II was wondering about cutting back my elephant ear plants.?

I live in central SC. I planted elephant ears in a shady location and keep them well wartered. They were doing great...growing faster and better than anything I have ever planted. I was so proud of them...Pride goeth before a fall and that's just what they did! The leaves became so large that they broke the stems. Thus my question about cutting them back. Can I do that without killing the whole plant?

II was wondering about cutting back my elephant ear plants.?
It's always OK to remove broken stems at the base of the plant. Stop feeding them Miracle Grow--they only need water.
Reply:they are elephant ears....not hostas and mine do better in full shade in texas we have very hot summers and i have to water them every day or they droop down to the ground but they pop back after water you can cut back the stems that wont stand back up or are turning brown
Reply:Too much feeding will cause overly large growth of leaves, which the plant can't support . Clip off all the broken leaves, and keep them watered .. they will soon put out more leaves ..





They are called Hostas , by the way ...
Reply:I ran over some of my grammas with the wheels of a riding lawn mower, and they came back doubly thick. I didnt chop them up, however, just flattened them real good with about 8 or 900 pounds of pressure. i guess i did her a favor, even though i thought i killed them.
Reply:Yes, you can. It won't hurt the plant and of course you know they spread and come back every year. I planted mine too close to the roses and my husband kept cutting them back. Finally, last year, he made me dig up all the bulbs (about 50 of them) and plant them along the ditch banks. They're doing well there also. Usually they prefer sun but can grow just about any place.
Reply:The nice thing about elephantears (any yes, they are elephant ears and NOT Hostas) is that you can remove all above ground growth at almost any time during the growing season and they will recover.





They are so hardy in some areas they are considered an invasive plant.





I regularly remove ll the leaves on mine. I keep them indoors and so need to control the growth.





The only thing you do not want to remove is the last lstem to emerge. If youlook at it you wil see the outline of where the next leaf will emerge, usually a slightly raised area that is outlined.





When you cut the stem, leave about two inches above that outline. That is where the next leaf will emerge. If you remove that, the plant will have to start with a new growth from the bulb.





It will grow, but takes longer that way. If you leave the ;ast stem to emerge you will see a new leaf within 4-5 days