsets and seeds. Seeds are rare unless you hand-pollinate the plants. When you purchase elephant ears, you'll receive a big corm. If you dig the corm up in the fall after a season of growth, you'll see smaller offsets forming.

Dig up the plants after the first fall frost. Cut off the foliage. Dry the tubers in a warm, dry location for 1 or 2 weeks. After drying, bury the tubers in peat moss or wood shavings and store them in an area with a temperature of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.