Lucy, EE are hardy even in zone 7. I don't think you could kill them if you wanted to. Since you already have them dug, I think I would store them dry. I dig my caladiums up with the leaves, let them dry on old newspaper, then just store them in an old paper bag in my basement (60-70*). They do fine this way. I don't see why it wouldn't work for EE. I would think peatmoss would work fine also. Some of mine have been in the ground for 10 years or more. I don't even want to know how big those bulbs are.. LOL. The trunks on some of them are as big as trees !

Thanks Edna. I really want that flowerbed for other plants. Once I am happy and they look happy and the leaves do not get damaged from the house wall like they did. Then they can stay there. I was just worried today when I saw that the leaves were mushy all the way down to the bulb.
It was a booger (sp) to dig them up. So Edna the leaves are HUGE on your EE's then?

Lucy

Lucy, some of the leaves are as big as me... LOL.. and that's pretty big ! I'm 5'7". I was looking at my EE's today. There are huge piles of dead trunk and leaves. No way you can pick it up.. eeewww all nasty because of the water in the leaves and trunk. I just leave it and let it rot. Do you have the Illustris EE ? Black and green ? That's another good one. Very hardy, and multiplies fast.

I'm leaving mine 2 in the ground...This is my first year with them and I guess we'll see what happens...They are next to our pond and are raised so they get good drainage...I sure hope they're ok...One of them is Illustris and has such pretty leaves...They don't get but very bright shade so I'm hoping that's ok too.

Live and learn...Gardening is an experiment in itself :)

knotz

Edna I believe when I bought the bulbs at the PX it only said Elephant ears. But I can do the digging in the paperwork lol. That is MY winter project. Organizing all that stuff. Mine are plain green but not as huge as yours YET rofl. Hey you are as tall as I am lol.
I would love to get me some different colored ones for next season. Looks like I will soon have time to go search and plan what I want to do next season.

Do you have black ones? Do you know of a reliable place were you can get or order them from Edna? Or anybody?

Lucy...
I'm in zone 9 and have had the EE I've had in the ground at this house for 20 years--over that time we had several very cold winters and they all survived.

I received mine initially from my BIL who lives in zone 5 and he did pull them out every year, just shook the soil off them--did not hose them down (it is supposed to do with the transpiration & the roots...and soil can act as an insulator??) and then he placed the 'extremely dry' bulb in a double brown bag and stored them in his basement. He has this awesome compost pile and his humungeous plants were over 6 feet tall and the leaves were so HUGE across the surface!!!!

Remember the juice from EE can destroy a good shirt!!!

Good luck Lucy!!!

~MJ

thanks MJ. I did not know that. But when I garden I always wear my old gardening clothes. Here I thought that the soil might be bad for them when dug out. WEll like Caren says, you leave and learn and it is all a experiment with our gardening and learning.

I love the paperback tip. Thanks to both of you.

Lucy, My great big ones are the green ones like you have. The Illustris is smaller leafed and multiplies by runner. They are much smaller and make more of a clump. They are black with green around the edges (I think...I can't remember.. LOL). They get maybe 2' or so tall. In the spring when they start comming up, I'll send you some. I also have the one called Black Magic. It's a very poor grower. I've had it 2 years, and I don't think it's grown one bit !

So you would not recommend the Black Magic? I remember the name cause I thought it looked pretty. Could it just be in a place where it is not happy?
You are a jewel Edna (((((HUGS))))

I don't know lucy. I've moved it all over. Now I have it in a pot in the green house. The Illustris is a good alternative to black magic.

Funny --- I've never heard of anyone digging up elephant ears except to get rid of them. They spread rapidly here and will take over.

Now, having said that, I am interested in some EE bulbs. I know, I just said they will take over. However, I have large containers that I want to fill with EE's.

If anyone offers (or sees an offer for) EE bulbs for postage, please let me know. I keep checking various exchanges but have missed out on the offers so far.

THANKS!

did I mention that I love how much I learn here?
Well I DO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH...EVERYONE!!!!

If they are anything like the ones I have you will have another crop pop up next year. One tiny piece of root will grow again into a clump in no time. I will happy to send some out in the spring. I just can't send anything right now. I am already behind on what I owe people but I have plenty to share as well. Lucy you can just come over and dig some if yours don't live. Mine in the whiskey barrels even come back after I thought I dug them all out to plant other things. Its easy to dig them out of the barrel with the soft potting soil, lol. The ones in the ground look like tree trunks.

If I want to save EE's and taro I have to dig them up. The ground freezes too deep here. I just wait for the foliage to die back (yes it's a nasty squishy mess) cut it off and dig the bulbs up. I tossed them in the greenhouse to dry. I hope it's not too cold in there for them. I just dug up my Butterfly Gingers the other day. I can't believe how many tubers they developed. I tossed those in the garage. I hope the mice don't like ginger tubers.