Unusual and very beautiful alocasia, care of which at home is simple enough, originates from the interior, thanks to its dark green, jagged, heart-shaped leaves with veins.
House plant alocasia - care
The alocasia flower is unpretentious, taking care of it at home does not cause difficulties, the main thing is that it should be regular and the conditions of detention should be close to natural ones. There are several basic requirements:
- Lighting. It should be bright, but scattered, protect the flower from aggressive sunlight, during a short light day, arrange additional lighting.
- Temperature. Alocasia is thermophilic, home care is to maintain a summer temperature of at least + 23-25 ° C, a winter temperature of about + 18 ° C, temperature extremes are not permissible.
- Watering. During the summer, abundant moistening is required, the drying of the soil is not permissible. Moderately and carefully water the plant in winter, waterlogging the soil can kill the flower.
- Humidity. Alocasia requires high humidity, it needs to be sprayed. For additional moistening, put the pot in a tray, where pebbles or expanded clay is poured, water is poured.
- Top dressing. Suitable balanced fertilizer, in which the main components are nitrogen and potassium.
Alocasia - care after planting
Many varieties of alocacia are sown with seeds. Alocasia loves a well drained land, saturated with air and moisture, most of which is sand and peat with the addition of soil taken in the forest. Seeds deeper by 1-1.5 cm, after sowing the soil is well sprinkled and cover the containers with a plastic film. Periodically, ventilate, lifting the cover, for at least five minutes. Plant germinated plants in separate pots.
Capacities, with planted in them plants, put on the windowsills, protect them from the hot, sun rays. During watering, make sure that no excess water is collected in the pan, draining them when necessary. In summer, it is necessary to water the alocasia at least three times a week, during a high heat - often spray, do not require a lot of moisture in the winter, water the flower once every 5-7 days. When caring for alocases at home, it must be supplemented, this procedure should be monthly.
Alocasia - transplantation at home
Caring for alocasia, make her transplant at home, then, when the roots of the flower grow and the size of the pot will need to be increased, Do this in spring, using nutrient soil, the following composition:
- forest land with a sheet covering (1 part);
- forest land with coniferous cover (1 part);
- peat additives (1 part);
- sand additives (0.5 parts).
For the best composition of the soil, coconut shavings, bark or sphagnum are added, a substrate intended for orchids can be used. For large plants, trans-shipment can be used instead of transplanting. Capacities use high, providing alocasia with high-quality drainage. To avoid further accidental waterlogging, during the transplant, add a little ground charcoal to the soil mixture.
How to water alocasia?
Watering alocasia is best done in several ways, using small portions, after 30-40 minutes after the last manipulation, excess water is drained from the pan. Humidify the soil the next day, after a slight drying of the soil. Excessively over-dried soil, like waterlogged, can cause irreparable damage to the plant. In order to grow a well-developed, healthy alocasia, home care - watering, make the right thing, using soft, warm, dewatered water for this.
Alocasia at home - top dressing
Experienced flower growers, talking about how to care for alocasia at home, are advised to make as a feeding, in spring and autumn, during the growing season - a mixture of organic and minerals, alternating between them. As a fertilizer, it is also possible to use complex formulations or weak solutions formulated specifically for deciduous flowers contained at home. Add this fertilizer to the soil no more than once in 4-5 weeks.
Transplanting alocasia, it is not necessary to fertilize it in the first 3-4 weeks, but if you observe the dropping of leaves, the slowed down development of the plant, the decrease in the size of the leaf plate is the first sign that the flower is weakened and needs fertilizing or transplantation, nutrient substrate. The slow growth of alocacia can lead to a lack of nitrogen in the soil.
How to propagate alocasia at home?
Care for alocasia at home requires reproduction, since an adult plant gives many children. This procedure is performed in the spring, by dividing the rhizomes into parts, separating the stem cuttings or tubers that are the children. Separating parts of the plant, the injured place of the cut is processed, using for this purpose crushed charcoal or ash. To take root easily and quickly, create for them a mini-kid, sprouts in which daily, for one month, moisten by spraying, soil moderately watered.
Reproduction of alocasia using "children" (tubers, cuttings) is better than seeds, the seeds do not always convey all hereditary, maternal characteristics. The variegated alocasia does not transmit this characteristic feature to the seeds, but the offspring or the daughter tuber will allow to grow a young plant with all the inherited traits.
Alocasia - pests and diseases
Treating alocasia from disease is the most difficult task in caring for it. The most common pests include:
- aphid;
- a spider mite ;
- scab;
- mealybug .
Pests appear due to poor quality of care:
- violation of the temperature regime;
- waterlogging;
- too dry microclimate in the room.
If the disease does not have time to develop, gently wipe the leaf plates and alocasia stalk with a sponge soaked in soapy water. Strong damage requires the use of a solution of actinic (in 1 liter of water, add 1-2 ml of the drug). Noticing the appearance of rot, stains or mold, shorten the watering, loosen the top layer of the soil, remove and inspect the roots, clean them of painful manifestations, transplant them into a new, light soil, providing good drainage .