How to Take Care of an Indoor Elephant Ear Plant
Elephant ears have large, heart-shaped leaves that can add beauty to a home. In the northern states, if grown outside, elephant ears must be treated as annual, but if you grow them inside the plants are perennials. In the past gardeners have hotly debated whether elephant ear plants can be grown indoors at all. The current consensus is that it is possible if you pay careful attention to the needs of the plant. With some knowledge you can make the plant thrive inside your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pot
- Potting soil
- Stake
- Yarn
- Water
- Liquid fertilizer
- Southern-facing window
Instructions
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1
Plant your elephant ear in a pot with drainage holes and good potting soil. Make sure the soil has perlite or sand in it to promote good drainage; if it doesn't add your own for a permeable soil.
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2
Place gravel in the drainage dish, and put the pot on top of it. This will prevent any far-reaching roots from sitting in the water and causing root rot.
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3
Stake the plant if it starts to lean. Use a wooden stake and push it into the soil. Tie the plant to the stake with yarn to keep it upright.
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4
Place the plant in bright and indirect sunlight. A southern-exposed window that is clear of trees and other obstructions is ideal.
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5
Water the elephant ear daily, always keeping the soil moist. Mist the leaves a few times a week to keep the plant hydrated. The plant originally comes from the tropics and likes a wet atmosphere.
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6
Feed the plant weekly with a mix of half liquid fertilizer and half water. Apply fertilizer as long as the plant is sprouting new leaves. A slow-releasing fertilizer may also be applied in the early spring as an alternative.
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