Which side of the Elephant Ear bulb is the top? This is a common question among first time Elephant Ear growers. Once you gain experience growing bulbs, you will be able to spot the top right away. Since the foliage and root growth comes from the bulb, you will want to make sure to keep it watered and fertilized properly, make sure you keep the bulb watered during the growing season.
Planting Elephant Ear bulbs in the right direction will help it sprout in the right direction and you will see growth faster than if the bulb has to take time to search for the surface of the soil.
Whether you’re starting your bulbs indoors or out, you need to know your growing zone so check out this link to find out when to plant your bulbs outdoors
On the top of the bulb, you will see rings. Each ring is a growth ring, so each circle is where foliage has grown. You can compare it to an onion or garlic as far as growth. This is the side you want to face up in the soil because when it starts growing, the foliage will head to the light.
The bottom of Elephant Ear bulbs look much different in most cases. It’s more gnarly and can have some hairs. This is the side you will want to plant down into the soil towards the bottom of the pot.
Pro Tip: If you still are unable to determine the top from the bottom, plant it on its side and let the bulb figure it out.
Elephant Ear plants are a joy to have in the garden. I hope you will give them a try because they add such whimsy to the landscape. If you want to see what they look like in full foliage, check out this video below.
Happy Gardening
Ciearra
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