Water and fertilize the elephant foot

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The elephant's foot has the great advantage that it can store water in its trunk. So if you are one of those people who often forget to water, this plant doesn’t take it too badly.

The elephant foot is very easy to care for.
The elephant foot is very easy to care for. © Maja_Dumat / Pixelio

How to pour properly

  • The trunk of the elephant's foot becomes thicker and thicker towards the bottom. In it he builds a water supply so that he can survive longer dry periods in the wild. If you forget to water every now and then, that's not too bad, but it should still be the exception.
  • Always water your elephant foot only when the soil in the upper area has become dry. Simply insert a finger to check. If necessary, give him water, but after about ten minutes check whether there is still water in the planter. You should throw this away so that the roots don't start to rot.
  • The elephant's foot doesn't grow too fast, but it still has to be repotted at some point. Then take a pot that is not much bigger than the old one, because if your plant has a lot of space in the pot it will mainly root and hardly grow in height. The potting soil should be as coarse as possible so that no waterlogging occurs. Buy good potting soil or even cactus soil.

This is how the elephant's foot is fertilized

  • When fertilizing, you have the choice between a liquid fertilizer and the fertilizer sticks, the latter being the more convenient variant. Either way, choose one fertilizer for green plants.
  • Simply stick fertilizer sticks into the soil. Every time you water your plant, you release some of the nutrients it contains to the soil and thus to the plant. How many fertilizer sticks you need depends on the size of the pot. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation.
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  • Add a liquid fertilizer to the watering water according to the dosage instructions on the packaging. You have to be careful with this variant, because if you put the water with the fertilizer on the dry soil, the plant will burn easily. So the earth has to be damp beforehand.
  • The elephant's foot is only fertilized from spring to autumn. In winter it takes a rest period and should then not be given any fertilizer. It also needs less water in the winter months than in summer.

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