Hello everyone. Today we will try to make out tips for care if you have long dreamed or dreamed of this wonderful plant. And, perhaps, this article will be useful to you not only if you have Alocasia.
Alocasia is a fairly rare tropical plant in indoor culture, although it has become more popular in recent years.
The basics of care is watering
These are very bizarre plants, and if something goes wrong, the plant can lose a leaf. Some of you probably think that there will be problems with Calathea, but to be honest, Calathea is less picky.
If you overflow the plant, then there is still a risk of losing leaves. But as soon as you set the watering mode, you will see that your green friend will be in perfect order and this problem will not arise. And if you doubt whether to water Alocasia today or not, that is a proven method, all you need is to pick the pot up to see if it feels really light.
Watering should be plentiful on hot days, and the earth should never dry out. It is advisable to immediately drain the water from the pallet. Because for most species, over-watering leads to root rot. And if you see that Alocasia forms a new leaf, then the plant is happy with everything and there are no problems with the root system.
Another important point that needs to be added, consists in alternating root irrigation with surface irrigation, which will create the necessary atmosphere of the tropics familiar to the plant. You also need to remember that a certain interval should be observed between waterings, while the substrate should not dry out.
In order to prevent waterlogging, it is best to cover at least a third of the pot in which Alocasia is located with expanded clay or other drainage material.
What kind of lighting does Alocasia like
To make it easier for you to navigate how much light your plant needs, there is a general rule - the greener the plant, the more light it will need.
Alocasia does not tolerate exposure to bright sunlight but feels great in partial shade. Therefore, windows facing east are ideal for her. It also feels good on the western windows, but the southern windows can be detrimental to its leaves. In this case, shade Alocasia or set it away from the window.
In strong shading, as in the bright sun, problems with leaves are possible - the appearance of sunburn spots, wilting, discoloration of the leaves. But the forms of Alocasia with monochromatic leaves can be kept in slightly more shading than variegated since the color of their leaves will not suffer.
The correct humidity and temperature equals a healthy and beautiful plant
Alocasia loves warmth and can say that she loves temperature as much as Calathea. And this is about 23-24 degrees. 20 degrees is normal, 19 degrees is normal. But do not lower the temperature to 15 degrees and below. Also, keep in mind that these plants don't like drafts, so don't keep them anywhere near drafts or central heating because they won't like it, they like high humidity.
Alocasia will be comfortable at 40% humidity, but if the percentage is higher, somewhere around 60% or 65%, then the plant will enjoy such conditions.
When and how best to fertilize Alocasia?
It is best to fertilize the plant during the active growing season with a weak solution of fertilizers for decorative deciduous plants. But a universal fertilizer is also perfect. After transplanting, it is not recommended to feed the plant for a month or a half. But to be honest, less is better than overdoing it. And by the way, this rule is suitable for any indoor plant.
Falling leaves may indicate a weakening of the plant, which is often observed after the flowering period. At the same time, young foliage grows very slowly, and the leaf plates are small in size. In this case, it is imperative to feed the plant or transplant it into a new nutrient substrate.
Alocasia, like all tropical plants, does not like heavy, dense soil. Most of all, the Alocasia plant likes an earthen substrate of medium density. You can buy a substrate for decorative deciduous plants and dilute the purchased soil with sheet soil, coniferous soil, or peat.
Pests. Who threatens our indoor greenery?
One of the most dangerous pests of indoor plants that affect plants in almost any family is the spider mite.
If you notice that the leaves of alocasia turn yellow, stop growing, a delicate cobweb appears on the underside of the leaf, you should know that this is a spider mite. In this case, you need to brush off the pest from the leaves with a stiff brush, dampening it in water, to which add a drop of any dishwashing liquid. Then rinse the leaves thoroughly with water. Repeat the procedure if necessary.
Dry indoor air only contributes to the reproduction of spider mites. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to maintain sufficiently high air humidity. About air humidity and how important it is, we mentioned above. In addition, it is imperative to remove fallen and old leaves, remove faded flowers from the plant, and from time to time wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or cloth. Plants that will not be harmed by this can be given a warm summer shower.
About yellow spots on leaves
Yellow spots on the leaves usually appear inconsistent watering. If you have brown towards the tips it's usually either under or over watering this case under-watering more.
Adjust the watering mode and this will save you from the problem of stains.
Maybe you learned something new from the article, or maybe you were already familiar with something, but in any case, I hope that the article turned out to be useful and informative.
