Growing Another Giant - Alocasia 'Borneo Giant' 

In the Philippines those Elephant Ears.can just be found growing in our ricefields and side roads

Not even sure what it's called but that's probably the most beautiful detangling of roots I've ever seen! Like other people practically shred the roots with a rake, but you just calmly detangle them like a boss.

you are a great videographer is that a word i actually sat and watched the whole thing even tho it wasn't what I originally was looking for about a plant your enthusiasm is just contagious!!!

their very eye catching and give off a fresh feeling vibe

I love your excitement! I'm slowly getting into plants!

Very excited from zone 9b!!!! Thank you!!!!!

Beautiful plant... I want one!!! Totally shared the same excitement as you while watching.

Bill, i think you are no fool! You and I are both in LOVE with colocasia & alocasia and I have an extensive collection of colocasias. Ypu can NEVER have enough! I'm in Zone 7b here in Jackson, TN. Thank you for your video.

Too funny, getting so excited you get your tongue twisted. Beautiful plants!

That purple pot is gorgeous!!! Great contrast🎉

Thank you for acknowledging my comments . Yes , I meant it , no I'm not crazy . I'm having issues posting comments lately . Keep up the good work .

You do not sound like a fool. I have a plant addiction too and I absolutely love spring time, so that I can start buying tropical ones, which are my favorites! =D I get excited too. I live in Beaumont, Texas. All of my tropical plants died during the freeze. I was heartbroken.

Hi Bill, I also have a problem of being addicted to plants. Thank you for the channel with informative and entertaining updates!

I have many kinds of alocasia growing in garden in Southern Maryland. I love them!

U explained everything so well and so clearly !

Hi Bill, I have recently taken an interest on tropical plants after inheriting a fish pond from previous people which looked all dark and spooky due to inappropriate planting. Anyway, I have replaced the inappropriate stuff with bamboo, yucca and palms and was just looking at buying elephant ears plants. At a visit to the aquatic shop a couple days ago, I saw one in in there which I bought but as I carried it to the checkout, I noticed that one of the stems had broken halfway down. In fact, all three of them have broken and staking it wasn't going to help so I just took them off and will replant and stake it in a pot. Thanks for taking the time to make the videos, they are a great help :D

One of mine is in a huge cement pot which it has already outgrown & the pot is tilting over so Unfortunately that pot of yours won’t last long will be doing something about mine today but I now see you will be planting it in the ground that’s good👍🌱

Just bought a Thailand Giant and 2 variegated alocasias this month. There is this inherent interest when i first saw one. It's one of the best plants i have

I find elephant ear plants exciting too! 😀 Sam's club had bulbs reduced, 2-bulb pack for 8 bucks, bought 2 pkgs! 4 bulbs plus last summer reduced at walmart I bought 2 plants for 3 bucks each. Over wintered in my living room, did great. Took them outside for summer.

So glad to see your video in my feed! I just planted two elephant ear pups in pots about 4 weeks ago and they grew so quickly! I’m in grow zone 7b and really appreciate your tips. I absolutely LOVE this plant it’s soooo beautiful. You got yourself a new subbie today 😊👍🏽👏🏽🌱🌱🌱

Omg Bill that is going to be gigantic! I can't wait to see what you do with it!

I bring mine inside for cold Wisconsin winters. Back outside for warm weather. Grows year round.

I also share your excitement over plants! You don’t sound like a fool at all! I am like this too haha

Thanks for the tips. I'm actually new to growing plants in general and I purchased a Alocasia Borneo Giant a little less than half the size of yours for $4 10 days ago. It has already grown a new leaf since I've had it! A smaller leaf is starting to yellow and die so I'll have to cut it off. I subscribed to your channel and I'll be waiting for updates on this one! Thanks

Thanks for the tip about the paper towel in the bottom of the pot! I have always struggled with getting the hole in the pot base to have good drainage, but not lose all the soil through it.

I have them all around my house in ny long island. I had them for 3yrs now and the leaves are about 4ft across. They need lots of water to grow. I cut them down and dig them up for the winter. They stay dry with some soil left on the roots in a opened plastic bag in the garage. I start them in the house in pots a month before planting. They get huge!!

I have that same problem. I love growing plants and recently have fallen in love with elephant ears.

