daylily77, I think that bulbs do need to be a bit moist whenever the weather is above freezing (think "moist, well-drained soil" as they say). I think if they really dry out they won't perform well and may even die. You want to mimic the amount of precipitation they'd get if they were in the ground as, for instance, the light rains that often come in late winter or early spring. I've never heard of actually putting the pots in plastic bags or otherwise covering with plastic to conserve water. I would worry a lot that they'd rot without any opportunity to dry out a little once in a while, especially if they go through stretches of being wet AND cold at the same time. I think they'd also need some ventilation, especially on warm days. What I HAVE heard of, and then tried with success, is wrapping the outsides of pots in bubblewrap, leaving the soil surface exposed. All you need to worry about is keeping the soil from freezing through, and bubblewrap should do it. I suspect that toomanyanimals might be refering to summer-flowering bulbs like cannas and croscosmias (not technically bulbs but rhizomes and corms, respectively). These should be brought indoors and allowed to dry out in their pots, and they will resume growth when you begin to water them in late winter or early spring. Some are a bit tricky, though. Cannas seem to need a bit of moisture from time to time, but letting them get soggy in a warm room will likely kill them (rot, again). Some others - like sweet potato vine tubers and zantedeschia (calla lilies) corms - should be "lifted" and kept barely moist in milled peat or a similar light medium. And by the way, I forgot to mention that true lilies do GREAT with the methods recommended above for spring bulbs (tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and the like). cranebill, again

Very difficult to tell what you are growing from the photo of the tubers Rick but it is likely Colocasia esculenta. This is the most commonly grown form of "elephant ear. Despite common misconceptions, you do not have a bulb or a corm, your plant is growing from a tuber since all the roots grow from the top. Read the link below and it will tell you the differences. All aroids grow from tubers, not corms or bulbs. Your plant could also be a Xanthosoma or one of several other genera. Look at this link and hopefully you can tell the difference. Tubers, bulbs and corms all all very different physically despite the fact they are all starch storage units and underground stems. http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Colocasia%20esculenta%20large%20pc.html There are hundreds of leaf forms to this species due to natural variation. Sounds like you did it right. Steve Here is a link that might be useful: bulbs, corms, tubers, stems, etc

probably is the species c. esculenta. it should not be hardy for you outdoors in zone 7a but may persist for some years until temps go low enought to kill it. they like moisture and shade but will take sun if the soil is not allowed to become dry for extended periods. plant the top of the tuber at or just below soil level. i am growing a cultivar with smaller blackish foliage in a large plastic planter. i did not knock out the pre-punched drainage hole in the bottom so i can keep the soil saturated and they seem happy there in a half-day of sun. in your zone, container-grown plants would need to be overwintered in a protected area or dig the tubers and hold them over the winter in a cool, dry area.

My "Elephant Ears are 7 foot high and the leaves are very wide about 20 ears and you can see the baby ears coming up. Had a couple of flowers on them for the first time this year, very surprise. They are in a big pot. I bring the "Elephant Ears" in before the first frost hit them which is about the second week of October and put them in the basement near the block window, also I'm using a plant light for about 6 hours a night. About the last week in May when there is no frost, I'll bring them back out doors for five mouths. The EE are 4 years old and the pot weighs about 100lbs plus. They will grow indoors without any problems and I keep them watered every two weeks....