About Long Island Gardener Expertise Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.
Experience Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.
Question when I dig up the elephant ear bulb- how do I store it- can it be stored in cedar chips?
Answer Elephant Ears -- 'Colocasia esculenta' to experts -- are tropical plants that won't survive long at 10 to zero degrees F.
Many varieties can take a Zone 7 Winter as long as it's not TOO cold; some can't bear the temps cooler than Zone 8. Repeat: These are TROPICAL plants and some people in Florida find they grow with so much vigor they qualify as Weeds.
Moisture accounts for much of the damage as temperatures plunge, thanks to the effect of ice crystals. Well drained Soil high in Sand won't freeze, break roots and destroy tissue the way heavy Clay does.
But remember, these plants demand LOTS of Water through the hottest Summer months. Care gets complicated; these Bulbs grow much better in fertile, rich Soil.
When in doubt, plan to dig them up for Winter storage. When you see leaves turning Brown and drying out, it's time to lift them and bring them indoors. Don't wait too long. Bulb rot and irreversible damage wait for no gardener.
Remove the dead leaves, but leave the stem intact -- it will come in handy when you're replanting it in the Spring.
Let everything dry out. Then rest in a bed of Peatmoss sprinkled with a few drops or a spritz of H2O. Store in a cool, dry area of the basement or an unheated garage that won't be too cold -- and remember that if they freeze, the Bulbs will turn to mush.
People get nervous when you bring the subject up, but dividing is a great way to thin out your mature plants and expand your collection. Nothing wrong with that, right? When you dig these out of the ground, pull the roots apart into three sections and plant. Done deal. Just make sure there are roots in every section and don't worry that you don't have a lot of roots; these plants get by on the minimum.
Re-planting these in pots in early Spring gives you a head start. You probably already know it can take a month of heat, light and moisture before growth resumes.