It surely had your name on it. I just love colocasias , alocasias and ll their cousins

I, too, enjoy elephant ears. I live in a hot dry area and am not able to grow them now. Your videos always bring a smile. BTW, your hanging basket in the background looks beautiful. The video showing you trimming it back was so helpful. Have a great day, Bill. Your fan in deep south Texas.

I am so glad I found your video on youtube! Last week I bought a Alocasia Regal It's about 4 1/2 feet tall, and I keep it inside. Anyhow yesterday one of the lower small leaves was turning yellow. This morning another leave next to it was also turning yellow.Im totally freaked out, cause I fell in love with this plant when I first saw it. (I'm also a collector of elephant anything ) lol I only watered it once, but too, much water. Im now going to the nursery and get some soil and a bigger pot, and follow your instructions. Thank you so much❤🌿 Awesome video subbed....

Your garden looks awesome!

Hi...i just checked on pinterest and I'm in a 5 and six zone!! Thank you!!

Thanks for sharing, I just bought three and like you said each pot only supports 3 large leafs at a time

Mine also have 5-babaies in 16" clay pot. Growing well. All edicts likes such informative videos .

Fantastic video! Great job! I learned a lot and am looking forward to planting my elephant ears soon 😊

Flipping Heck! I just bought something like this as a feature plant for £7.99 and don't get wrong, I love my house plants. But this thing....it started growing another FIVE branches with two leafs on each branch, as soon as I re-potted it (because it was a sorry sight when I bought it) I love house plants :-)

WHOA- (reaction to those posted photos) ok i have to have a borneo giant now. I'm like you i love the elephant ears. I have 3 thailand giants and one upright elephant ear. One of the Giants flowered and the upright had 8 baby pups sprout up this year--- so next year, I'll be up to my ears in giant elephant ear leaves! Subscribed to you and your FB! keep growing

Beautiful plant 😉😉 I love watching your videos they are very relaxing and enjoyable 🌺🌺

Beautiful giant alocacia btw!

Hi! Bill, great video. I also have the same problem with plants. Haha! Elephant ears are great and easy to care for. I have over wintered my bulbs and plant them in the following year. Just store them in a paper bag and in a cool space.

Thank you very much☺

I'm in zone 6...borderline 5 (or vice versa depends on how the winds blow)... I had success overwintering them in my bathroom (room with a south facing window and probably with the least dry air) last winter. I only left 2-3 leaves on and cut WAY back on watering and did my best to promote humidity in there. They didn't look stellar and probably survived until they couldn't live any longer by the time I could finally bring them outside. I did that because I read or heard they don't like to go dormant and if they do they won't grow super big. Well it's mid July here and mine are in containers and getting bigger but not huge. Ongoing experiment since there are few resources on the best thing to do in these circumstances.

nice! I have one to. love it

Last December I got seaweed fertilizer at Home Depot about 75% off! I use it on my orchids all the time and it's great it has lots of hormones that help my orchids

Thank you for acknowledging my comments . Yes , I meant it , no I'm not crazy . I'm having issues posting comments lately . Keep up the good work 😊.

As someone completely addicted to orchids, I totally understand getting all excited about a kind of plant you love. Those giant elephant ears are AWESOME!

You can use four plant stakes on the outside of your pot to stabilize your plant when it gets big. It will prevent the wind from blowing over your plant.

I have the same addiction to monster type tropical plants!

Great video..

Omg I think we could be best friends everyone knows not to take me to any nurseries because I’m addicted to plants

Its interesting that your say you live in zone 6B. I live in zone 6A. I find it interesting watching your videos because I always thought your climate seemed closer to mine then some of the other people who have videos and seem to have much milder climates.

Omg!! oil helps stop the hitchy if you ever experience them after getting in contact with its leaf liquid.

I like everything about plants I have all those they’re giants banana trees about twenty feet or more orchids datura, roses plumbago tame Ucca , plumerias, bougainvillea s Various flowers Lavendar mandevillia red honey suckle calla Lillie’s amaryllis you name it I grow every thing glad to see others who have a need to grow anything that appeals to them! Happy growing!

To buy the bulbs are very expensive in OZ a neighbour was weeding and pulled one out putting in pile to throw out I picked it up I hope it grows it’s not a giant but I ❤️it.Your garden is very nice🦋🦋🦋

I also use something called soil moist and all my pots. They're little polymer crystals that absorb 50 times their weight in water. They don't stick together so they're not like the potting soil that has polymers in to help the soil stay moist. These little guys the only way they'll go together as if you put them in a jar and fill the jar up with water then they sort of blend into each other but they still don't stick to each other. They helped all potted plants that I use it in because as you water they suck up the water instead of it going out the bottom of your hanging basket or your pot and hold the water inside themselves until the plant needs them because the soil is dried out. The expansion and contraction of those crystals as they absorb water and let the plant roots suck them dry helps to aerate the soil and keep the soil from being compacted. It allows oxygen to fill up those spaces as it contracts so all of my plants love those little crystals. They will last in the soil for five years the company told me. I re use the same soil all the time am I outside pots and sometimes I forget that I used soil moist in those pots the year before and after it rains sometimes it looks like I'm growing clear chunks of Jell-O in my flower pots along with the flowers. But it does not make the soil soggy in fact it doesn't allow the soil to get soggy. I grow a lot of coleus cuttings begonia cuttings all kinds of cuttings and water. And when I transfer them to soil with soil moist crystals in they do fantastic and get much bigger then if I just put them in regular potting soil

It is that tie of year so this was fun to watch. The problem is moving the pot up the stairs! :D haha My plant is about the same size as yours with the lil baby leaves. That was a surprise this year. Last year I left as much original soil on the roots, but I think that wasn't such a good idea being it is a heavy clay soil. I'm going to try using the potting soil this year like you suggested.

Very nice plant

Nice elephant ear plant. Oh yea I also subbed

Remember open bag before use :) LOL Plus, if you can bury the pot up to the bottom of the rim to keep it from falling over and just put mulch to cover the rest of the pot.

They have a couple of these in the green house at Biltmore in Ashville North Carolina. It is immense.

I think we all share your passion with plants Bill. I'm glad you found the last one. It was meant for you. Enjoy it for a few more weeks!!!!! Great video. I thought you said you were going to take the pups out? What happened to that?

Good video !

I love your videos. I have one alocasia macrorrhiza plant and it grew really fast and I planted upright elephant ears tuber. I'm patiently waiting for the plant. Thanks for all your videos

I'm so excited for you, they have just started to grab my attention, but that planter 💕where did you get it my favorite color

Newbie here and i am having addiction to elephant ear plants now 😅 collected some and will try to grow

Good morning to you. I have this in my garden and was wondering the name. Got it and thank you. You can see my plants here in Paradise. Best wishes to you. Kevin

i loved this plant so much i had to order one'

Thanks there beautiful

I use had that plants back in Indo .i used like umbrella during raining season.

You could have also put some rocks in the bottom to try to make that heavier and help drainage. Also not that kind of plant because it does grow roots deeper than most but if you just have little impatience and uranium is in a big pot you can put the packing styrofoam peanuts in the bottom of the pot because the roots don't grow 18in or 20in into the ground so why waste all that potting soil plus it will keep the pot from getting really heavy but in the case of your alocasia you want the plan to be heavy so it doesn't sail across the garden with those big

I'm pretty excited now. The bag of bulbs I found, late, are growing with two leaves. They survived a nibble by a deer after they broke soil. They're tough lil buggers. Hopefully I can keep them growing thru winter, indoors , eventually.

Bapak..ditempat saya dipulau Jawa-Indonesia..tanaman ini mudah sekali didapat, dikebun, disawah dan dipinggir jalan terutama pedesaan..orang sering menamai talas-talasan..salam kenal

I am stoked to see the progress !! Just bought 2 bulbs and I found your video and now I’m hooked ! I can’t wait to plant mine ! I’m in Arizona so hoping for the best !

sorry for my bad english. i find you make it very good. Iam from Germany and have some Colocasia too.

loved this video.. subscribed! :-)

thx, nice video

I got a new project (landscape project) in the spring. He's got a beautiful new pool and wants the place to look tropical. We've built several pool gardens but never used these elephant ears. As time goes along, I hope you can help us figure out what varieties will do well in Michigan.

wow thats a huge one and it will get much bigger. i want to buy one for next year because i want to see how easy they are to grow. I still dont understand why people can't tell the difference between colocasia and alocasia.

