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Are you into gamey drama , bold colour and interesting shape ? Of of course you are , and so is alocasia . These vauntingly - leave beauties , sometimes phone African masque plants or elephant ears , fare in an raiment of deep tones cast from burgundy to emerald to nigrify , and the leave can be anywhere between handwriting - sized to arm ’s length .
No matter which variety of alocasia you want to care for , you require to sleep together what it likes and does n’t like , because these are the mellow - sustentation diva of theindoor foliage plant man . But do n’t worry : we ’ve got you covered . This comprehensive usher includes watering , fertilizing , light pauperization , propagation , pest control and other tending guideline for your elephant pinna . With these confidential information and and some tending , no elephant’s ear will ever sound off while in your care .
Alocasia Plant Details
Alocasia spp .
AKAElephant ear , African mask , Alocasia
relief of Care : moderate
Light : Most prefer shiny collateral sunlight
Water : Moist ground at all times
Temperature :> 65 ° atomic number 9
altitude : From 2 to 15 foundation tall
development Rate : Mostly truehearted growers
pest : aphids , shell , mealybugs , spider soupcon
disease : leaf detection , stem / crow / rootage hogwash , Xanthomonas
Toxicity : Toxic to pets and people
Benefits of Growing Alocasia
Recognized for its beautiful foliation , the alocasia industrial plant hold out by many epithet . Probably the major benefit of the plant is the fact that it is so diverse in cultivar that most plant life people ca n’t limit themselves to have just one variety show . Sure , it ’s not the easiest houseplant to manage for , but the return is sinful .
Additionally , houseplants purify indoor air , make us happy and more fertile , and can become an significant part of daily or weekly self - care routines . After all , taking upkeep of something else that ’s doing well can be a much - needed genial boost .
Caring for Your Alocasia
The Alocasia plant can be quite a fussy thing to look after , but if you pursue these instructions , you should be able to have a healthy and thriving plant nevertheless .
Light
Always refer to the specific care instructions for your variety , of course . That say , almost every smorgasbord of elephant ear prefers bright , collateral or filtered sunshine . Every smorgasbord also hates direct sunshine , so be sure that any windows receiving full Lord’s Day have a gossamer drapery or movie to diffuse the spark .
Water
Your alocasia likes moist soil . Not boggy soil , not starting - to - dry - out soil . Somewhere just between , which may require watering multiple time per week depending on your humidness and temperature , the amount of sun it receive and even the material your planter is made of — clay will absorb some wet from the grunge , while charge plate , rosin , glass or other impermeable materials will not .
You will bed the plant call for water when the top half - inch of the grunge is dry . That ’s about the distance from your fingertip to the base of your fingernail . If you do n’t feel moisture when you beseech your fingerbreadth nail - late into the soil , give your alocasia a beverage . This will ensure the grease is evenly moist at all times , which is what you ’re aiming for . During the winter , you’re able to water the plant less frequently because it enter its dormancy stage . Just keep in brain that alocasia loves water and has a flair for the dramatic , so the soil can not dry out or you ’ll end up with a wilt elephant auricle .
Soil
And , about that soil . Alocasia plant likes crumbly , loamy soil or well - draining potting mix . If you find your elephant’s ear struggling in a received mix , add a scrap of cactus and succulent soil , perlite , or constitutive matter to the soil and repot it with gravel or rock at the understructure of its container for improved drain . We like a mix of coco coir , worm castings , and perlite — or any timbre organic intend for tropicals — like this one from Wonder Soil .
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Fertilizer
The Alocasia plant delight a plenty of plant food . This is particularly straight for larger potpourri . You should apply liquid fertilizer during the growing season , but not through capitulation and winter when the plant is dormant . or else , you could also utilise gritty fertilizer and apply a little bit of it at a time .
EarthPods Premium Indoor Plant Food
Slow release fertiliser robust with a gravid variety of constituent plant nutrients , vestige minerals , soil humate + a divers population of beneficial soil root kingdom Fungi , all in a form immediately available for industrial plant uptake . 100 capsules .
Temperature & Humidity
All alocasia change are civilise from tropic flora originating in Asia . The temperature has some compass , depending on variety , but as a worldwide rule it is best to keep these plants between 65 and 80 degrees F. Colder temperatures ( adnything under 55 degrees , at salutary ) will shoot down an alocasia or damage it irreparably .
Alocasias also flourish in humidness , and if your lav or kitchen has a lot of filtered sunlight from windows or a skylight , you might find that this is an ideal locating . These area stay more humid than other parts of the house , especially in winter when heat can dry out the airwave considerably .
Wherever you park your African mask flora , be trusted it is well aside from drafts or vents , as sudden or repeated changes in temperatures will send this ill-tempered houseplant to an early end . Be thrifty , also , when changing the plant life ’s location , and do so slowly ( over the course of a few Clarence Shepard Day Jr. ) when potential . break in easy exposure , a too - speedy shift in temperature , or a drop in humidity will stimulate your industrial plant to loll or drop its leaves .
Propagation
Alocasia can be propagated through rootstock part . In light , you will have to expose the belowground rhizome , cut off a piece of it , and plant it in another pot .
If you have an elephant’s ear maturate out of doors , you’re able to spread it just as well by digging around the plant to expose the rootstalk without damage the roots . When planting the propagation , you will take to ensure that the plant gets mass of heat and moisture to speed up raw outgrowth .
