Problem With My Elephant Ears

[nazlee]

I live in SE Florida and our soil is very sandy. I have lots of Elepant Ears growing around my pine trees. There are lots of little ones coming up but after a couple of weeks the leaves turn brown and die. Could it be the sandy soil? I try to keep the area damp. I would appreciate any input that anyone can offer.

[Grey]

That's really odd. I always found elephant ears to be one of the most trouble-free bulbs in Florida!

Are they in shade? And is there maybe something odd in your sand that could be killing them? They do like a moist soil too - too much sand might be keeping them too dry/not enough nutrients.

The only other question is... are you near the beach? The salt could do it, if you are.

[opabinia51]

If you are interested in ammending that sandy soil of yours, the best thing that you can do is add organic matter. Compost works really well. This will allow your soil to hold more moisture and lessen the amount of watering you will have to do.

[nazlee]

Thanks for your input. I think I will add some compost to see if that will help. It's wonderful to be able to talk to the world concerning our gardening problems and to meet such nice folks. God bless!

[opabinia51]

Thanks for the kind words Nazlee. I think this internet thing is great. It's a really useful tool.

[SNOWWOLF]

After amending the soil you could try laying down a thick layer of mulch to help keep in the water. I live in central florida and havent had any problems with my elephant ears(I have the giant variety,well over 6 foot tall most of the time) but have found for those that do have trouble adding mulch and compost helps a lot.