re-potted several alocasia about a week ago and I went to greenhouse today and 4 of them were laying on their side rotted at the stem. Prior to that they looked very healthy and showed no sign of distress-no yellowing leaves, etc. When I re-potted I made sure there was plenty of perlite in the soil and added bark to some. I am sick at heart. Any suggestions would be appreciated. To disheartened to photograph them.
help! help! I am killing my alocasia
Barb, which Alocasia were they? Sometimes different ones are more picky than others. What did you pot them in?
I used the same potting mix they were in previously- it is a commercial mix wih peat and I add extra perlite so it waill draing good.
Is there a product I can drentch the soil with.?
Barb, do you steralize your soil? That might help! For the most part, commercial soil mixes are not steralized.
Sorry for you loss.
If you are positive that the mix is loose enough and the pot is indeed draining properly, perhaps look at your planting depth.
IMO planting too deep can cause this type of rot.
Sometimes when I transplant alocasia and colocasia the leaves wilt and some rot at the soil line as you describe. I would cut back on watering a bit until you begin to get new leaves, then care for as usual. Last week I transplanted some EE and on several some the leaves died but they are putting out new growth now and looking healthy. Good luck!
badseed is right the name is important.
remove it from the soil and let it dry in the shade. place them on a paper towel. roots and all. try to dry it with the towel too.
right now this time of year tug on the lowest leaf. if it pulls off without a problem it has to much water.
I always find that you need just as much bark and perlite as you do soil.
most alocasias need to dry out before you water them again. but if you are not using water that has been set out for 24hrs the alkline or ?chlorien? could be catching up with them. which are deadly to them. and the farther away from odora and marc you go, the more it happens.
after they dry for a day.
cut all but one leaf off.
if they haven't gone to mush, scrape off what isn't right and lay it on its side and cover with dirt up to where you can only see the base. tape that leaf so it doesn't move.
"you can just about get roots on anything that has a base on them" and it is better to try to save/root than to do nothing.
if you water every three days add a day or two to it. and write down in your journal a reminder for next year about 2-3 weeks before this week to start watering them different.
I would also try to find something without peat in it.
and when ever you do move a EE you need to dock the leaves... I think aloha would calls it "Hulis"
cearbhall is right too planting them too deep will do that but it is important to reset them every so often. Its hard to explain everything online....
ely
Thanks for the info very useful. what soil mix do you use if you don't use peat. I use perlite and peat and some bark. When I don't have the bark I just use a lot of perlite.
.
I was typing to fast... try to find something that has less/ low amount of peat in it. some catus mixes are good. MG gardening soil is good. you want the soil to dry fast but the bark is like a back up watering source for them.
I use lamberts soil for the marc, odoras, californias, I don't worry about extra bark or perlite for them. they seem to love it moist. but it is good to let them dry out.
siran and BV I use the catus soil with perlite and bark.
and everything else on the common market I have in MG gardening soil and Peat and perlite.
its kinda one of those things you have to work out your way and find out what works best for you.
ely
What about Alocasia 'Frydek' plants? I've heard keep moist and let dry out between waterings.
I personaly think that frydek needs to dry out before watering again. some of mine go up to 5 days without getting water at times. don't go by the way the top of the soil looks but stick your finger down in it to see if the soil is dry or damp. I would much rather keep them on the dry side than wet. . but find a natural fert and use it every time you water them. I use a process chicken poopoo a 4-2-2 and that just does a world of good for them. I can use any fert on odora, marc, cal. but the rest seem not to like it as much.....
ely
5 days? Wow. I often let my other Alocasias, such as Black Velvet and Green Shield, go for 2 or 3 weeks between watering, but mine are inside. Do yours live outside or inside?
when I water a BV I only give it 1/4 cup of water... BV and siran is the hardest ones for me. mine are outside but I have them in pots...
ely
I had a siran for about 2 weeks before it keeled over and died. I was overwatering, using a soil that didn't drain well enough, and not providing enough light.
I've had my BV for about a year now and when I do water, I water it until water runs out the bottom of the container. After that, I go about 3 weeks before watering again. It's not growing that quickly, but it hasn't died. I think it only has 4 leaves on it.