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How to care for Colocasia plants in winter
Hi everyone! This has been my most successful method for overwintering tender Colocasia plants over the past few years. Here’s my step-by-step guide 😀
Colocasia plants are loved for their large tropical leaves and tropical appearance. Commonly called ‘Elephant Ear Plant’ or ‘Taro’, Colocasias thrive in the heat of summers but need additional care when grown in parts of the world with cold winters.
Overwintering Colocasias is an easy process, no matter which species or cultivar you grow. This method over overwintering colocasia has been successful for ‘Blue Hawaii’, ‘Redepmtion’, ‘Pharaohs Mask’, ‘Black Coral’ and so many other Colocasias I grow.
To prepare Colocasia plants for winter storage I first remove old wet soil from around the roots. This gives me a chance to check for any signs of rot in the Colocasia roots and corm. I can also check for pests and disease more easily.
I then pot the Colocasia plant up into a dry potting mix for winter storage. I like to use a well drained mix of compost and perlite for my Colocasia plants as this helps to prevent the soil becoming waterlogged. Cut back any old foliage as this will likely rot over the winter period.
I keep my Colocasia plants above 5°C/41°F to prevent any cold damage from ice in winter. A heated greenhouse, heated propagator or warm shed or garage are ideal places to store Colocasia over winter.
Water overwintering Colocasia plants sparingly, every 5-6 weeks just to keep the soil moist to prevent the plant from drying out.
In spring I start to water more frequently as they begin producing new leaves.
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