Alocasia: Care and Problem Solving

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Light: An Alocasia needs very bright indirect light. Direct sun will burn the leaves of an Alocasia.

Water: Water an Alocasia well and then do not water again until the top few inches of the soil are dry to the touch. Try to keep the soil evenly moist. Over watering and soggy soil causes root, stem, and crown rot in an Alocasia. Check the soil of an Alocasia frequently until you are sure of its watering schedule. An Alocasia becomes dormant during the winter and requires less water.

Temperature: Alocasias prefer warm temperatures between 60-80 degrees. The plant becomes dormant with prolonged exposure to temperatures below 60 degrees and may drop all of its leaves. Keep an Alocasia away from air conditioners and cold drafts. During warm summer months, an Alocasia can produce a new leaf every week; each new leaf may be twice the size of the previous leaf.

Fertilize: Fertilize an Alocasia every two weeks from late March through October with a basic houseplant food. Never fertilize an Alocasia in the winter. Too much fertilizer causes salts to build up in the soil and burn the fabulous leaves of this plant.

Humidity: Alocasias grow best in high humidity. To increase the humidity around the plant you may need to place your Alocasia on a tray filled with pebbles and water. Be sure the Alocasia is sitting on the stones and not in the water. You can also increase the humidity by placing a small humidifier near the plant or grouping plants together.

Pests: Spraying an Alocasia with warm soapy water every few weeks helps to prevent mealy bugs, scale, aphids, and spider mites. It also keeps the large leaves of the plant dust free. If an Alocasia does become infested, spray it with an ultra fine commercial insecticidal oil. This kills both the pests and their eggs.

Propagation: An Alocasia is propagated by plant division.

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Alocasia

1. I bought a very small Alocasia about a month ago. It's about 8" tall. Every time it gets a new leaf an old one falls off. I can't seem to keep more than three or four leaves on the plant at any one time.
Small young Alocasias are unable to maintain more than three or four leaves at any time. This is because the stalk they are growing out of is constantly expanding. As the stalk expands it forces the smaller leaves to drop off. As the stalk becomes larger and stouter, it will be able to maintain more leaves.

2. My Alocasia did great all year in my sunroom. It got new leaves every week. Around November the Alocasia stopped putting out new leaves and by December all of the leaves had fallen off. I didn't do anything different?

My guess is that your sunroom got too cold. Alocasias become dormant when the temperature goes below 60 degrees. These plants will lose all of their leaves when temperatures remain below 60 degrees for a prolonged period of time. Now that the leaves have fallen off, allow the soil to totally dry out. Then cut the bare stalk off; moisten the soil; and cover the top with plastic. Move the Alocasia to a warm location & be patient! Your Alocasia should begin to grow back within six months.

3. I just bought an Alocasia and it seems to be too big for the pot that it's in. Should I repot it?
Alocasias like to be root bound in small pots. Gently take your plant out of its pot. If the roots have taken on the shape of the pot, it's time for a larger container.

4. The leaves of my Alocasia have brown spots.
Leaves can get burned and develop brown spots if the plant is sitting in the direct sun. However, if there is a yellow halo around the spots, it is probably a bacterial infection. To treat a bacterial infection, keep water off of the leaves, quickly remove any leaves that turn yellow or drop off, and cut back on the amount of water you're giving your Alocasia.

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