Amazonian alocasiais an increasingly popular houseplant with beautiful foliage. Due to the highcultivation requirements of alocasia , this plant needs special care. Otherwise, she is attacked very quickly by diseases of allocasia. Learnhow to grow allocation in a potto avoid problems and enjoy its charm for as long as possible. We also advisehow to multiply the allocationin your own home with an amateur way: -)
Amazonian alocasia - Alocasia x amazonica
Photo. pinia01, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Amazon alocasia - description
Amazonian alocasia(Alocasia x amazonica), also known as rainfall, is an ornamental plant belonging to the Araceae family. It is used to decorate apartments and offices. It looks great in almost any interior, and at the same time it is a great houseplant that cleans the air.
The species Alocasia amazonica is a cultivar that was created as a result of crossing two species of allocasia - Alocasia longiloba and Alocasia sanderiana. The name Amazonian alocasia is very misleading because species of this genus are not found in South America. Alocases come from the Malay Archipelago.
Amazon alocasia has gained its popularity thanks to the extraordinary beauty of its leaves.The leaves of alocasia are arrow-shaped and the cut edgesare large (up to 30 cm long), shiny and beautifully colored. The upper side of the leaf blade has a deep, dark green shade that contrasts beautifully with the yellowish thick veins.The underside of the leaves is purple.Amazon alocasia can reach up to 1 m in height , and older specimens sometimes bloom in the apartment, creating, however, unattractive, cob-shaped inflorescences.
Note!
Allocasia juice is poisonous. All care works on this plant should be carried out with gloves.
Amazon alocasia - cultivation
Alocasia amazonica needs plenty of diffused sunlightduring the day. However, it cannot be exposed to direct sunlight, because it ends up with burns of the leaves. Too little sunlight causes Amazonian allocasia to grow very poorly. The plant is best placed near a south or west window.
The place where Amazonian alocasia is grown must be warm all year roundAlocasia grows best at 23-28 ° C. In winter, the alocasia should be kept at a temperature of 18-20 ° C.The air temperature should never drop below 16 ° C, as this leads to a slow dying off of the plant. Especially in winter you have to watch out for drafts.The effects of allocasia overcooling are visible only after 2-3 weeks and are manifested by blackening of the leaves
Amazonian alocasia - Alocasia x amazonica
Photo. Tangopaso, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
A light, fertile and slightly acidic substrate(pH 5-5.5) is necessary for the cultivation of alocasia. The best is humus soil mixed with coarse sand, peat and manure or compost. Drainage is necessary at the bottom of the pot. Expanded clay is perfect for this plant. Pots for growing alocasia should be large so that the roots do not push the plant upwards.
Alocasia amazonica requires high air humidity and abundant, but balanced wateringDangerous for the plant is both the drying of the substrate and its flooding.Therefore, watering alocasia requires good plant observation and constant monitoring of the climate in the room. The best solution isgrowing alocasia in a pot with a built-in irrigation systemWatering should be done with soft, standing water or rainwater.
The second important aspect is to keep the air humidity around the plant constantly high.Alocasia does not like sprinkling , therefore the pot with allocase is best placed on a stand filled with expanded clay and water, or use air humidifiers. An idealplace to grow alocasiais a kitchen or a bathroom well lit by sunlight.
Alocasia in a pot with an irrigation system
Fig. © Agnieszka Lach
The alocase is fertilized from March to September , regularly once every 2 weeks, with a compound fertilizer. The plant reacts very well to organic fertilization, especially with granulated manure.
Amazonian alocasia - reproduction
After several years of cultivating alocasia, root suckers begin to grow at the base of its shoot. You can also usesuckers to propagate allocasia , because they easily root in separate pots. Allocasia seedlings are best harvested in spring or early summer.
Root suckers are cut from the mother plant with a sharp knifeThe cutting wound should be covered with powdered activated carbon. The obtained seedlings are placed in a well-drained pot filled with fertile soil, then covered with foil and placed in a warm (25-28 ° C) and slightly shaded place.
Alocasia - diseases
Drying and crumbling stains appear very often on allocasia leavesThis is a typical sign of too dry air. In order to provide the plant with optimal growth conditions, it should in principle be grown in an orangery or a greenhouse. When growing alocasia in an apartment, it is advisable to purchase an air humidifier.
As a result of too low air humidity, spider mites also appear on the leaves of alocasia.Symptoms of spider mites feeding on alocasiaare: yellowing of the leaves, inhibition of new leaves development and a visible spider web on the underside of the leaf blade.
After transferring an alocasia from the florist's to the apartmentoften its leaves start to turn yellow. This is the result of the shock the plant experiences from a drastic change in environmental conditions. In such a situation, the plant should be given peace and the best conditions for development so that it can adapt to a new place.
Alocasia, which grows under inappropriate conditions, becomes susceptible to fungal diseases. One of the most common isallocasia leaf blotch , which appears as dark brown or black spots on the leaves surrounded by a yellowish border. The bestway to prevent alocasiafungal disease is to avoid over-watering allocasia, keep the leaves dry, and ensure good air circulation around the plant.When the plant becomes infected, remove diseased leaves, isolate it from other plants and apply a fungicide, eg Topsin M 500 SC. It is also worth making the plant resistant to diseases using Biosept Active.
MSc Eng. Agnieszka Lach
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