The elephant ear plant, also known scientifically as colocasia or Alocasia, is a substantial tropical beauty with lovely, large leaves that will add a tropical or rainforest atmosphere to any room. The plant’s fast development is also one of its best qualities. This makes it the best option if you just don’t have the time to wait five years for your interior’s appeal to increase.
An elephant ear plant that is grown outside has an 8-foot apex. Additionally, it grows between 3 and 5 feet per year. Summer is when the majority of the growth takes place. Thus, it takes the plant roughly two years to reach full maturity. However, because of a lack of soil and other minerals in a potted elephant ear plant, it would only grow at a slower pace of 1 to 2 feet each year.
Obviously, the elephant ear plant is a tropical plant with rapid growth. But for it to flourish quickly, the right circumstances must exist. Continue reading to discover the elements that affect this growth rate and strategies for utilizing them.
What Is the Indoor Growth Rate of Elephant Ears?
Top growth can start as early as three weeks after being planted in an indoor environment with plenty of water. Expect the highest growth to appear in the final eight weeks at the latest. The warm seasons will witness further growth.
Elephant ears’ growth rate is influenced by several factors.
The Kind Of Soil
Rich organic soil with sufficient moisture promotes the growth of the elephant ear plant. A comparable amount of water is needed to nurture the elephant ear plant’s big leaves and have a pH level between 5.5 and 7.0 and good drainage if it’s in a pot.
Underwatering
Suppose you place your elephant ear plant in wet soil. In that case, it will eventually experience a water shortage (dying leaves, root breakage). Particularly if you don’t have the time to give the soil food.
Thus, it is advisable to avoid this issue by making sure that your land receives direct irrigation instead of dispensing from the plant’s top.
During the summer, you must remember to frequently water (2 to 3 times per week). Also, remember to water your plants at least twice a month. Because even though the soil is water-retentive, it still requires water.
Overwatering
Your elephant ear plant remains susceptible to overwatering despite the huge leaves’ demand for water.
How? Although the plant will be subjected to extreme seasons such as hot summers and cold winters, and then in, if you keep the same frequency of watering throughout the year, the soil becomes too watery for the roots to handle. Edema comes in and overwatering can cause root rot.
Illnesses May Slow The Growth Rate
Insect infestation has less of an impact on elephant ear growth than fungal or bacterial diseases. Because you can quickly get rid of an infestation whenever it arises and bring your elephant ear plant back to its former splendor. It would expand at almost or precisely the same rate as before the infection.
However, it will be challenging to energize your plant when it is attacked by a disease and may even perish. Even if the plant is revived, it’s possible that it won’t grow properly. For instance, a fungus inactive in the soil is the source of the Pythium root disease. Your plant becomes triggered by overwatering, which severely damages the roots.
The Environment Is Crucial
Elephant ear plants are indigenous to the tropics and rain forests, which are frequently warm and muggy places. Your plant must be in an environment that resembles the tropics or rainforest to prevent significant transpiration caused by a dry atmosphere and develop as quickly as you anticipate.
It is, therefore, preferable to maintain moisture in the space. Use a humidifier, mist with a squeeze bottle, or place other plants around your elephant ear plant.
Does Soil Or Water Promote Elephant Ears Growth?
Elephant ears can grow in fantastic environments—soil and water—but the soil is the better choice. It will develop much faster than in plain water or a marshy setting since it gives your elephant ear plant more natural nutrients.
On the other hand, elephant ear plants are predominantly cultivated in water. Colocasia, an elephant ear plant, can grow in the center of a pond or a partially flooded area.
How Can Elephant Ear Growth Be Accelerated?
Your elephant ear plant won’t grow faster if you wave a magic wand or use a special potion. Your elephant ear plant must thrive in the proper conditions to experience that rapid growth rate.
Full or Direct Sunlight for Plants
You must provide your elephant ear plant with the appropriate amount of light if you want it to flourish. In contrast to colocasia, which would benefit from full direct sunlight, Alocasia requires some indirect sunlight to thrive.
