Elephant ear question?

I live in an area where it snows. I planted elephant ears this year and they did very well. Am I supposed to dig them up? If yes when do I do it? Do you cut all the leaves off and then dig it. How are you supposed to store them? Basically I would like to have step by step instructions. Thankyou

Elephant ear question?
Gardenersnet.com states: After the plants have died back in the fall, dig up bulbs. Clean and store them in a cool, dark area until planting the following spring.





Emilycompost.com says that in areas where they must be taken up for the winter, keep the tubers dry while dormant. Divide in the spring when setting out.





So basically, once the foliage has died back, cut off the greenery and dig up the tubers. When it says to clean them, I would brush the dirt off, but don't use water to rinse them -- excess moisture can cause them to rot or mold in storage. In the same vein, I would store them in your garage or in a closet in a paper bag rather than a plastic one, so that any moisture they may release or bring with them doesn't condense and promote molding. Replant them in the spring after the frosts have passed (both sites also mention that the tubers should be planted the right way up; when in doubt, plant the tubers sideways and they'll figure it out from there)
Reply:Why would you want to dig them up? Elephant Ear plants are so awesome looking. When it gets cold just put thin blankets or thick cheap sheets over and around them. It'll insulate them without you having to do all that digging and stuff.
Reply:They are "malangas", or "taro". I bring mine inside, but you can force dormancy by pulling them out of the soil, cutting off all the leaves and storing away in a dark, cool place (not cold).





Trim everything off down to the bulb
Reply:Wait until the first frost. Dig the bulbs and put them in a cool dry place and allow the to dry out. Store them in dry peat moss or vermiculite. As an added bonus- you can in the spring divide the bulbs by cutting them from the top to teh bottom leaving one growing point on each section, then dusting them with sulphur .
Reply:Cut them back to the ground. Dig them up. Put them in a brown paper bag and store it in your basement or any cool dry place. Next spring plant them in another location. They like nitrogen and acidic soil (epsom salts) and part to full shade. (I'm in SC and have many thriving in full sun, go figgure, but the pros say shade is preferred.) When you plant them in the spring put a generous portion of dried leaves in the bottom of the hole = nitrogen, organic goodies for them. Also give them a good drink at planting of root stimulator (fertilome.) good luck.
Reply:Dig. They will freeze if the temp gets below 15 degrees for more than a couple of days. I have one that keeps coming up every year, but its twin did not make it. Mine are sheltered, and we rarely get below 20 degrees, but the bulbs will freeze and die if you get a decent amount of snow.
Reply:elephant ears (WA state) we grow indoors.