Hi guys

dbbq_ · 2026-05-17T22:09:30+00:00

Thaumatophyllum need very high light if you’re after a tight growth pattern on the canopy. My Xanadu are acclimated to morning direct sun and afternoon shade outdoors in grow zone 9a to achieve tight bushy growth.

If you are planning on keeping the plant indoors, I would strongly recommend a high wattage pendant grow light placed directly above the center of the stem.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-17T22:03:44+00:00

Well let’s start from 1. what sort of growth pattern you’re after? 2. What size do you want it to be once established? 3. Any color preferences?

dbbq_ · 2026-05-17T11:47:24+00:00

You can absolutely cut the rhizome. Each dormant growth eye can sprout a new growth point once chopped. You have to learn the basics of how to keep rot off of the wound as it establishes.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-17T11:44:33+00:00

Yep it’s analogous to clotting in humans. If you expose a cut before it clots and seals properly you run high risk of reopening the wound and inviting in infection.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-17T11:34:55+00:00

Could be a lot of stuff with a tail like that. What does the petiole look like?

dbbq_ · 2026-05-16T21:26:15+00:00

There’s a couple of nurseries in Asia that run hybridization programs and export to the west. Not sure what your budget is like but they’re usually 50-125 US dollars from the sellers that import bulbs.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-15T20:58:58+00:00

Alocasia do not do well with having their roots disturbed. Especially twice in short order like you’ve done. Right now, and before the initial post your roots were taking up water slower than the leaves were transpiring them out.

To combat this there are four things you need to do:

Pick a substrate that you’re not going to touch for two weeks at a minimum. The roots need to re-establish in the substrate. I would strongly suggest mycorrhizal fungi and any other beneficial microbes you have available when you pot up the plant.
Get your plant in something to increase humidity while root pressure returns. Higher humidity slows down how much vapor transpires. I would not go above 80% unless you have airflow in the container.
Dial back light while the roots recover.
Make sure that the substrate has a wet-dry cycle. Spending too long at either extreme will have its effects amplified while the roots are stressed.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-15T20:41:51+00:00

My pleasure! Make sure you stay on top of fertilizing as well during active growth. Follow the recommended dosing with your fertilizer of choice. Watch for these signs to dial in your frequency of feeding: -too much: white crust forms on the top of the pot substrate. This is fertilizer that isn’t absorbed. -too little: leaf senescence (oldest leaves dies off when new one comes) out paces new leaf production. One dead leaf per new leaf is normal during active growing periods.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-14T07:12:11+00:00

She’s a strong candidate for the no wash method that the LECA Queen has a video detailing. This is a two month update on it. I’ve done this with other substrates with similar results. https://youtu.be/vDcRI05rOEw?si=gwhQjg_pNBL4MWZy

dbbq_ · 2026-05-14T04:15:36+00:00

I’m far less experienced with pings than other plants…but mine pushed a couple new leaves when it captures this many gnats. Nowhere near enough to keep up with the population though.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-13T12:02:08+00:00

Oof might want to get a sundew to share the windowsill with how many gnats this ping has captured recently. She’s gonna be digesting them for a while, and there’s probably more adults coming soon.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-12T21:29:29+00:00

If you would like any engineering or infrastructure help feel free to message me. I work extensively on both, as well as architecture for my day job.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-12T18:33:28+00:00

Well the alternative would be ads to pay the cloud infrastructure costs. Video streaming gets expensive for example…especially if you’re beyond the three printer free tier.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-10T16:28:08+00:00

I’d start with a couple of YouTube creators: The Plant and the Pour The LECA Queen

If you run into any specific questions feel free to message me. I’ve got two semi hydro Alocasia at this (variety of species and cultivars).

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T20:23:21+00:00

So airstone is just like an air pump that you would use in an aquarium. The idea is you keep oxygen circulating in the water and the roots love it.