Elephant ear plants might perform worse and take longer to utterly mature if you switch the treatment.
Use A Grow Light
Use a grow lamp that can efficiently activate your plant’s photosynthetic system if you can’t correctly light your plant or can’t manage how much sunlight it receives.
Because it is incredibly convenient for busy owners and alleviates the burden of regularly adjusting the plant for ideal sun exposure.
Another great option to give your plant light in the winter is with grow lights. Even seriously injured plants can be revived with its help.
Elephant ear plants often grow in tropical climates, so they should be exposed to light with a fluctuating intensity of 400 to 800 footcandles.
Plant Frequently
Your plant’s access to nutrients is restricted due to its container, compared to unpotted outside plants. Therefore, compared to the potted elephant ear plant, the unpotted specimen will grow considerably taller and more quickly. Therefore, fertilizing your Alocasia or colocasia in a pot will help it develop as quickly as one that isn’t. The most effective fertilizer is 10-10-10 liquid fertilizer.
Take Early Pruning Into Account
Eliminating your elephant ear plant’s weaker or dead areas helps promote new development. Its general sprouting will be speedy as a result.
But this technique will be helpful during dormancy (winter). So that it won’t have to focus on feeding its dead veins and leaves in the spring and summer and can instead focus on growing.
Transplanting When It Is Needed
The ideal season for elephant ear plant transplantation is spring. The plant’s tuber expands rapidly during this period as it grows. Moreover, the soil must not have any signs of frost. Transplanting an elephant ear plant that is younger is also considerably simpler.
How To Recover Overeating Elephant Ears?
If you can’t wait for your elephant ear plant to expand, you might want to add a lot more fertilizer to hasten its growth. And this will result in overeating, this method is dangerous.
When you detect signs like your leaves turning brown or the sight of a yellowish coating on the soil. You ought to now consider altering the conditions for your plant.
How To Stop Elephant Ear Leaves From Turning Brown?
Step 1: Stop Using Fertilizer to Restore Your Elephant Ears After Overfeeding
Removing the surplus fertilizers is the first step in restoring an elephant ear plant that has been overfed. Remove some soil to get rid of them if they can be seen.
Step 2: Drain Out The Fertilizers
After manually removing the visible fertilizer, it’s time to drain any remaining fertilizer that can be seen. And the easiest method to do this is to half-fill the pot with water before letting it air dry. Repeat this process four times to ensure no fertilizer is still in the soil.
Remember to merely water the soil around the plant’s roots if it is in a garden. Your roots would be unable to access fertilizers due to the pressure.
Step 3: Trim Your Plant
Parts of your plants suffer significant damage from overfeeding because they fade up. So, to encourage new development, use sterilized blades to cut them off your plant.
Step 4: Stop Fertilizing Your Plant
Only recently have you stopped overfeeding your elephant ear plant. For the roots to regenerate and not become stressed, leaving the plant outside for 3–4 weeks is better.
Step 5: Repot
Repotting is recommended if your plant appears to be beyond saving. However, only after it has been leached in the previous pot will it speed up your plant’s recovery.
Please note that you must change to a milder fertilizer when your elephant ear plant has recuperated from overfeeding it to prevent doing so. Nitrogen content ought to be low.
How Can We Properly Water Our Plants?
When it’s hot outside, water your plant twice a week due to the soil’s quicker rate of moisture evaporation. Therefore, it is only suitable to ensure the soil is kept moist for a long time. A plant that requires a lot of minerals, like the elephant ear, can benefit from watering twice a week.
Wintertime irrigation rates should be lower. Wintertime soil moisture loss is significantly slower because of the frigid air. Overwatering your plant can harm its roots as a result. Therefore, the optimal time to water your plant is when the topsoil is dry.
Conclusion
Late summer or midwinter are the ideal times to plant an elephant ear plant. Because most of the development occurs in the early and middle of summer. Once it’s been planted, the growth can’t be stopped.