do elephant ears need to be dug up every year? if so...why? |
Elephant ear tubers can be damaged by cold temperatures so they are usually dug after the foliage dies down in the fall and stored in a cool (above freezing), dark area and replanted in the spring. You can try overwintering them in your garden. There's no guarantee they will survive but if you decide to leave them in the garden, wait until the foliage dies down on its own; prune all the dead foliage away from the plant, then mulch over the top of the plant with several inches of compost. This will help insulate the tubers from cold temperatures. In the spring you can brush away the compost and wait for new leaves to sprout. |