Question
I have been planting elephant ears in the Dallas,TX area for the past five years or so.  I moved recently to another part of town and planted jumbo elephant ears in the ground around mid-April. I was told at the nursery where they were purchased to plant them at least six inches below ground level (which I did). It's been five weeks, and not a one has broken the surface yet. They are planted in a shady area, as I always plant my elephant ears in shade with the harsh summers here in Dallas. It just seems that they're taking longer than usual to come up. Of course, we've had quite a bit of rain over the past month....any thoughts or suggestions??

victoria

Answer
Hi Victoria,
Thanx for your question.  We've had excess rain up here too and with that comes cooler soils.  With cooler soils comes slower growth of tropical bulbs like elephant ears.  Just a little more patience.  That Texas sun will be heating the ground up soon enough, if not already and the elephant ears, once they emerge, will grow rapidly in the heat and humidity of your climate.  But yes, I think the soil is still too cool from all the rain.  I hope this helps.
Tom