Happy New Year everyone!
I am starting the year 2022 with a blog post about something that brought much joy and life to most of us, especially during the lockdown periods, and I am talking about plants!
I became an accidental plant mom when family and friends started giving us plants as housewarming gifts. Among the first in our brood was the Elephant Ears, also known as Giant Taro. In the plant kingdom, it is known as Alocasia Macrorrhizos. These plants do live up to its name! With proper environment, they are known to give really huge leaves.
Before we go to plant care, let us talk about the origins of this plant. Alocasia Macrorrhizos can easily be found in rainforests, where it is covered by huge tress; protected from heavy rains as well as the harsh heat of the sun. For these gentle giants to thrive as house plants, we must imitate, at the most, its natural habitat.
Plant Care
Soil – Giant Taro is not very picky when it comes to soil. I use loam soil with rice hull and vermicast, just to make it well-draining. However, it can also thrive on garden soil.
Light – Elephant Ears thrive on medium to bright but indirect sunlight. Most of the problems I encountered are because I placed them in an area of our balcony wherein they catch the extreme heat of the noon sun. Overexposure to the sun can lead to leaf burning, shrinking to yellowing leaves, and spider mites build up.
Watering – Elephant ears like their soil moist but not soaking wet. They have really strong roots which can hold some water if not regularly getting drenched. In my experience growing these Alocasia variety, they can tolerate having dry soil than having it overwatered. Dry soil is much easier to revive, but the moment it suffers from root rot, it is quite difficult to bounce back. The best gauge for me is finger test. If the top 3 inches of the soil is wet, then I water. Watering schedule doe not really work as it really depends on the status of the soil.
Since Philippines has a tropical climate, we often experience humid weather. If that is the case, I water these Elephant Ears at least twice a week. But if it is a bit cold, like the months of December and January, it can get by with just weekly watering.
In watering Elephant Ears, use rain water. If use of tap water can not be helped as it is not readily available, just let tap water sit for 24 hours to give time for the chemicals to evaporate.
Fertilizer– since we are going for organic gardening, we use natural fertilizer such as rice water (hugas bigas), banana peel and vermicompost. For rice water, I use distilled instead of tap , just so I no longer have to let it sit for 24 hours to avoid it having that rancid smell.
Pruning – I remove yellowing leaves when its entire stem already turned brown. If it is still green despite having yellow leaves, I let it stay, unless there is an on-going pest infestation.
Repotting – because of its size, repotting can be a challenge. For well-rooted Giant Taro’s you will see that its roots are tightly holding on even on the side of the pot so be very careful in trying to pull them out. But once it is on its new pot, it adjusts easily.
Common Alocasia Macrorrhizos Concern:
Pests – common insects housing on Elephant Ears are aphids, spider mites and worms, which you can prevent and control by:
a. Wipe the leaves regularly with a tissue or a damp cloth to prevent dust build up, including its underside. Spider mites tend to house on dusts especially on humid temperature.
b. regularly spray with neem oil. I mix my own using water and liquid detergent, but you can purchase a ready-to-use type. The oil prevents aphids and spider mites from latching on the leaves as it can get slippery for them.
c. If an on-going infestation is happening, immediately separate the plant from your other houseplants.
d. Drench the leaves into water using a hose to remove the insects.
e. Use an plant friendly pesticide. I use an organic home-made mix of of vinegar, chili and garlic. The smell turns of the insects.
f. Keep a close watch on the plant for a few days. If it is back to its healthy-looking state, you can place it back to its original location.
Yellowing leaves – Gian Taro’s leaves can turn yellow for the following reasons:
a. New growth – I find that these plants has a maximum number of leaves that can grow together. If it reaches its limit, the oldest leaves droop, turn yellow then wilt. If that happens, just remove the dried leaf. You will know that it is ready to dis-attach if you can easily pull the dry stem.
b. Overexposure to the sun – when getting too much sun, especially the noon sun, it turns, not only yellow but also its new leaf tends to be smaller. If this happens, just transfer the plant to a different location.
c. Overwatering – too much watering can lead to root rot. If this happens, just give watering a break for a while, wait for the soil to be really dry. Check if there are growing mushrooms on the soil because if it does, it means that the soil has fungus on it already. While mushrooms at times are harmless, fungus growth can be hard to control. I prefer to just repot the plant to an entirely new soil for a restart.
d. Spider mite infestation – together with a yellowing leaf, you will find that Elephant Ears with infestation has these thin spider webs on its leaf and some red spots. New leaf will also shrink in size as spider mites tend to sap out the nutrients of the entire plant. If this happens, just follow my tips on pests above.
Whew, this is quite a long one! I am really having fun writing this as I am really passionate about these plants. I hope I was able to impart some helpful tips to you. If you have more to add, please leave a comment below.
For now, thank you and happy gardening!