Description of the plant, advice on caring for the plant at home, independent reproduction of alocasia, pest and disease control, types of alocasia. Alocasia (Alocasia). This plant belongs to the Aroid (Araceae) variety, which includes more than 50 species, which differ among themselves in the size of the stem, leaf plates, their color and shape. But they all have the same external features:
- the trunk is upright, with a size ranging from 40 cm to two meters;
- the root of alocasia is usually quite thickened and short, can be in the form of a tuber or buried in the trunk under the ground;
- leaf plates are held on plump and long petioles;
- all leaves are very dense to the touch, with grooves through which excess moisture leaves;
- the leaves are connected to the petioles not at the beginning of the leaf plate, but in its central part from below;
- leaves can take on oval shapes, with a sharp point at the top, all veins are clearly visible;
- the number of leaves on the petiole rarely exceeds 3.
The native habitat of tropical forests of Southeast Asia, including the eastern Australian territories, is found in the center and south of the American continent. It was brought to Russia in the 17th century. Basically, alocasia are chosen for growing both relict and ancient forests, and young plantings in burnt areas. Its thickets are found in swampy areas, less often among rocks and rocks.
Alocasia can "predict" the weather, since before the rain the humidity of the atmosphere rises, then on the leaves of alocasia, flames of moisture appear like tears. Since the shape of the leaf resembles an elongated rounded triangle, this plant is often called the "elephant's ear". Alocasia blooms are very rare. Each color stem differs in that at its top there is an inflorescence, consisting of 1-3 flowers, below its stem branches into lateral stems, which also have an inflorescence at the top. These lateral stems may be larger than the central stem. Such inflorescences appear simultaneously with leaf blades in those types of alocasia, which subsequently shed their leaf mass. The peduncle rarely grows longer than the stems of the leaves, and begins to bend under the ripening fruit.
Alocasia care tips
- Lighting. The advantage of this plant is that it is completely unpretentious and, when cultivated, does not cause any problems even for flower growers who have just begun their acquaintance with the worlds of plants. Since alocasia lives in nature in dense tropical forests, it does not need bright and burning sun rays. The plant loves good lighting, but not bright, but soft and diffused. Such alocasia can be created on windows, into which the rays of the sun look at sunrise or sunset. If it turns out that the pot is placed on a window with a sufficiently bright light, then it is necessary to arrange shading of the alocasia with light curtains, gauze or paper. If the sheet plates do not have patterns, then they can tolerate more shading and lack of lighting, so they can be placed on the windows of the northern exposure or in the interior of the room. For plants with patterned leaves, good lighting is essential so that the plant does not lose its decorative appeal.
- The temperature of the content of alocasia. As a true representative of tropical areas, Alocasia loves moderately warm temperatures. The temperature in the months of spring and summer should not exceed the threshold of 26 degrees, and in the autumn-winter months it should drop below 18 degrees, other indicators will destroy alocasia. Also, the plant is very afraid of drafts, but loves the flow of fresh air.
- Humidity of the environment. Since the native places of alocasia are accompanied by high levels of air humidity, it is very sensitive to them in the room. The plant needs to be sprayed frequently at elevated temperatures, but this process practically stops with the arrival of cold weather. At this time, you can wipe the sheet plates with a soft sponge dipped in water. It is better to use water for spraying thawed or rainwater, it can be settled. Special air humidifiers are also used to increase humidity or the installation of a pot with a plant in a deep container, slightly filled with expanded clay or pebbles, constantly moistened with water. But it should be remembered that the bottom of the pot should not be immersed in water - this can destroy the plant.
- Watering alocasia. The moisture content of the soil in tropical forests is large enough and therefore the plant responds very gratefully to abundant watering, but you should not arrange waterlogging in the pot. Alokazia absolutely does not like the complete drying of the earthen coma, watering must be done when the substrate layer on top is only slightly dry. If water has accumulated in the pan, which is glass after watering, then it is simply necessary to drain it so that the roots do not rot. With the arrival of cold weather, you need to water very carefully and the amount of watering decreases. Water for moistening is taken softened and free from harmful lime impurities. For this, snow (melt) or rainwater is collected, and the water can also be defended for several days or boiled. Water for irrigation is taken at moderately warm temperatures.
