From corm to leaf, our best tips for growing Alocasia indoors.
Alocasia have become a popular houseplant for good reason; they are abundant growers and rather easy to keep happy. Native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and eastern Australian rainforests, these lush giants naturally take a rest during the winter months, shedding leaves and becoming little stumps before bursting back to life in the spring.
When growing alocasia indoors, they don't tend to go fully dormant as in their native habitat, but their growth does slow. Unless you keep your Alocasia growing under lights, they tend to lose more leaves in the fall and winter due to reduced light energy. But not to worry, in spring and summer they will bounce back and fill out again with proper care.
Here’s the best way to ensure your Alocasia doesn't go dormant in the winter:
- Keep Alocasia in a warm, sunny location during the winter
- Keep soil more dry during this time, watering just once every 2-3 weeks
- Wait to feed it Sacred Soil Tonic until early spring as your plants aren't requiring extra nutrients while in a semi dormant stage
- Keep the leaves hydrated and clean with a monthly Sacred Leaf Shower for optimal health
- It’s normal for Alocasia to look a bit less vibrant during the winter, but rest assured it’ll make a beautiful comeback in the spring once the light returns and you begin nourishing it regularly with our tonics.
Growing from corms
Corms are a bit like bulbs or seeds and harness all the energy of new life! We have a blog post all about corms too!
If your Alocasia is looking super rough, or has endured a bit too much cold or other trauma, and you'd like to begin again, no problem, you can simply cut off the damaged leaves, dig up the corms & to start over (we recommend doing so in late winter or early springtime or keep under grow lights for best results).
Here’s a good method to grow Alocasia from corms
Gently dig up soil and search for the little corms (dark brown bulbs) and separate them from the roots with clean scissors if they are still attached. There are generally 2-3 corms attached to each root. You can peel away the outer papery shell to allow for faster germination but if you skip this step it's ok too!
Try sprouting your corms a few ways!
One way: Find a tiny cup, to-go container, bottle top or shot glass and add a thin layer of pumice (or gravel) and fluvial stratum, add water to dampen and nestle corms into the mix pointy side up! You can additional add sphagnum moss to keep moisture retention stable in this mix.
OR you can place each corm into a bottle cap, fill halfway with just water and cover with an upside-down glass to retain moisture
OR place corms directly into a chunky soil mix, pointy side up! Each method works for us, just be sure to keep them covered to trap the humidity.
Keep in a warm, brightly lit environment and hydrate with a spray bottle every few days (you add a few drops of our Soil Tonic to the spray bottle to give them extra nutrients during this stage too). It's best to keep your sprouts covered or cloched with wither a plastic bag, a to go container top, or pint glass turned upside down to keep them hydrated for longer periods of time.
Potting up your new plants
After about 2 weeks you'll notice roots growing and after another 2 weeks weeks tiny leaves will emerge. We recommend letting the corms grow at least three true leaves before transplanting.
To transplant your rooted corms find a pot with drainage about 3-4 inches around and 3-4 inches deep (a repurposed plastic cup with a few poked holes works great for this step). Plant in a chunky soil mix with added sphagnum moss for moisture retention. You can try using an all purpose organic potting soil too but ideally you add perlite, orchid bark, and spaghnum moss, and biochar for a more friendly soil medium for your alocasia.
The idea is to create a home with good aeration, drainage and nice water retention.
Once planted, water well and keep in warm brightly light location or under lights. Offer your Alocasia a Sacred Soil Bath and Sacred Leaf Shower once a week to nourish and ease the transition into their new home.
Notice a build up on wax on the underside of alocasia leaves? Nope, it's not mealybug (here's a look at those pesky pests) it's actually an abundance of their natural protective coating called epicuticular waxes. They can appear within your alocasia when it has been stressed. Here's a deep dive into our Epicuticular Waxes blog too!
Alocasia and Pests
Alocasia are known for being very attractive to spider mites. There's even a meme about running a spider mite brothel featuring various alocasia.
Not to worry! We have the best tried and true natural and effective solution for you: our Sacred Leaf Tonic! After countless testimonials and dozens of hands on experiences treating spider mites on alocasia with our product, we feel very confident in the efficacy of our tonic.
Here's our spider mites blog post
Wishing you all the best for happy, healthy growing experience with your alocasia! As always, feel free to email us with any questions hello@sacredelements.world we are here for you!
Sending love, Karina and Team SE
