Why your Elephant Ear Bulbs aren’t growing

April 19, 2022

Hey there! If you’ve planted Elephant Ear Bulbs and your frustrated because your not seeing growth I can help! I’ve been growing Elephant Ear Bulbs for about 10 years and I’ve got a good handle on what makes them tick.

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*** If you haven’t started your Elephant Ear bulbs yet check out this post first ***

Table of Contents hide

1 Getting your Elephant Ear Bulb to Sprout

1.1 Why your Elephant Ear Bulb has not sprouted

Getting your Elephant Ear Bulb to Sprout

Why your Elephant Ear Bulb has not sprouted

It’s Too Cold
Rotten Bulb
It’s needs More Time

The first issue to cause your bulbs to not wake is that your keeping them too cold. Elephant Ears are tropical plants that LOVE warm conditions. It’s no surprise that the bulbs would need to be warm to wake from dormancy. Keeping them warm is easy. You can put them on a heat mat, next to a vent or in a space that stays warm. The optimal temperature is 65 degrees to stimulate them to wake.

The second issue that would cause your bulb to not grow is that it’s been overwatered and has rotted underneath the soil. I like to err on the side of caution when starting bulbs and give them a full watering at planting and then water sparingly until I see growth above the soil.

The third issue is that it’s not time for them to wake yet. Bulbs have an internal clock. Many bulbs wake once certain conditions have been met. Elephant Ears are no different. It can take 3-8 weeks or longer before you see growth from your Elephant Ear Bulb above the soil line. If you purchase Elephant Ear Bulbs that have already sprouted some growth you may see above soil growth sooner because that bulb is awake.

If you are worried about your bulbs, pull back the soil around the bulb to check for firmness and growth. I would only go as far as half way down the bulb. If your bulb looks ok cover it up and keep up with normal care.

Helpful Elephant Ear Growing Post you may enjoy

Checking Elephant Ear Bulb for Growth

The most important tips I can give is to have patience, don’t overwater and start your bulbs early.

Happy Gardening