- Carrying out top dressing of alocasia. With the arrival of warm days, the plant begins to grow, at this time they begin to fertilize it. To do this, choose fertilizers with mineral complexes and organic additives. It is recommended to reduce the dose by half from that indicated by the manufacturer. In winter, alocasia is not fed, but if the plant continues to grow slightly, then the amount of fertilizer is already reduced by a third.
- The choice of soil for replanting. As soon as spring comes, alocasia must be transplanted. For this, it is preferable to choose a new pot that is only a couple of centimeters larger than the old one. The container should be deep enough. Plants change the pot and the ground by the transshipment method, trying not to disturb the root system once again. Since the growth of alocasia is quite fast, a young plant can be transplanted often if necessary, and an adult changes a pot of soil no more than 2-3 years. Only a few top centimeters of the ground change during transshipment. When planting a plant in a new container, it is important not to deepen the root collar of alocasia - this is detrimental to the plant. It must be planted at the same level.
The substrate for alocasia is chosen with good air and moisture conductivity, it should be saturated with nutrients and be lightweight and loose. In flower shops, you can buy a ready-made soil mixture for plants of the aroid family, into which, for greater looseness, add coarse sand, agroperlite, and finely crushed brick. The acidic reaction of the earth should be weak or neutral, approximately pH 5, 5. You can make up the soil mixture yourself by choosing one of the options:
- sand (0, 5 part), one part of peat land, humus and leaf;
- sand and peat land in one part and in two parts of humus land, apical and turf;
- part of the purchased soil for azaleas (so that the acidity becomes higher), half a part of sphagnum moss, perlite (vermiculite) or sand;
- on the part of the nutritious soil, rotted coniferous needles, peat and half of the sand;
- two parts of humus land, leaf, turf, part of peat land and half of a part of coarse-grained sand.
When planting, be sure to moisten the substrate, but make sure that it is not overflowed.
Self-propagation of alocasia
In order to propagate alocasia in an apartment, all possible methods are used: seeds, cuttings, shoots, tuber division, bud shoots. The only thing that is bad is that when propagated by seed material, leaves with patterns in young plants lose their decorative effect.
For planting seeds, a substrate based on peat soil and sand is used. They are slightly pressed into the ground and the container with seeds is covered with polyethylene, after which the seeds, and then the seedlings, are regularly sprayed and aired. For a successful entry of seeds, it is necessary to maintain a warm temperature, which is limited to 20-25 degrees. As soon as the seedlings grow up, the plants are transplanted into small pots (about 7 cm in diameter). After the root system of the young alocasia has mastered all the land provided to it, the pot is changed to a new one with the replacement of the soil suitable for adult plants.
When grafting, species changes can also occur, therefore this method is applicable for alocasia without a pattern and spots on the leaf plates. This process also needs to be done in early spring. You need to choose a well-developed top of the stem, and make a cut with a very sharp knife (preferably obliquely). Sections are carefully sprinkled with crushed activated charcoal or charcoal. The cuttings are immersed in light soil using seed boxes. Before this procedure, the tips of the stems can be treated with any root growth stimulant. The mixture of land for planting should be very light (sand with perlite, peat soil with sand, chopped sphagnum moss). Containers with planted cuttings are wrapped in polyethylene or placed under glass. For rooting, frequent airing and spraying is required.
When dividing alocasia tuber, it is necessary that these root formations appear above the soil level. Their rapid growth occurs in the spring months. The selected shoots are carefully separated from the maternal alocasia and planted in a small pot of chopped and moistened marsh moss. The young plant is covered with a plastic bag or placed under a glass jar to retain moisture. As soon as allocasia has new full-fledged leaf plates, the planting pot is changed to a larger one with a substrate suitable for adult plants.
It is possible to divide the bush of an adult plant only in the process of transplanting an adult alocasia. The earth is carefully removed from the root system, if this fails, then a thorough but careful washing in water is performed. It is necessary to cut the root system with a sharply sharpened knife, but try to do this so that each part has a growing point or leaf rosette. Sections are treated with crushed coal for disinfection and dried a little before planting. Then it is necessary to place part of the rhizome in a prepared pot of soil and adhere to warm temperature indicators. Regular spraying and watering is also required.