It's okay hun You're not alone I have the same addiction but with a 12-step program we can buy out all the nurseries lol

The largest I've had growing attained ~4' long . . . and I was amazed at this . . . that I imortalised it . . . with a Rigid Polyurethane Foam impression . . . and have a cast of it for memory. If there was a way to show a pic if it . . . I would have.

i also love elephant ears! i have 8 or so Colocasia varieties, and 30 or so other aroids

Next time: For those who will not plant their ee outside where the loss of the trunk is possible by winter injury. Remove older leaves to lighten the top load. Removing all but one is best. place a small plastic file type crate with big holes into the bottom of your new pot and place bricks or stones to lodge it into place. Do NOT remove the ee from its old flimsy nursery pot**********, Cut off the bottom of the old pot and shave the roots off that are matted on the bottom taking care to not cut into the bottom of the rhizome. Set this pot on top of the crate in your new pot Place 2-3 stake through holes in the crate They will be looped with pantyhose to the pot, so should be not too long in length Once everything is firmed up and stable, pour soil in incrementally, and firming it in with water as you go. You will need add soil again as soil compresses and decomposes over months years, but your rhizome will remain at the top of the pot. Sand in the bottom section will help to keep it from tipping over in wind. But keep it light enough to move to winter quarters. The thin nursery pot will be easily ruptured by the rhizome in time , meanwhile it kept the support roots firmly attached to their trunk************* You can cut the pot off in time. You can remove the stakes once the plant roots have reasonably filled the pot , and the pot can be moved without the trunk wobble. Trunk wobble is BAD. Avoid.

Nice

I use dustbins with bricks partially dug into the ground, they dont blow over then

thanks, good tips! ps has anyone ever told you your voice sounds like Tom Green (the comedian dude)

Just starting up my own nursery and it's just Elephant ears,, it's amazing how many people don't know much about them, and how there many different varieties.. Can you do a segment on the seed's from the flowers as this is my Nxt project, thankyou for sharing

I too have a weakness for size, and Alocasias are on TOP . . . would love to know how to cultivate them seriously for size. Maximise their potential.

Good video

At my nursery I found an elephant ear call hilo beauty.. a variegated or I called a camiflage leaved plant which is beautiful..i can't wait for this bulb to start growing, so stunting

Nice plant

Oh we have this every where in Borneo. They grow up to 12'! seriously. The leave is so big. The farmers use them to wrap their produces for sale in the market.

My wife and I live in north Florida and we have several elephant ear plants, even the stingrays. My wife and daughter gave me a new one for my birthday this year, 61 BTW. It’s about 6’ tall, leaves are of average 3’ to 4’ long! It’s beautiful! I should be able to get away with leaving it in the ground year round, but if a cold snap heads our way, I know a way to cover them. It’s a pain, but it can be done!

the pot reminds me of Legos I'd play with as a kid haha

Thanks for a good video. If I may make a suggestion ? The pot should be as plain as possible, like terracotta or green, so as not to have a visual fight for attention between the plant and the pot.

I grow all of my Thailand Giants in those big square storage bins and they love it and get massive my current one is already at 12 ft. Also fun fact you do not have to break that root ball up like that it will eventually do it on its own I've never had to do that and they always grow just fine.

Oh my I loved your video so much that I went out and purchased one myself Lolll. My channel is full of elephant ear plants it's like I'm married to them Lollllll #HappyGrowing

I've grown this before I had two of them. I overwintered them just like I do with all of my other elephant ears but sadly they rotted and I lost both of them. I can't say they lay dormant well as a bulb. I will try to grow them again in the future but this time I will take it in my house and continue growing as a house plant

They start from bulbs, about the size of a grapefruit. I grow them outdoors.

what's happened to the Borneo giant now?

Perhaps one reason we, you and I, get exited growing/seeing these plants is because we are "giants" ourselves? (I'm 1.98 mtr or 6ft6 as well) Anyways, Love your video's, love your humour, great effort, I wish you and your family nothing but the best. I can't wait for your next video (No pressure) Take care of yourself Bill. From the Netherlands, the tallest "species";-) in the world, land of the Giants ;-) (It's true though, Google it) Cheers.