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Growing Elephant Ear Black Magic in a pot

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)

12 years ago

I saw this mentioned in an old thread last week. Someone replied to a thread saying she grew hers in a pot then was able to keep indoors like a houseplant in winter. I tried messaging the poster, but have not heard back.

Considering how long this bulb takes to get started, this seems like a good idea to me. I was planning to plant mine in the ground, but now I am re-thinking that. Hauling in the pot would be easier. I don't have much luck storing tubers of anything over the winter if I dig them up. (Just ask my dahlias). I already started it in about a 1 gallon nursery pot in the house, to give it a head start: I assume I'd need to put it in something larger.

Anyone else do this?

How big of a pot do you need to grow Black Magic?

They are supposed to like it moist, don't they? I wonder if I could keep it moist enough in a pot. I assume for that reason that plastic would be better than clay.

Or, have you ever tried digging it up from the garden and transferring it to a pot in the fall?

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Comments (8)

calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
12 years ago
You can do as you suggest. I have some in pots as well as in the ground. I use about a 15 inch clay pot. My pots are watered on a dripper, but you could dig your pot into the garden for the summer and then dig it up in the fall. It will get bigger every year,including the roots, so I would not use a smaller pot. Al
denninmi
12 years ago
I've got the majority of my tender bulbs in pots. I am now hauling in probably 60 to 70 large pots -- about 20 of them are 20" diameter. Its quite the annual trek to and from the basement and barely heated garage, but they store SO MUCH BETTER and it eliminates all of the digging and replanting.

Colocasias respond beautifully to this treatment. I just stop watering them a week or so before I want them to come in, then cut off the foliage and plunk them down in the basement, keeping them dry and dark. Alocasias I don't trim, or don't trim all the way at least, and I do give them some light and enough water to keep them from drying out and dying.
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I put my one elephant ear in a large 16 inch pot on 30 April 2006, with the shiny end up in potting mix. It took about the full month before bulges started to appear from the top. It was planted in full sun outside on 27 May 2006. I did not disturb the root structure when transplanting. The top shoots about seven are now about 7 inches high and one sprout is starting to open indicating a leaf (11 June 2006). I take pictures of it daily and intend to post them on my dedicated web-site when something interesting happen showing the growth rate. While transplanting, I noticed that there were numerous ground shoots about three inches long coming from the various eyes of the root ball, but very little indication at that time of the top shoots, except for a slight bulge around the eyes. This is my first effort growing this plant, so I prepared a special place for it in full sun and a rich deep mixture of what I consider good soil, well drained. I am looking towards the results with some deep interest. This is Zone 5 Brantford, ON. Durgan.
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They want lots of food as well as water, and full sun. They grow fairly rapidly once the weather gets consistently hot--much as I love these nights in the fifties, they'll do better when they're in the sixties. I want to add, some people are really negative about elephant ears because SOME of them spread and are hard to get rid of (I have some of those too, so I sort of understand) Black Magic is a clumper and while the clump will get bigger I don't think it would ever be a problem, especially since your friends will want every offset you can pry loose from mama--and they can pry loose from you!
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I had three plantings - all died. great healthy plants planted in extreemly ideal situation, just like the Regular green elephant ears. I added plenty of compost and burmed up the soil making a 6 inch deep pool when watered. I kept the soil very moist to wet, knowing what they fancy. *One thing..... these were in full sun. Now I have read that this is fine if you water well, as I did. I am now convinced this is not true I beleive the Black Magic cannot tolerate full sun. Case in point: Same location, soil and watering for my green Elephant ears in a spot next to the Black magic, growing tremendously. Knowing that there is some sort of issue with the blackies, I purchased an "insurance" Greenie some 5 weeks back, and potted it up in a large container. When My last Black Magic died (took just 2 days, when it started to go) I replaced it with the Green Elephant Ears and it is now flurishing , so fortunately I do not have a hole in my garden.
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They're heavy feeders, so FE fertilizers might not be the best choice - partly because they don't list anything but NPK in their analysis. That doesn't seem right, but I was looking at the WSDA fertilizer analysis page. Also, plants found growing in situ under boggy conditions usually do poorly in wet soils. Peace lily is often found in riparian settings but does poorly in boggy soils (in pots) unless their roots are growing into a watery reservoir and kept constantly wet. Otherwise, they like the same 'damp but never wet/soggy' conditions that most houseplants other than cacti prefer - like colocasia. Al
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linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks! Do you both bury the whole pot? That would be quite a big pot to dig out. I was wondering if maybe I could sink it enough to prevent tipping, while allowing me a large enough projection to be able to wrestle the pot out again. I water constantly in that area, so it's not like it will dry out by being exposed. I might opt for plastic, to make the weight easier to handle.
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
12 years ago
You do not have to dig in the pot if you can maintain the moisture and the roots are not overheated by heat collected by the pot. If you use a plastic pot it should be a light color and not be subject to being blown over as the plant becomes top heavy, it could be tied down if need be. Al
marquest
12 years ago
I use my Black EE for drama on the patio. I do the same as denninmi. Big pots and drag them in to the basement and give them a sip of water once a month.

I have a lot of tropicals that are used exclusively for the patio. I have cannas, Dahalias, Glads etc. I would never have time to dig up all the tender bulbs that I grow for the summer.

My pots are so big they never blow over I do not use small pots because I grow more than one plant in a pot. My pots are planted like gardens,

I use my gardens for perennials the tenders are grown in pots.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks! Tomorrow, I go looking for a big pot. It's about 15" tall now and unfurling it's first leaf. I'm planning to locate it amid some large hostas, so that will keep the pot cool, and make it possible to hide the wire I'll use to anchor it. I also thought of cutting some coat hanger wire, bending one end into a hook, hooking it over the lip, and driving the straight end into the ground.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
12 years ago
I just potted it up. There's a lot of bare dirt around the stem/top of the bulb. Any ideas for shallow rooted plants that would look good with it? I'm striking a blank. Especially considering I will be bringing it in for the winter.
calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
12 years ago
I like the Campanula poscharskyana. It is a light colored green foliage, small leaves with a large amount of lavender flowers, small star shaped that will drape over the container edges. To me it makes a really nice contrast to EE you are growing. Al

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