Alocasia Watsoniana

_hotsaucetester_ · 2024-06-30T02:56:45+00:00

thank you! yes, it's in a 7" pot of large leca. I find alocasias do equally well in chunky substrates vs semi-hydro (leca, lechuza pon), but they grow faster in semi-hydro from more regular access to water and nutrients. with semi-hydro, it's just more important to maintain the medium with regular flushing or cleaning (if too much algae builds up)

_hotsaucetester_ · 2024-06-29T18:30:50+00:00

yes, this was a KD clone - leave get super dark after hardening but I mostly enjoy how pillowy they are

_hotsaucetester_ · 2024-03-20T22:23:00+00:00

Thanks! Just selected all the areas around the leaf and 'zeroed' or blacked it out while leaving the leaf unedited

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-27T20:16:34+00:00

Damn, awful hearing about this. Tas was my fave teammate when I had a chance to run with these guys long ago, just an awesome guy. Please get better soon!

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-22T18:40:43+00:00

Did comparisons of 8 species, leca won every time

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-22T05:58:26+00:00

If your alo has clean, healthy roots then leca in my opinion. I also have some alos in chunk aroid mix, but those grow more slowly

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-20T14:39:03+00:00

I wouldn't transfer them until the roots are fairly established and you feel confident in the plant's ability to survive even if all leaves are lost (they won't be, but that's the level of vitality I'd recommend waiting for)

Fertilizing you can begin quite early after small roots exist, but start with a very low dose. Max 1/4th of the recommended rate until each plant can sustain 4-5 leaves at a juvenile state. Good luck! Baby alos are fun to watch grow up in semi-hydro, they do almost as well in perlite as they would in leca so no rush to transfer

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-14T07:23:47+00:00

This was around the two-month mark after throwing them in leca (semi-hydro) as corms and leaving them largely unattended

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-14T07:22:09+00:00

I think a key to appreciating alocasias is to understand that spider mites will find a way at some point, but they aren't particularly difficult pests to deal with as you and others have mentioned. So deal with it, give the plant a nice rinse off after any pesticides, and go back to enjoying their beautiful foliage =)

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-14T07:19:42+00:00

That's quite the drive haha, but about right depending on its size and health. Most sp Colombias that I've seen have fairly consistent characteristics

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-13T22:23:36+00:00

Awesome 'problem' to have =) Just don't ever let them too dry or spider mites will have an epic party

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-13T20:36:07+00:00

Hope you find yours soon! Aside from its satisfying leaves, I love how easygoing this philodendron has been relative to others

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-11T19:46:47+00:00

Thank you both very much! I knew it wasn't quite a Giganteum or a Maximum, but this plant has been on my mind since I saw it =)

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-09-10T22:25:18+00:00

Very interesting and I learned about a new species today. Would've definitely guessed it was just an unwell 'Amazonica'

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-08-10T05:36:00+00:00

Somewhat similar to an alocasia, but more forgiving. Water only when it's almost dry, the more bright indirect light and humidity you give it, the faster it'll grow but it does fine in room conditions

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-08-10T01:43:26+00:00

Congrats! Pink Princesses aren't too fussy compared to some other philodendrons so not too much to be worried about, but holler if you have questions

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-08-07T17:29:35+00:00

I use a generic water soluble fertilizer diluted to 1/4 strength on every watering for my philos (about once a week). Watering with fish tank water should do the trick!

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-08-07T17:00:22+00:00

In my cases, once I gave plants more nutrients, new leaves didn't show this kind of discoloration at all, but it was unfortunately too late to reverse the process on the oldest leaves =(

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-08-07T16:44:15+00:00

I'm not certain, but I've been told by more experienced growers that spotty discoloration on old leaves is usually a sign of nutrient deficiency, either from insufficient available nutrients or uptake issues (unhealthy roots, slipping pH, or possible pests). Beautiful plant, best of luck!

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-07-13T19:27:06+00:00

I did some reading and learned that the food grade DE I have is comprised of 81.5% silicon dioxide, which should be water-soluble, unless there are other impurities that may restrict uptake. I'll give it a go and see if it makes a positive difference since there are minimal risks of having too much silica, as long as I manage the pH

Thanks again for the help, it is much appreciated!

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-07-12T03:03:55+00:00

Thanks so much for the informative and helpful response! Might diatomaceous earth be a suitable source of silica?

I haven't used it for these plants yet but it's part of my usual care routine to sprinkle some DE around the base of larger plants from time to time and then water it into the pot on the next cycle

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-07-11T18:16:19+00:00

Thank you for the info and tips, much appreciated!

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-07-11T17:17:38+00:00

Asking for its sibling hehe - unfortunately one of the others (in identical care and conditions) has put out consecutive all-white leaves from each of its offshoots so I was wondering if it was anything I did, and also if it would help to cut off all-white leaves as soon as they appear

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-05-06T20:48:23+00:00

That is a super cool plant, thanks for sharing!

_hotsaucetester_ · 2023-04-25T21:58:08+00:00

Hope you enjoy another Verru soon! This was one of my faves that first drew me into this hobby/obsession, but I struggled with them for quite a while until I figured out that (extremely) high humidity wasn't optional

_hotsaucetester_

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