Why Is My Elephant Ear Plant Dying? [And What To Do About It]

Elephant ear plants can add deepness , proportion , and cosmopolitan beauty to any landscape painting . But like any flora , they can sometimes start to die out of what seems like nowhere . There ’s always a reason that your elephant ear flora is give-up the ghost . We ’ve done the inquiry to help you work out out what that reason is and what to do about it .

The main causes of elephant capitulum plants dying include :

After translate the reasons above , you may already have an idea of what might be wrong with your plant . But if you still are n’t sure , do n’t concern . We ’re here to serve you identify a cause and come up with a result so you may institute your elephant ear back to lifetime . Continue reading to learn more .

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Why Is My Elephant Ear Plant Dying?

Growing In The Wrong Climate

There are several unlike varieties of elephant ear plant , but they all have one thing in rough-cut . They favor tropical or subtropical climates that are warm and receive a quite a little of humidness .

When it comes to the survival of plant , hardiness zonesare designated based on climate and give a number 1 - 11 . These zones are labeled on the plants as well so that you could verify you ’re buying a works that will flourish in your peculiar zone .

Elephant capitulum have the greatest chance of survival in zones 8 through 11 . In zona 8 and 9 , they will likely die back in the wintertime but start to grow back during the next arise time of year . In zones 10 and 11 , they will probably bide light-green all year . But in zones 1 - 7 , they will probably give out during wintertime ( or even before it suffer too cold ) and may not return the following yr .

The first footmark is to distinguish which hardiness zona you live on in . If you live in zone 10 or 11 and your elephant ear starts to become flat , this is in all probability cause by another problem other than being in the unseasonable climate .

If you live in zone 7 , 8 , or 9 and your elephant ear get to die as it perplex cold , do n’t interest . This is normal , and your industrial plant should come back next year . But if your plant starts to die and winter is nowhere close , there is probable another causal agency of the problem .

If you inhabit in zona 1 through 6 , you likely experience cold temperature originally in the year and longer than in other zone . Your elephant ear probably wo n’t outlive outside for an extended time . Instead , you may plant it in a plenty and move it within when it gets cold or keep it at bottom for good .

Not Enough Or Too Much Water

Tropical climates receive a lot of rainfall , so elephant ears opt soil that is consistently moist . But , it is also potential to drown them by providing too much water . Not getting enough or receive too much water can both cause your plant to die .

vex a plant moisture meter or your finger into the dirt to check the amount of moisture in the soil . The grime should feel dampish . If it is inert , you are overwatering the plant . If it feel ironical , you are n’t watering it enough .

For too cockeyed soil , let it dry out for a few days before you water your elephant ear again . Wet soil can drown the plant ; it can also promote modeling and fungus development which can also defeat it .

If the soil is too dry , body of water it quickly and recheck the grunge the next twenty-four hour period . Water it again if necessary . Sticking to a tearing schedule , especially during periods of drought , can help you ensure your flora is amaze the right amount of piddle .

Too Much Sun

Tropical plant such as elephant ears typically maturate in the understory of the forest . That means many prominent tree above them to help filter the sunlight that the industrial plant receives .

Elephant ears do n’t develop well in locations where they receive full sun . They call for to be planted in locations where they incur partial or collateral sunlight . If the leaves are turning browned and seem dried out , but the soil ’s moisture grade is fine , then too much sun is probable the cause .

This is a really promiscuous fix . All you need to do is stab up the elephant ear and move it to a new , less gay location . Just make indisputable to keep the tuber intact when you dig it up . Otherwise , your flora may not survive in its new location either .

Lack Of Nutrients

If the leaves on your elephant ear plant are calculate less green or even starting to turn yellowed , it ’s likely that they are n’t have enough nutrients . ordinarily , this problem occurs in elephant ears that are planted in pot . But it can pass when planted in the ground , especially if the filth is short .

The most effective solution to this problem is to fertilize your plant . An all - use fertilizer should provide the nutrients that your elephant ear needs , but you need to apply it on a regular basis . For elephant ears that stay indoors or in pots , you ’ll need to fecundate them every two to three weeks . outside elephant ears can be fertilized once every four to six hebdomad .

Not Enough Space

The last understanding that your elephant ear may be pass away is that it does n’t have enough space . Plants will die if they do n’t have room to grow . And if you plant elephant ears too close to other works , it may have to compete for nutrient . If you spring up elephant ears in potty or planter , the container may be too small as well .

Elephant ears should be found four foot aside from other elephant ears or plant life . You may need to dig up your elephant ear or the plant around it and move them to a different fix . For elephant ear in containers , try planting them in a larger container to see if that solves the problem .

See More : Why Is My Azalea Dying ?

Should You Cut Off Dead Elephant Ear Leaves?

If your elephant auricle plant has drained leave of absence on it , but the rest of the industrial plant is still alive , it is a good melodic theme to cut off the dead leaves . That way , your industrial plant can devote its energy to growing new leaf and using nutrients for the still live parting .

If you survive in one of the hardiness zones where your elephant ears cash in one’s chips back each twelvemonth ( 7 , 8 , and 9 ) , all of the leaves will bend brown when the icing start to hit . In that typeface , you may cut off all the idle leaves . You should begin to see raw increment when temperatures start to warm up up again in saltation or summer .

Why Do Elephant Ear Leaves Turn Yellow?

There are four understanding why elephant ear plant turn chicken :

If the intellect for the leaves on your elephant ear plant turning yellow is due to routine 1 , 2 , or 3 , you’re able to remedy this by following one of the solutions above . But if none of those reasonableness seem to be the problem , number 4 is likely the effort .

If your plant snuff it abeyant , it is totally normal . They normally go dormant during the wintertime . They are n’t perish , they just stop growing , and there is nothing you could do to prevent it . You just have to await until it warms up and your plant starts to grow again .

See More : Snake Plant Leaves Turn yellowed - What To Do ?

Do Elephant Ear Plants Grow Back?

As long as they are hibernating and not dead , elephant ear plants should mature back as long as they are grown in the correcthardiness zone(7 - 11 ) . If the plant conk out due to one of the problems above , it wo n’t come back , and you will have to replace it .

How Often Should You Water Elephant Ears?

There is no definite timeline for how often you should water elephant ears . The oecumenical rule is to irrigate them when the top two inches of soil feels wry . In the hot summer months , they may require more frequent lacrimation as the soil dries out quicker .

Even when your plant is dormant during the winter , it still require to be watered . However , you may not have to water it as often because the soil wo n’t dry out out as quickly .

In Closing

There are many reasons why your elephant spike plant could be dying . The most likely causes are that they are n’t receive the right amount of pee or sunshine . But a deficiency of nutrients or infinite or growing them in the wrong climate could also be the trouble . If you’re able to diagnose the problem quickly , you should be able to keep your plant . Thanks for reading !