If the method of reproduction with the help of a kidney is chosen, then a stem bud is selected on the mother plant of alocasia, which is already well developed. With a very sharp knife, the selected bud is cut along with a piece of the central stem. The cut sites are carefully treated with coal to avoid the development of pathogenic bacteria and are slightly dried. Then the buds are planted in a substrate based on sand and peat and the seedlings are covered with plastic bags or glass. Airing and spraying are necessary for rooting. This method gives a complete guarantee that the young alocasia will have all the properties of the mother plant.
Growing problems and pests when caring for alocasia
The main pests of alocasia are spider mites, thrips, scale insects, mealybugs. If these parasites are found, it is necessary to wash the leaf plates of alocasia with a solution of laundry or green soap diluted in water. If this method does not help, the plant is treated with modern insecticides.
Yellowing of the spots and the entire surface of the leaf indicates that the plant is standing in drafts and is subject to regular jumps in temperature. This phenomenon can also be caused by too hard water, in which there is a large content of lime and chlorine compounds. If the leaf plates begin to dry out from the edges or completely, this means that the substrate in the pot has completely dried out, and, on the contrary, wilting may indicate a plant overflow or too heavy soil. If the plant grows too slowly, this is an insufficient amount of nitrogen in the soil mixture (the output is the use of a solution of water with urea - 1 liter per 1 g). The loss of decorativeness of the leaf plates and their discoloration indicates insufficient lighting and the need to supplement the alocasia with special lamps.
Common types of alocasia
- Alocasia large-root (Alocasia macrorrhizos). The homeland of growth is the Indian and South Indian territories and islands. A very tall plant that can reach 2 m or more in height with leaf petioles up to 1 m long. The leaf plate has the shape of an elongated heart, on which the parts that are formed by the veins clearly stand out. Sizes vary from 50 to 90 cm in length and 40 to 80 cm in width. The flower stem is very long, reaching 30 cm with a petal veil that tightly covers the inflorescence and is colored in yellow-bottle tones and sometimes reaches 24 cm in length. The cob-like inflorescence does not exceed the length of the bedspread. After flowering, deep red berries appear, reaching up to 1 cm in diameter. This plant has edible parts (tuberous roots) and is often used in cooking. The juice of the plant is used by Chinese doctors.
- Alocasia odorous (Alocasia odora). The main areas of growth are the slopes of the Himalayas, the island Indo-Chinese, Taiwanese and Philippine territories. Due to the thick and juicy rhizome, which is sufficiently buried in the soil, it is considered a herbaceous plant. The stems can be up to 1 m in length. The leaf plates have the shape of a regular heart, rather dense and covered with wrinkles - rough to the touch. The dimension of the sheet is 1 m in length and up to 80 cm in width. On the emerald surface of the leaf, the central and lateral veins of a paler shade clearly appear. Parts of the plate, which are located on the back side and slightly protrude, have grown together with the top of the petiole. The inflorescence has the shape of an ear and sits directly on the peduncle, forming a figure eight with a sheet of veil with the upper thickening of the peduncle. The sheet of the bedspread is colored with a green-blue tint and reaches 20 cm in length.
- Alocasia copper-red (Alocasia cuprea). Homeland of the growth of the territory of the island of Kalimantan. Differs in the greatest beauty of the leaves and small size. The stem can go underground and grow only up to 10 cm. The leaf plate measures 25–35 cm in length and 14–17 cm in width. The shape of the leaf is in the form of an oval with a heart rounding at the base. The leaves are distinguished by a slight roughness of the surface and a beautiful greenish-copper tint, but each vein is painted in a rich emerald color. The bottom of the leaf is of a rich dark lilac color, the petiole is attached not to the base of the leaf, but moves slightly towards the center. Peduncles grow in groups of 2-3 pieces, reach up to 15 cm in length and differ in the same purple shades. A coverlet, reaching a length of 15 cm, completely covers the inflorescence cob. No fruit appears after the flowering process.
Also, the following types of alocasia are grown in culture:
- Black Velvet - has short leafy stems and a velvety back side of the leaves;
- Amazonian - the presence of whitish stripes along the veins, the height of the stem reaches 75 cm;
- Sander - the shape of the leaf resembles elongated arrows with a shiny coating of a metallic shade.
For breeding and caring for alocasia, see this video:
