Winter storage of large philodendron

Question

I have a huge elephant ear philodendron which is on my enclosed but not heated porch. In the past I have been able to move this beautiful monster into my house during the winter. Now the plant is too large to fit through the door. I am afraid it will get very cold in the upcoming winter (32 or lower). Do you have suggestions? The stems are at least 4′. Many of the leaves are 2 feet by 2 feet. Can I cut the stems way back, which would remove the leaves? This is a wonderful 10 year+ plant which I would hate to lose. Any suggestions are welcome.

Answer 1

It may be possible to protect your plant on the porch, as long as it doesn’t get very far below freezing during the winters in your area. This article discusses a similar conundrum:
http://www.gardensalive.com/product/philodendron_gone_wild/you_bet_your_garden

See the advice on wrapping the plant toward the bottom of that article.

Pruning the plant down to the size it was last year is another possibility, but I would be gentle and only prune back as much as is needed to get it indoors. Then, you could try to prune as the plant grows throughout the coming year to train it to a smaller size.