Which Side of an Elephant Ear Bulb Should You Plant Up?

Which side of the bulb is the top? This is probably the most popular question asked by beginners when they start gardening. The answer does depend on the variety of bulb but usually the pointed end should be facing upwards. This rule applies to bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.

What If You Aren’t Sure?

Luckily, bulbs are clever and can figure out which way they should be growing. If you do plant the bulb upside down by mistake it will only affect the time scale of growth – they will typically take a day or two longer to reach the surface.

Sometimes it is obvious which side of the bulb is up

Spring Planted Bulbs

Spring planted bulbs tend to have the most varieties with definitive answers. An example of this is the begonia tubers. These tubers have a concave side that needs to be planted down with their round side facing upwards. There are other spring bulbs that have specific requires include cannas so, we suggest that you always check before planting.

Planting Elephant Ears

Elephant ears are the notoriously confusing to plant due to their very round shape that consists of no definite points. However, there is a way to distinguish which side of the bulb you need to plant upwards. Elephant ears have a smooth side as well as a side that is rougher and bumpier. The rough side of the bulb will also have a few root hairs from the previous growing season.

So, which side should you plant up? The smooth side is typically the top so it should be planted facing upwards. Although you do want to plant it the right way, these bulbs are like most others and will figure out which way to grow if planted wrong.