The Ultimate Alocasia Care Guide!
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Happy Planters Newsletter! Thank you to all the new subscribers who have joined since my last release. It means a lot to see you all here. I will do my best to create quality content you will continue to enjoy :)
My goal is to create a portfolio of houseplant-related content that can allow ANYONE to create an indoor jungle of their own with thriving, happy plants.
If you enjoy The Happy Planters Newsletter, please take 30 seconds out of your day to share this newsletter, leave a like, or a comment. It means the world to me and costs you $0. Thank you for the support!
The Ultimate Alocasia Care Guide!
Alocasias are known for their stunning leaves and particular care needs. Anyone who has owned one has probably struggled at some point to keep it happy. In this post, I will break down a few essential aspects to ensure you are giving them the correct care.
I will be covering the following topics:
Background
Watering Frequency
Light
Temperature/Humidity
Size
Common Issues
Note: This guide is specifically tailored to the Alocasia Amazonica (AKA Alocasia Polly), but the tips apply to almost all the Alocasias.
Background:
The Alocasia Amazonica is a hybrid cultivation of it's plant parents: Alocasia Longiloba and Alocasia Sanderiana. The parent plants originate from tropical Asia, but Botanists created the Amazonica hybrid in Miami, Florida in the 1950s.
It goes by multiple names, including:
Alocasia Polly
African Mask Plant
Elephant Ear Plant
Alocasia Alligator
Watering Frequency:
In the wild, these plants grow near water sources, so it's important to keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Also, increasing humidity if possible, will help prevent the leaves from getting crispy and prevent spider mites.
Remember to decrease the amount of water in the winter as the plant goes into a dormant stage. This is the case with most plants because less light and less heat mean less water consumption.
Light:
Bright indirect light will be best for your plant. If you notice the leaves are losing the deep green color, it needs more light.
Here's a helpful guide for determining what type of light you get in your rooms. A plant that needs "bright indirect light" can still receive SOME direct sunlight. Placing it in a window that gets the less intense morning or evening sun for a few hours is usually an excellent option.
Temperature:
Amazonicas grow best in warm environments so make sure the temp does not drop below 55F. They will be happiest in temperatures ranging between 65F-80F. Generally, if you are comfortable in your home, so will your plant.
Humidity:
This plant will be happiest with high humidity to replicate its parent plant's natural environment.
This doesn't need to be as daunting as it seems. You can use a humidifier if available. Otherwise, create a pebble tray as I did for my Maui Queen Calathea.
I keep my Alocasias well-watered so I don't supplement any additional humidity. They have been growing well, so I have just let them do their thing. If you find the leaves drying out quickly, feel free to make adjustments as needed.
Another option to increase humidity is to keep the plant in your bathroom if there is enough natural light to keep it happy.
The constant use of water and steamy showers will give your plant a very humid and happy environment.
Size:
The leaves can grow up to 16 inches long, and the plant can grow up to 2 feet in height and width if cared for properly.
Below are two pictures of HUGE Alocasia Amazonicas.
Common Issues:
Spider Mites
Dropping Leaves
Root rot
Yellow Leaves
Spider Mites:
They love dry conditions, so make sure you keep the humidity around the plant high enough. If you notice yellow/brown specks, look closely for small webs covering the leaves.
The best product I've found for stopping spider mites once they've discovered your plant is Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew. Simply spray it all over your plant and watch them die! Link below
Dropping of old leaves:
Alocasias are really heavy feeders. It's very common for them to drop an old leaf before putting out a new one. You can stop this from happening by giving them enough nutrients so they don't have to do this.
Keeping up with their demands is as easy as watering with a diluted amount of fertilizer very often. Some people do this with every watering, but I stick to every second or third watering. Use around 1/3 - 1/2 strength when fertilizing.
By doing this, I have been able to retain the old leaves while it keeps growing big healthy new leaves.
Here's a picture of the newest GIANT leaf on my Alocasia Amazonica.
Root Rot:
Your Alocasia loves constantly moist soil, but it will still die if the soil is too soggy. This is tricky to determine, so make sure you have proper drainage and lightweight soil. If you see black spots on the leaves, it could mean root rot.
Yellow leaves:
A few factors can cause this. The most common ones are underwatering, overwatering, or as mentioned above, not enough nutrients.
Both underwatering AND overwatering causing the same symptom can be frustrating. Just monitor your soil and make your best judgment. If you touch the soil and it's still soggy a week after watering, you are probably overwatering. If you are letting the soil dry out completely, or it's dry again in only a day or two after watering, you are probably underwatering.
Just keep an eye on it and monitor your watering levels appropriately.
Final Notes
Alocasias can be very rewarding to grow when you see a giant new leaf opening up, but they can also come with frustrations. They can be a little tricky to care for a first, but once you get the hang of their needs, they are as easy as most other plants.
I have certainly lost a few big leaves on mine in the past, but if you follow the guidelines above, hopefully, you can prevent that from happening on your plants!
Thank you for reading my newsletter! I hope you enjoyed it and look forward to many more. I will be sending these out twice a month and may increase frequency based on feedback and engagement.
I would greatly appreciate sharing this with friends and family, or give me a shoutout on Twitter (@HobbyistPlant) and let me know you enjoyed it!
This Weeks Happy Planter Submission
My Camellia seedling, which I grew from a seed my old Camellia (RIP) had produced. Took ages to germinate. (I'd given up.) And a long time to produce these 3 new leaves. On my balcony in Athens, Greece. Very special to me
Thanks for the submission by @morgannike49 :) Seeing growth after waiting so long is such a great feeling!
One Last Thing
If any of you have been wondering why this issue is a little late, it's because I have been traveling and didn't have much access to the internet the last two weeks.
I was lucky enough to take a trip to both Northern Italy and Scotland since my last newsletter.
Below are a few photos I took while I was gone. I hope you enjoy!
That’s All For Now!
I will continue to improve these newsletters and add more exciting content as I go. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Talk soon! Feel free to enjoy my content on Twitter until the next newsletter :)
-Houseplant Hobbyist