How to Grow and Care for Elephant Ear (Alocasia) as a Houseplant, and Precautions

Elephant Ear (Alocasia) is a common indoor plant, a perennial herbaceous plant with fairly thick stems, and it has a noticeable effect on removing dust. However, when growing it we should pay attention to its toxicity, and special care is needed if there are children at home. Let's take a look together below at how to grow Elephant Ear and the precautions to take!

How to Grow Elephant Ear

1. Growing temperature: 20-25°C is the most suitable growing temperature for Elephant Ear. If the room temperature is below 18°C, Elephant Ear will enter a dormant period and stop growing. Elephant Ear likes a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment. During cultivation you must pay special attention to the changes of the seasons. Especially now that summer is about to arrive, be particularly careful to place Elephant Ear in a semi-shaded, ventilated spot, and mist its leaves frequently to maintain air humidity. Avoid excessively high temperatures, which can cause abnormalities in Elephant Ear. Elephant Ear is not very cold-resistant, and depending on the temperature differences between north and south, it needs to be moved indoors in autumn and winter.

2. Correct fertilizing: The fertilizing cycle for Elephant Ear is once a month, and it must be given a supplementary feeding every 2 weeks, and the potting soil of Elephant Ear needs to be moistened. A thin liquid fertilizer based on nitrogen mixed with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used as a supplement. When top-dressing, avoid pouring the fertilizing water onto the leaf sheaths, as this will cause Elephant Ear to rot. If you want Elephant Ear's leaves to be large and green, you can apply some ferrous sulfate and that will achieve it. If you want Elephant Ear to grow attractively, avoid a lack of fertilizer; once a fertilizer deficiency occurs, the stem of Elephant Ear will shrivel and become bare.

3. Watering at the right time: In summer you can water Elephant Ear more. People often say that the stems of their Elephant Ear rotted, and this is caused by waterlogging. If you give Elephant Ear too much water, this situation will occur, so you must get the amount right when watering. In winter Elephant Ear enters a long dormant period, so in winter watering should be controlled and fertilizing stopped.

4. Light issues: For plants that like semi-shade, direct sunlight is the biggest taboo. When the leaves of a cultivated Elephant Ear droop, it may be due to a lack of fertilizer. At this time you need to add some liquid fertilizer to Elephant Ear. When Elephant Ear enters its flowering period, make sure it gets 3-5 hours of light each day. Otherwise the buds will be tinged with green and the leaf stalks will elongate, affecting its appearance.

5. Summer care: In summer the pot should be placed indoors in a ventilated spot without direct light, and water should frequently be sprayed on the surroundings and the leaf surfaces to increase air humidity, lower leaf temperature and keep the leaves clean. But watering must not be excessive, otherwise the tubers will rot. Alternating dry and moist is best, with no waterlogging.

Precautions for Elephant Ear

The white sap in the stems of Elephant Ear is toxic. Touching it by mistake or accidentally eating the sap will cause discomfort in the throat and mouth, and in severe cases can even cause suffocation, leading to cardiac paralysis and death. Skin contact with its sap will cause itching or strong irritation, and eye contact with the sap can cause severe conjunctivitis, or even blindness, so contact with Elephant Ear should be minimized, and families with children had best not grow it. However, Elephant Ear is not a carcinogenic plant.

Winter Care for Elephant Ear

1. Elephant Ear enters a dormant state when the room temperature is 8°C, and its leaves begin to turn yellow when the room temperature is 5°C. Therefore, the overwintering temperature for Elephant Ear should preferably be above 10°C; this way its leaves can be kept green through the winter. If the room temperature cannot be guaranteed, then simply let the leaves of Elephant Ear wither and yellow, and let it overwinter in a slightly dry dormant state.

2. In late autumn and early winter, the leaves of Elephant Ear begin to turn yellow and shrivel. At this point simply use scissors to cut all the leaves off from the stem, stop watering, clean the surface of the potting soil, and place the whole pot with the Elephant Ear in a corner or on a shelf. Throughout the winter, water only once a month, and normally just keep the potting soil at 10% moisture. Because its rhizome is toxic, it will not be attacked by insects or gnawed by mice, and as long as the room temperature does not fall below 0°C it will not suffer frost damage. After Qingming Festival the following year, take the Elephant Ear plant out of the original potting soil, remove dead roots, old soil and offshoots, replant it in a prepared growing medium, water it thoroughly, and place it indoors in a sunny spot. In about 10 days it will sprout leaves again.

Common Problems in Growing Elephant Ear

1. What causes the leaves of Elephant Ear to turn yellow?

The potting soil of Elephant Ear has been too wet or too dry for a long time, and it has not been watered as soon as the soil dried. Watering with “half water”, that is, not watering thoroughly so that no water seeps out from the bottom of the Elephant Ear pot. Being exposed to cold in winter, so the roots of Elephant Ear have already suffered frost damage. The leaves of Elephant Ear are not sprayed and cleaned for a long time, so dust accumulates and hinders photosynthesis. After winter, Elephant Ear is rushed out of the room and placed in a warm spot to bask in the sun, and for a time it cannot adapt to the abrupt change in climate. Elephant Ear is kept for a long time in an environment with poor ventilation.

2. What should be done if you are poisoned by touching the sap of Elephant Ear?

It is recommended to use vinegar to neutralize the poison. Rinse with plenty of clean water. The toxic components are calcium oxalate and saponin. The skin itches after contact with the sap. Contact with the eyes causes blindness. In folk medicine, a little vinegar and ginger juice are boiled together, and taken orally or used as a gargle to neutralize the poison. If the poisoning symptoms are obvious, it is recommended to go to the hospital for treatment.

3. What should be done if Elephant Ear develops root rot?

Elephant Ear easily develops root rot in summer, mainly caused by potting soil that is too wet. Pull up the Elephant Ear and cut off the rotten roots. When cutting the roots you must wear rubber gloves (Elephant Ear is toxic! Those with skin allergies must be careful.), and cut off a little of the healthy tissue near the rotten part. Let it dry, and replant only after the wound has healed. Plant it in plain sand, or sandy soil, and do not water for the time being; water only after the potting soil has dried out completely. Do the same from then on: do not water unless dry. In addition, place it in a ventilated spot.

4. Why does Elephant Ear drip water in the morning?

Elephant Ear, under conditions of warmth, humidity and sufficient soil moisture, will drip water downward from the leaf tips or leaf edges. If the air humidity is too low, the water that comes out will evaporate immediately. Because the temperature is lower at night, there is no sunlight, and the air humidity is high, the water exudation phenomenon is obvious in the morning. Therefore, water droplets generally appear mostly in the morning due to water exudation.

5. How should Elephant Ear be grown in water?

Hydroponic requirements: diffused light, and in winter it can be given plenty. The water in the container must be changed frequently, and when changing the water, clean the container and the plant roots. Note that it is best to rinse with tap water, and if conditions allow you can disinfect with potassium permanganate solution. The temperature should preferably be kept above 12°C. Since it is hydroponic, the air humidity can generally meet its needs. When growing hydroponically, do not submerge too much in the water; it is enough for half of the lower roots to be in the water.

6. What is the problem if Elephant Ear falls over?

Because normally watering is only done at the roots, the water cannot reach the leaf parts, so it falls over. It is recommended to put clean water in a spray bottle and spray it on the leaves. After a few days, there will be an effect.

7. How should Elephant Ear be cared for?

In winter its transpiration will decrease. If it is a newly transplanted seedling, you can keep the original soil it came with moist and just keep the environment around the seedling humid, using a spray bottle to moisten the surrounding environment. If it is an old plant, feel the surface soil with your hand and water only when it is dry, but do not water too much, because when the temperature is below 18°C, Elephant Ear goes into dormancy and hardly grows, so it does not need much water; otherwise the roots will rot.

8. What should be done if Elephant Ear grows too tall?

By spraying the whole plant with a 2% paclobutrazol solution, in the later growth process of Elephant Ear you will find that the plant will not grow taller than 40cm. If Elephant Ear continues to grow, you can spray the whole plant again; generally spraying once about every half a year can achieve the effect of controlling height.

Well, that is all the editor has to introduce about how to grow Elephant Ear and the precautions to take. The editor once again reminds everyone here that Elephant Ear is toxic, and if there are children at home, you need to be especially, especially careful.

Elephant Ear Growing Guide How to Grow and Care for Elephant Ear

We all like to grow some flowers and plants at home. Elephant Ear is a common plant that can not only green our living environment but also purify the air at home. It is a potted plant very suitable for growing. So, let us introduce how to grow Elephant Ear and the precautions to take.

One: How to Grow Elephant Ear

1. Sufficient temperature

Elephant Ear can only grow well in an environment not below 18°C. If the temperature is below 18°C, Elephant Ear will be in a dormant state and stop growing.

2. Sufficient sunlight

Elephant Ear likes shade, so do not let direct sunlight hit it. If Elephant Ear becomes "wilted", it is mainly because it has not been fertilized enough, so pay attention to top-dressing. Elephant Ear likes a warm, humid and slightly shaded environment, but during the flowering period it needs plenty of sunlight, otherwise the spathe will be tinged with green, affecting quality. You must ensure 3-5 hours of light each day, otherwise the leaf stalks will elongate and affect its ornamental value.

3. Sufficient water

No matter what plant it is, water is also very important. For a plant like Elephant Ear, the water requirement in summer is fairly large. In midsummer, spray water on the leaves every noon to increase air humidity; only this way can Elephant Ear's leaves be both large and thick. If it is too shaded, the leaves will become larger but thinner, and this will still greatly affect Elephant Ear's appearance, so the water requirement is also indispensable.

4. Sufficient fertilizing

Hydroponic Elephant Ear likes fertilizer, and it should be fertilized every month. Elephant Ear grows rapidly in summer and has a large nutrient demand. Every 15-20 days you should alternately top-dress once with a liquid fertilizer such as fermented soybean cake water and a compound fertilizer (it likes nitrogen fertilizer), otherwise it easily causes the lower part of the stem to become bare, with yellow leaves or smaller leaves. Watering in a 2% ferrous sulfate solution about once every 20 days can make Elephant Ear's leaves larger, thicker and greener.

5. Moist soil

Due to the influence of Elephant Ear's growth habits, Elephant Ear should be watered more in summer, but not excessively; it is enough to roughly ensure the soil's moisture. There must be no waterlogging in the soil, otherwise it will cause Elephant Ear's tubers to rot. In winter it needs to be dormant, so water less, and always follow Elephant Ear's growth habits when planting.

Two: Precautions for Elephant Ear

1. What must be reminded to flower lovers is that the white sap in the stems of Elephant Ear is toxic, and the water it drips is also toxic. Touching it by mistake or accidentally eating the sap will cause discomfort in the throat and mouth, and a burning pain in the stomach. Special care should be taken to prevent young children from eating it by mistake. However, Elephant Ear is not a carcinogenic plant.

2. Precisely because Elephant Ear is toxic, skin contact with its sap will cause itching or strong irritation, and eye contact with the sap can cause severe conjunctivitis, or even blindness. Accidentally eating the stems and leaves will cause symptoms of nausea and pain, and in severe cases can even cause suffocation, leading to cardiac paralysis and death. Therefore contact with Elephant Ear should be minimized, and families with children had best not grow it.

Is Elephant Ear toxic | How to grow Elephant Ear | How to grow and care for Elephant Ear

Is Elephant Ear toxic?

That's right, Elephant Ear is toxic. If there are children or pets at home, it is not recommended to grow it. Elephant Ear is also known as "drip lotus" and "Buddha's hand lotus", and other common names include hen yam, langdu (Guangdong), wild taro, mountain taro, big-root taro, big worm taro, tian taro, tian meng, etc. What is called calla lily in Taiwan, China refers to Alocasia.

The scientific name of Elephant Ear is Alocasia, anciently called "Guanyin lotus" and "shy sky grass", and it has the effect of removing dust from the air.

Experts remind flower lovers that the white sap in the stems of Elephant Ear is toxic, and the water it drips is also toxic. Touching it by mistake or accidentally eating the sap will cause discomfort in the throat and mouth, and a burning pain in the stomach. Special care should be taken to prevent young children from eating it by mistake. However, Elephant Ear is not a carcinogenic plant.

Precisely because Elephant Ear is toxic, skin contact with its sap will cause itching or strong irritation, and eye contact with the sap can cause severe conjunctivitis, or even blindness. Accidentally eating the stems and leaves will cause symptoms of nausea and pain, and in severe cases can even cause suffocation, leading to cardiac paralysis and death. Therefore contact with Elephant Ear should be minimized, and families with children had best not grow it.

Elephant Ear pictures:

Propagation methods for Elephant Ear:

(1) Methods such as division and sowing can be used. In summer and autumn each year, the tubers of Alocasia will sprout small Alocasia plants with leaves, and division can be carried out when repotting and changing the soil. When the fruit ripens in autumn, collect the orange-red seeds and sow them immediately after collecting, or dry and store them and sow them after the following spring.

(2) Trunk cutting of Alocasia is for old plants that have lived for many years. Combined with renewing the plant, cut the trunk at about 5cm from the soil surface from the base of the plant body, and carry out stem cutting propagation. Cutting the trunk of Alocasia has two advantages: first, because the plant loses its apical growth dominance, nutrients accumulate at the base and prompt the roots and stem base to sprout in large numbers, which helps the speed and quantity of propagation; second, the cut old stem can be cut into cuttings about 15cm long, placed in a shaded spot to air-dry for half a day, and then inserted into sandy loam soil for cultivation. Especially the section at the top that is still growing: after cutting off all the fully formed leaves, directly pot it as a single plant, carrying out cutting and cultivation at the same time. After two months of cultivation it becomes a formed plant with large leaves, dense branching and a short, sturdy, vigorous form, and placed indoors it has a certain elegance. Trunk cutting and cutting of Alocasia is suitable in all three seasons of spring, summer and autumn. During the cutting period, keep the substrate (6 parts sand : 4 parts garden soil) moist, and at the same time increase air humidity; in about 7-10 days many sturdy roots will grow. During the cultivation period of the old plant, because the environment is shaded and humid, or because the leaf surfaces are sprayed morning and evening every day in summer and autumn, a few new plants will occasionally sprout on the old stem (especially on the stem base left after trunk cutting), and many aerial roots will grow attached. You can snap them off from where the daughter plant meets the mother plant and pot them for planting.

How to grow Elephant Ear:

How to grow Elephant Ear: Elephant Ear is a very common home-grown green potted plant, but because it is a tropical plant, it generally will not bloom in the north. However, if conditions such as the temperature at home are suitable, it will also bloom.

Elephant Ear is a flower that likes plenty of water and plenty of fertilizer. It likes sufficient light and likes loose leaf mold or sandy loam. Apart from appropriately shading it in the hot midsummer, in the other seasons it is best to give it all-day light. In addition, Elephant Ear especially likes a high-temperature, high-humidity climate. In midsummer, spray water on the leaves every noon to increase air humidity; only this way can Elephant Ear's leaves be both large and thick.

If it is too shaded, the leaves will become larger but thinner, and the leaf stalks will also be brittle. The leaf stalks being too long and breaking is because of a lack of light. Elephant Ear should be placed in a bright indoor spot, such as by a window, and needs at least 3-5 hours of light each day. Bright light is good, but it cannot be exposed to strong sun. Elephant Ear likes water; if the leaves become soft you should water it. Regularly watering a little ferrous sulfate can make the leaves greener, larger and thicker.

Growing methods:

1. Temperature. Elephant Ear can only grow well in an environment not below 18°C. If the temperature is below 18°C, Elephant Ear will be in a dormant state and stop growing.

2. Fertilizing. Elephant Ear likes fertilizer, and it should be fertilized every month.

3. Watering. Elephant Ear should be watered more in summer, but not excessively; alternating dry and moist is suitable, and there must be no waterlogging in the soil, otherwise the tubers will rot. In winter it needs to be dormant, so water less and stop fertilizing.

4. Sunlight. Elephant Ear likes shade, so do not let direct sunlight hit it. If Elephant Ear becomes "wilted", it is mainly because it has not been fertilized enough, so pay attention to top-dressing.

In summer, the pot should be placed indoors in a ventilated spot without direct light, and water should frequently be sprayed on the surroundings and the leaf surfaces to increase air humidity, lower leaf temperature and keep the leaves clean. But watering must not be excessive, otherwise the tubers will rot. Alternating dry and moist, with no waterlogging, is best.

Elephant Ear grows rapidly in summer and has a large nutrient demand. Every 15-20 days you should alternately top-dress once with a liquid fertilizer such as fermented soybean cake water and a compound fertilizer (it likes nitrogen fertilizer), otherwise it easily causes the lower part of the stem to become bare, with yellow leaves or smaller leaves. Watering in a 2% ferrous sulfate solution about once every 20 days can make Elephant Ear's leaves larger, thicker and greener. When Elephant Ear has grown to a size suitable for placing at home, spray the whole plant with a 2% paclobutrazol solution; the plant will not only be small and exquisite, but its leaves will also be thick and fleshy, giving it higher ornamental value.

In winter, Elephant Ear likes a warm, humid and slightly shaded environment, but during the flowering period it needs plenty of sunlight, otherwise the spathe will be tinged with green, affecting quality. You must ensure 3-5 hours of light each day, otherwise the leaf stalks will elongate and affect its ornamental value. Elephant Ear is not very cold-tolerant, and must be moved into a greenhouse in mid-October. In summer it needs to be shaded, with frequent spraying to cool it down and keep it moist. Elephant Ear likes moist, fertile soil, that is, what is often called "plenty of fertilizer and plenty of water", and during the growth period it should be watered more.