Repotting
The alocasia plant postulate repotting once every one or two years . It is secure to repot only when the flora get too big for its green goddess . The repotting summons is n’t complicated . You will need a pot with a diam that ’s two inches big than the current one . Also , ensure that the pot has a drain hole . make full one - third of the pot with well - drain soil and gently bug it to verify there are no air pocket inwardly .
When you remove the elephant’s ear plant from its current tidy sum , it is skillful if you tippytoe the green goddess to the side and mildly remove the plant by grabbing the basis of the stems . If you notice there are any rotten or drained radical , expend a brace of sharp and sterilized pruning shear to remove them . Also , if you comment that leafage are circle the root ball , cut them off as well to correct this growth riding habit . In club to diffuse the roots outwards , you have to massage the origin ball gently with your hands to separate the entwined root without wear them .
post the elephant ear in the center of the new pot . Add as much ground as ask to make certain that the origin formal lie about two inches below the top of your container . In some fount , you will have to transfer soil so as to meet this shape . When the root ball is positioned correctly , add potting soil around it and iron out it down gently so the works wo n’t wobble .
When the flora is in position , water the soil until you find water descend out of the bottom drainage hole . Once the H2O is drained , water the soil again , just to make certain that it ’s evenly moist .
Varieties of Alocasia
The in force intelligence is that there are about 70 different Alocasia species to choose from , and a few other hybrids as well . Their colouring material and leaf form has made them very popular houseplants that propose plenty of visual diverseness . Some of the most coarse varieties of alocasia include Polly , Lutea Golden , Pink Dragon , Purple Sword , or Amazonica .
Credit : ParadiseFoundNursery , Boombox Club
recognition : David Stang , WonkaSeeds
Where to Purchase an Alocasia
Buying an alocasia plant life is tricky if you ’re not yet certain which variety you want . irrespective of which variety you want , Amazon is one of the adept alocasia sources .
American Plant Exchange Alocasia Odora v. California
Alocasia California is regard a gnome Elephant Ear and can reach up to 4 ' In Height . TThis variety is shade tolerant and inhuman dauntless to 41 arcdegree F. Ships at 30 + Inches tall in a 3 - gallon agriculturist pot .
Alocasia Lauterbachiana (Silver Sword)
Silver Sword has deep shiny green leaves with a coppery underside . unequaled with narrow long wavy edge spearlike leafage . Average mature height up to 2 - 3 animal foot . Receive a free sample of Wellspring Gardens ' proprietary plant food portmanteau ( one per order of magnitude ) !
you may also opt for nursery or specialised store purchase . For representative , FloraStore has a great Alocasia Portodora , and they tender international shipping .
This beautiful Alocasia is loved because of its big decorative leave but also because of the transparence through the foresighted stem . summit at shipping ( including grower ’s pot ) is 30 inch .
Pests & Diseases
look at its size , you ’d reckon the alocasia was a sturdier plant . However , it is one of the most sensitive houseplants around , and it can be affected by quite a lot of disease . The most vulgar ones include leafage maculation , stem / crow / tooth root rot , orXanthomonas .
It is also important to note that some of these disease are have by unconventional care . For exemplar , over water the plant can lead to settle decomposition of folio spotting . It ’s important that you know that changes in the colour of the leafage commonly point that the plant is suffering from something . Much like other plant , the alocasia also requires that you remove the pathological part of the flora to make certain it does n’t spread .
Common Questions
Are Alocasia plants toxic?
Yes . Their leaves are right in indissoluble oxalate crystals , which are poisonous to both man and brute even if they are merely chewed upon and not even ingested . When the quartz glass are put out and incur their way into the consistency , they can go to rima oris and GI irritation and intumescence . In some cases , this can also conduct to upper respiratory tract swelling , which causes trouble in breathing . They should be keep out of range of both kid and pets .
Why are my Alocasia leaves drooping?
plant will often state you that there ’s something untimely with them if you cautiously appraise the current foliage position . When the leaves of your Alocasia plant take up drooping , that unremarkably means that they ’re not getting enough light or water . It could also be a signal that there are n’t enough nutrients in the soil . Revise the instructions for caring for your specific Alocasia kind and make trusted that you meet all the fertilizing / watering / lighting requirement . you’re able to move the plant to a brighter position or you may have to water the plant more frequently .
How do I get rid of spider mites?
wanderer mites are probably the most common plague bonk to aggress a houseplant . If you suspect that your Alocasia has spider speck , the first matter you have to do is isolate the plant from the other plant in your household . Spider mites are n’t that difficult to get free of . you’re able to cleanse the plant life with some neem oil but soapy water also ferment . Make certain that you houseclean the stem as well . To prevent your Alocasia from getting spider mite again in the future , check that to increase the humidity around the works . Spider mites love ironic - air atmospheric condition .
Why are there spots on the leaves?
Leaf spotting is normally a mansion of atomic number 17 or salt in the soil . This is a usual problem for plants that have been water using regular rap body of water . If you ca n’t use distilled or strain H2O , pull up stakes the tap water in a container for about 24 hours before using it to water the plant life .
Why is my Alocasia dripping water?
Believe it or not , the Alocasia Zebrina can drop water from the leaves when it has been over watered . While some of you may panic because this is n’t a character of behavior that you see in just every plant life , rest assured that there is nothing awry with the plant per se . This cognitive process is very similar to human sudation , and this facilitate the industrial plant do away with superfluous water . The leaves have lilliputian pore on the surfaces and excess H2O is wipe out through those pores .
