Do you have big ears?

Worth1 · July 28, 2009

My what big eyes you have grandma!
The better to see you with my dear!
My what a big nose you have grandma!
The better to smell you with my dear!
My what big ears you have grandma!
the better to hear you with my dear!
My what big teeth you have grandma!
Well you know the rest of the story.
What we are discussing here is elephant ears not big bad wolf ears.
With this hot weather and lack of rain when I get home it is all I can do to bring my elephant ears back to life.
The little wife just wont put enough water on them and the drip system just lets the water go down a dry hole.
SO to solve this little dilemma and knowing that these beautiful plants love water I decided to fight fire with water.
In the pictures below I will explain what I did and how it is working I have been putting off doing this for some time and I have finally done it.
You too can grow elephant ears in a desert with a minimum of water/ almost no water.

Here you see I have dug a hole for a 40 gallon container note no holes will be put in the tub and if need be I can just drill them in later.

Attachment 10363
you need to use a level so the water ----- well you know, it just looks better.
Attachment 10364
Here I have put in some red clayand then compost and wood chips.
slowly add water and mix well. Leave the clay at the bottom.
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I have dug up all of the bulbs that were in this patch and here you can see that even the smallest will be used.
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The finished product. I have done 3 of them so far and will do the rest (3 more)when I get home.
So far they are doing great at first they were soaked but with the heat the first one is just moist after about a week.
When these critters get big too much water will not be a problem.
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Worth

Alberta · July 28, 2009

Worth
I grow them every year, of course I'm not in a desert, but I find mine do better in shade. I even tossed a few bulbs this year in with some hosta's and they are doing great too. I'll try to get a few photos and post them asap.

Alberta

Worth1 · July 30, 2009

Alberta,
Elephant ears love the shade and this is where they are growing.
The darn things will even grow in the house.
I might even try bananas why not, everybody else has them here.
Worth

Worth1 · July 30, 2009

Oh by the way they dont really die down here theuy come back up first signof warm weather.

Alberta · August 3, 2009

Worth
I have to pull them every year or they will die in the winter here. I haven't tried to keep them alive in the house though, so that is a thought since I do have some in pots. Usually I did them up, cut the stems off, let the bulbs dry out for about a week, put them in peat and into the basement they go til the following year. Will try to get some pix today.
Alberta