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  9. Elephant Ears Plant: Easy Care Tips at Home

Elephant Ears Plant: Easy Care Tips at Home

Elephant Ears Plant: Easy Care Tips at Home

What Is a Elephant Ears Plant?

Elephant Ears plant or “Colocasia” is a tropical plant that is native to South America and Asia and also called African Mask Plant or Kris Plant. It belongs to the Alocasia of about 70 different species. They became popular as an indoor ornament due to its huge heart-shaped leaves and in different colors that can bloom on some occasions.

7 Elephant Ears Plant Care Instructions

1. Elephant Ears Plants Need Proper Temperature and Humidity

To make your Elephant Ear plants flourishing, you must recreate their natural atmosphere, which is similar to that of a tropical setting. Warmer temperatures and high moisture levels will indeed be ideal. It can tolerate a temperature ranging from 70-80F but cannot thrive in lower than 50F. A humidifier or continuous misting is necessary to attain a high degree of humidity.

2. Sunlight for your Elephant Ears Plant

Elephant Ears Plants require broad but not intense sunlight to thrive. As a result, placing the plant near a light source with transparent curtains that receive regulated light during the day is ideal. The foliage might burn if it is exposed to full sunlight.

3. Soil for your Elephant Ears Plant

Elephant Ears plants are grown in high quality potting soil. You can add organic materials such as peat, perlite or wood chips to aerate the soil. Put holes at the bottom of the pot to provide proper drainage and it’s advisable to put pebbles at the bottom layer that allow water to drain easily.

4. Elephant Ears Plant Need Water

Elephant Ears plants, like any other tropical plant, demand continuous moisture but never become sloppy. It requires regular watering during the growing season. Put at least 2-3 inches of water per week and reduce it to 1 inch during the winter season.

5. Feeding Your Elephant Ears Plant

During the springtime, summertime, and early fall seasons, you can nourish your Elephant Ears Plant once a month with a gentle, water-soluble fertilizer.

6. Common Problems

  • Pest infestation: Inspect for any pests or bugs that may be sucking the sap from the damaged foliage on your plants. If you find pests such as aphids, mealy bugs and mites, you can remove it by washing them off the leaves and applying horticultural soaps so it will not come back.
  • Leaves turning brown: This happens simply because of leaf scorch due to high exposure to sun and rise in temperature. It will not destroy the plants, but it will make the foliage become less shiny. To prevent this, put tilting blinds or sheer curtains at the window. Another reason is that your plant is starving! Feed your plant with high nitrogen plant food during spring to bring back healthy big foliage.
  • Root spots: This can be caused by water clogging that no proper drainage is observed. To resolve this, stop watering the plants and allow at least 2 inches of the top soil to dry out between waterings.

Conclusion

Elephant Ear plants are simple to cultivate and maintain if you follow these simple guidelines. You can enjoy its perfect architectural shape that will be a great addition to your ornaments with its mind lush, tropical forest aesthetic to both gardens and indoor decor.

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