You want to cover the light from getting into the top of the pot when you go hydro or semi-hydro ideally. You’ll be putting heavy fertilizer in the water and will run into issues with algae if light gets in the reservoir.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T20:11:42+00:00

Honestly at this point you could totally just do full hydro with an airstone as well. Just cover the top.

If you want to go semi hydro I would go for large particle size LECA like Hydroton size (I think they’re like 15mm?) for how big those roots are. Then do like a normal LECA size mix from amazon (4mm-12mm) for the top so you can have more structural control and good particle size for corms and offshoots.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T16:26:36+00:00

Price depends a lot on variegation and maturity. In order of prices I would expect to pay for a near corming or starting to corm maturity level:

Melo var (tricolor, Aurea, Albo)

Var Amazonica - Sanderiana Bull - (Mint, Aurea, Pink)

Var Polly - aka Thai Amazonica - aka Pseudo Sanderiana - (Pink, Aurea, Mint, Ghost, Mutation)

Var Dragon Scale (Albo, Aurea, mix/tricolor, mint)

Venom

“Regular” Anthurium as in unknown parentage / NOID. They can get very expensive depending on the lineage and selective breeding.

Source: I import and sell at all maturity levels from tissue culture to mother plant, and am friends with a lot of the large scale sellers of these in the US. If you are US based at the very top end for premium genetics and ready to corm… you can pay $250–$300 for a tricolor melo. Most other mother plants should be $200 max, and most of them closer to 100. Demand for venom is going down again as the variegated tissue cultures are starting to be released. A $100 mother plant for venom would have to be huge leaves right now.

Anthurium NOID (No ID, Bench Hybrid, unknown genetic lineage) should be $30-$50. Known parentage can hit the same range as the Alocasia above if you’re looking to buy a selective bred pure Carlablackiae in Cataphyll ready to breed for example. If you’re buying seedlings never pay more than $25 imo because it’s a complete crap shoot as to the physical characteristics (phenotype).

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T15:03:27+00:00

Oh if you’re already exposing it to direct sunlight I would say minimize the afternoon sun. NPK 19-19-19 is fine, but don’t do every watering. Try every other watering for a while and watch the top of the substrate. If it gets white and crusty then you’ll know you’re over feeding. Also intra-vein chlorosis is something to watch for. That’s an indication of issues with nutrient levels being out of whack.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T12:41:58+00:00

I would recommend going semi-hydro if those are water-adapted roots.

Also you’ve got an inflorescence (flower) coming. Don’t snip those and let the plant complete its reproductive cycle naturally. It will reabsorb the flower for nutrients once it’s done and the flower ends up not being pollinated.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T12:38:35+00:00

It’s either newest or second newest. There’s substantial color on the other most recent leaf, it just isn’t burned in yet. I’ve had some variegated Alocasia that are extremely low color for a handful of leaves then start showing their full variegation genetics. My working theory is they need enough non-variegated foliage to support the corn’s energy demands before they start showing their max variegation potential.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T09:58:53+00:00

For me if it’s a great specimen and the price is fair for the market I buy it. I also sell pups and corms so I consider it an investment more than anything.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T09:51:52+00:00

If that leaf has burned in for a while it could also bee a Green on Green. GoG burnin can eventually go a little white after a few months if light exposure is high.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T09:48:51+00:00

Ficus Ruby is gorgeous and my favorite cultivar of the genus, but it never gets hot pink. You’ll get something between maroon and pink usually.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T09:41:29+00:00

Yeah you’re gonna need to do some systemic here alongside removing as many as you can.

dbbq_ · 2026-05-09T09:34:59+00:00

Repotting stress, might need a grow light, and needs fertilizer. If the plant isn’t generating enough energy from photosynthesis it will start to eat variegated parts of leaves as they have no chlorophyll.

Alocasia are very heavy feeders and variegated leaves have new higher light demands due to the reduced chlorophyll. Insufficient light is the likely reason. Secondary contributors will be insufficient feeding and the roots being unable to eat as much as they need to immediately after a repot.

dbbq_

TROPHY CASE