It is still way too early for those bulbs to be showing rapid growth.

Stay patient once the summer heat hits, it will take off.

How far under the surface is the top of the bulb? IME, they don't need to be very deep at all, an inch. The tub should be the same temperature as the air around it. If you keep messing with it, it will keep having to re-establish itself. Is it getting some sun?

It was planted 1" under the surface, it is sticking up 2" above as of this morning, appears to be new growth. I planted it six weeks ago, and have not touched it since. About a 3 weeks ago it broke the surface then three days ago the rain started then stopped a day and half later, that is when the growth stopped again, it just appears much slower then my standard EE. Although my standard EE is growing in my greenhouse so that will definitely be warmer soil. This bulb that is in the bathtub is only about 2" off the bottom of the tub, that is what made me concerned that maybe I needed to lift it a bit, then mound dirt up around it hoping to warm the roots a bit. I notice this morning that there is another smaller shoot coming up about 6" away from it. I should have located it somewhere else, the bulb is very large, and now that I have been thinking about it the tub was probably to shallow in the first place.

I failed to mention the bathtub in buried in the ground

Assuming the tub is pretty full of soil, that's one seriously huge bulb! Can you tell yet if the leaf looks like it will be proportionately huge? If I ever saw one that big, I would get it. Where did yours come from? If/when you do dig it up, would love to see a pic!

The ones that live in the ground year-round here are just starting to really kick in the past few weeks. Some pics of my biggest leaves so far in here, new pics I just took & added today.

The spotted one is a new store-bought bulb and the plain one was elsewhere in the yard for the past few years but our dog kept peeing on it. I put both where they are now around 6 weeks ago.

The leaf is suppose to be 3ft wide and 5ft long in its natural habitat, the tub is completely full. The nursery I picked it up at said that it is the largest upright bulbs they had ever received, I had to have it! It really is coming on this morning, the little sprout that is about 6" from the main bulb grew at least 3" last night, the main bulb is starting to really show some growth. I cant wait to see the first leaf, this thing is looking like it is going to be big. What fertilizer should I use and how often? The bath tub is full of very course soil with lots of woody material in it, I added composted horse manure in with it also. Should I leave the little sprout that came up to the side of the main bulb?

If you can share some pics, that would be awesome! Hopefully someone else will have something to say about fertilizer. I don't use much of it, and would think the manure would be sufficient, but really don't know. Up to you if you want to remove the pup or not. I would leave it until I dug up the mama in the fall.

Been trying to figure out for years why some have such big leaves. My original bulb has been with me for 8 or 9 years, in the ground for about the past 4 years. I've tried to keep it moist but it's been very dry the past few years and then I realized our dog (great dane) was peeing on it. Turns out there was a colony of little bulbs with the main bulb. I put them in various spots in the yard and the big one (pics in my link above) is finally starting to make some much bigger leaves, although they are only about 12" across, 18" long. Lots of time left this summer, can't wait to see what it does!

Well I am trying to figure out how to post a pic, so when I get that figured out I will do so. Over the week end I have noticed two more pups or baby's coming up next to my main bulb, the main bulb is showing some growth but not as much as I have been hoping for, the baby's are doing real well. I wonder if this might be happening because the bottom of the main bulb is so close to the bottom of the bath tub? I am going to let it go as is this year and maybe find a different location for this huge bulb next year, at any rate the baby's are looking really cool I like the upright growth.

Glad exciting things are happening! Here too although it's been raining for the past 3 days - that's extremely unusual but oh-so-welcome!

Most people use a free photo hosting site to share pics here. These forums do allow users to upload a tiny picture in only the beginning post on some of the forums. There's Flickr, Photobucket, Imageshack, to name a few if you'd like to give it a try. Ends up being a great way to collect your pictures for future reference, too.

Well....here is mine as of today in Ottawa Canada

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Those are nice plants. Also looks like you've got quite a bit of sugar cane going there. Not thinking of going into production, are you? LOL

Thank you purpleinopp I so not want to have to sign up for another web site with all the passwords I never remember, but I guess I will just so I can show my buddy's my baby's LOL Those plants are so pretty, I almost feel bad posting any pics of my orphan looking plants, don't you just love going out every morning a messing with your gardens? I am so addicted.

Well after more than a decade of kvetching, most forums now have the ability to upload mid-thread. I think I'll keep putting mine on the hosting site but I'm really not sure, still kicking it around. But anyway, when posting, there's now a new thing: Image file to upload (optional): with a browse button to find the file on your computer.

Cool! No need for more passwords if you're not already involved with that.

glas, LOVE your plants! Very nice! In the 2nd pic down with the car visible, what is the tall plant behind the EE's, in front of the crape myrtle (or whatever the tallest, flowering plant is)? Guess I want to know what that is too if not crape myrtle. LOL! Love your version of zone denial!

