elephant ear?

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I have a very small elephant ear that I got from southern states a few days ago. It is in the bottom of three staggered bowls that empty into my container pond. The attendant told me that it was a marginal plant and would do well in a small amount of water, not fully submerged. She also said it would do well having small stones as a substrate instead of potting soil. I would have done soil, but the last bowl has multiple small holes drilled in it to allow for gradual drainage into the pond, so the rocks became a necessity. Any who, the elephant ear has begun to yellow. I'd like to save it before it's too late. What do I do? 1380147634835.jpg1380147685646.jpg1380147731301.jpg
 

sissy

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I have lots of elephant ears and they are heavy feeders they love fertilizer
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I'm not sure I can fertilize the plant without the fertilizer running down into all the water as its pumped in a continuous cycle. Is there a liquid fertilizer that won't harm the fish? I have goldfish, an otoclinocus (sp?), and two beta. Is there a solid fertilizer that will work? I have small net pots and rockwool or geolite that I could use to "replant" it.

sissy said:
I have lots of elephant ears and they are heavy feeders they love fertilizer
 

sissy

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You will have to take them out and fertilize .Is there a bulb that the elephant ear came from .Elephant ears also like a rest die back time .Mine come back every year I just push mulch up over them .I have 5 kinds of mini ones and semi giant ones .I have yet to get hold of the giant ones.They all come from a bulb or some call it a potato .Some of these are 2 years old and a few are only 1 year old .If you want to save it you will have to take it out .There must not be enough nutrients in the water
 

sissy

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Thinking about it why not put a spider plant in there it would look pretty draping over the sides as long as you keep it away from the water flow .Elephant ears are more suited for outdoors .
 
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OMG LOVE your set up!! How did you make it?
 

sissy

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tomato spikes are acidic and killed one of my elephant ears .I bought a mini one and tried them because I had them .They do sell other plant spikes in walmart and lowes and even dollar stores have them
 
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Well, I took it out and repotted it, gave it a little miracle grow, and stuck it in my kitchen window. Things aren't looking good.1380466362025.jpg
 
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What is a spider plant? And by water flow, do you mean the water draining from above or what sits in the bowl? The former I can do, the latter I think not.



sissy said:
Thinking about it why not put a spider plant in there it would look pretty draping over the sides as long as you keep it away from the water flow .Elephant ears are more suited for outdoors .
 
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Thanks for asking. We started with the base pot, a Better Homes & Gardens plastic planter with no drainage holes from Walmart - $28. Then we went to Lowes and got the three black hanging baskets - $1.97 a piece. We also found shelving brackets we liked in hardware, they came in packs of two and we needed three brackets, so that was $20. Then came the filter. With water displacement from the plants, the bottom bowl only holds 13 gal of water, and with the natural processes going on in the bowl, we just wanted to get something that would help out. We got a 10 gal aquarium filter from Petsmart for $20. To pump the water from the bottom bowl to the top bowl we (thru trial and error) ended up getting 6' of 1" OD x 3/4" ID clear vinyl tubing ($10) and a 600 gph pump ($75) both from Lowes. We got three #2 eye hook screws ($2/piece) to hold the tubing in place. Then came fish, plants, and some frivolous decorations that we're still working with. Most of what we learned and did came from trial and error, but we're pleased with the final result.



Nepen said:
OMG LOVE your set up!! How did you make it?
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I grow all kinds of different elephant ears (alocasia, colocasia, and xanthosoma). In general the colocasia group are best for ponds.
I usually give them composted manure when I plant them but I don't know if I would use it in the fish pond.
I have only a small fish pond and potted some colocasia in clay kitty litter and put them on the ledge of the pond. The fish fertilized them and ate the roots that grew out of the pots lol. I do not sink the colocasia deeper than half the pot and not over the crown of the colocasia bulb (where the stem comes up from the bulb).
They usually aren't too picky about fertilizer in the ground or large pot once they are established. I only feed babies half strength fertilizer.
I have fed the large ones just about everything.from manure, fish fertilizer, miracle grow. Just make sure they are well watered for about a half hour before fertilizing. The best way to burn a plant I have found, is to fertilize a dry plant.

Some colocasias and other stuff. I have a lot more but here are a few...
Mojito


Lime aid


El Paio


Maui Magic (left), Hilo Beauty Alocasia (green and wht variegated) Royal Hilo (right)


Xanthosoma (Mickey Mouse Taro)


Malango root (grew this from a tuber the grocery store lol)

 

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
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I gave up on them. You sure have a nice collection there.
 

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