There's some threads around here somewhere with pics of EE leaves that are as tall as a person and nearly as wide but those people never come back and tell us which kind of bulb they have, how it got so big, and in 1 case, where in the heck they are. Frustrating! Why do some grow such big leaves!? It's frustrating trying to search because a bunch of crappy sites of really basic info (and NO pics) is what comes up. Tons of organic matter and water seem to be the most commonly mentioned things, though, when you do find mention of BIG leaves. Makes sense for any plant growing that fast. The one I moved from a spot surrounded by mowed grass into a real bed where we put compost, leaves, grass started making the bigger leaves pictured almost immediately. Usually adding compost is a bi-yearly thing for me, but in addition to plenty of water, I'm going to keep adding a lot more near the EE's throughout summer, to see what happens...

Purpleinpop...that tree is a Lilac tree that am moving with me in a couple of weeks.

The picture in question of the huge EE was posted by a member on here by the name of BocaJoe

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tropical/msg0917121617990.html

and then there is this

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bulbs/msg0314294120318.html

Making your links:

Bocajoe.

and then there is.

I think BocaJoe's plant overwhelmed him, hope he's OK!

How are the leaves progressing, stimey?

I like what mine are doing.

Other plants moved earlier this year:

Yours are fantastic, my uprights are really coming along nice, not as large as I wanted,but I have about six of them 12" wide and 24" long. They are pretty crowded, I have some really good pics I will post I need to go and join flicker or something, I have just been so busy, I moved my standard EE out of the greenhouse in to the shade garden the leaves on it are about 18" wide and 24" long, this is my first time at growing EE so maybe I will have a better feel for it next year.

Cool. Pics are fun! I got tired of standing there getting eaten spraying water where the big ones are. I put a small hole in the bottom of a 5-gallon bucket this afternoon and let it fill while I was doing other things. Hopefully everything won't be thirsty again before tomorrow. A giant oak tree nearby, high temps, and no rain for a couple weeks are taking a toll on everything.

This first pic was taken 6/12, when I first started talking in this thread, since then the sun really started taking its tole on my EE, so I set up a screen type tent cover over it to help the leaves from burning. Because I dont know how to post two pics on one message I am going to post another message with a photo of it last night.

Here is last nights picture after I discovered that I left the water on, this bulb was 5" round, and 12" long, but just getting a whole bunch of baby's growing instead of adults. That's OK I love kids.

Wow, we have so many of the same plants! If that Coleus (green edges with red center) is the same "wizard" as one I grew from seed, look forward to some really big leaves from it! In your 2nd pic, I see a big seashell just like one on a table on my front porch. I'm curious about the "eggs?"

Your EE's look so healthy and nice, very happy looking!

I don't think your plants are the same kind but definitely close relatives.

Here's mine today, really noticed a difference in the leaves being more upright since I put the water bucket by them. A couple days ago I also put a bunch of watermelon rinds under the bucket. Time will reveal the wisdom (or stupidity) of that decision... There are a few others that aren't getting the same treatment, so that should make it easy to compare.

This new leaf doesn't look like it will be any bigger. I think this spotted one is about max leaf size already. Does anyone have one with bigger leaves?

The tomato cage is to keep our dog from stepping on these.

LOL I love the spotted leaf EE I will expand on mine next year to include on of those, what is the purple striped leaf that I see in next to last pic? I have no idea what kinds of coleus I have, I get a few of these from a green house that throws out there over stock or inadequate for sale plants and then nurse them back to health. I have one that my daughter found she said it was a kong or something like that. You now that you mention it I dont know what the eggs are suppose to represent but they have God bless grandpas garden, on one and another says home sweet garden? I think! Here is a pic of my duaghter flower box that we put together with some coleus about a month ago, they are much larger now, I will try to get updated pics this week end. Your plants look so cool, I really like that purple verigated leaf plant in the pic with the bucket, what is it? Thanks for sharing purpleinopp

Well I see my spell check and grammer did not take sorry about all the typo's my bad

No problem, I got what you meant just fine. Love the window box!! Coleus are my true love, I keep them over winter in bottles of water. That's also possible with the purple plant you asked about, Persian shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus.) The best purple plant I know.

Maybe that big Coleus is a kong, that would make sense. Some of them are so similar, and change colors in different places in the yard, I could be confused at this point. I just try to buy ones I don't already have or really like and need more of.

Thanks for the info on the Persian shield I will be getting one, I picked up three caladiums last night, and put one in my greenhouse it gets about 5 degrees hotter inside then outside so right now it is averaging 98 degrees here in wichita some days are 106 we had day last week that was 110. So if my daughter keeps an eye on it when I am at work the mister manages temp fairly good, I know cals like the heat, but how much I don't know, I see people grow them in pretty bright sun, does anyone else do this? I used all repurposed materials to build this greenhouse glass windows being one that I wish I had not done due to the heat and it does not diffuse light at all, thanks again for all the info I get from all you guys and gals.

Calladiums seem to be pretty versatile here in Tampa. Mine die back in the winter but come back early spring. They seem to do better with a little shade but mine are handling some sunny spots in the yard. They just get thirsty in the sun sooner than their siblings. I'm going to divide them again this winter and keep on spreading them around.

I have Caladiums all over the yard also that I planted last year and the year before. The white leaf ones can get sunburned but they keep growing. The pinkish ones are a little dull in too much sun. I agree, some shade, at least mid-day, is the way to get the best color from these. I don't think heat bothers them, some of the big producers of these for stores to sell are in FL.