wish I knew this before buying alocasia

[@lmackenzie89]

My alocasias thrive in self watering pots and aeroid mix. The self watering pots make it so easy to look after them.

[@EverythingPlants]

I've tried those as well...... Dead 🤣

[@kellysullivan8439]

Self-watering + Pon 🎆

[@michelleyoung600]

I had no idea you could prop with stem cuttings on alocasia!! So smart! Loved this video. Thank you!! 🙏

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@PlantyYogina]

Thanks for this video - the detail on how to look for / recognise thrip & spider mite damage was really helpful.🙏🏾👍🏾 I love Alocasia. But stopped at four / decided not to add any more to my plant family because of the ‘temper tantrums’ and most recently, becoming a member of ‘the one leaf club’ for the first time after enjoying over a year of trouble free plants.

[@EverythingPlants]

Yup...same with mine right now lol. Thanks for watching

[@PlantyYogina]

@@EverythingPlants Love your videos! I’ve learned so much from them / you on care, propagation, and valuable basics like how / where to attach Thai Constellation plant to moss pole, pruning Jade plants. Defo delivers on ‘everything plants’. 🙌🏾🙏🏾

[@EverythingPlants]

Hey....I'm sure trying lol

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

Last year, I started a tracking method that really helps me figure out why a plant is doing well or doing poorly. I have a plastic name tag in every plant - with the month & day it's watered, and the new day below that. This also has reduced a lot of stress and is a huge 'time saver.' I don't have to constantly be putting my fingers in the soil trying to figure out if it's time, sort of time, or not time to water. I can tell by the date and then of course check the soil to confirm.

[@EverythingPlants]

You are way more organized than I am..... But great job!

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

@@EverythingPlants :) It took a while before adding the date became automatic. But I simply can't manage my wide variety of 150+ plants (and more joining all the time) without that little helper. I just walk around and look at the dates, it saves so much time!!

[@tim_meister]

I have had zero issues with alocasias once I switched them to pon. I keep a reservoir of fertilized water at the bottom at all times and they do great.

[@EverythingPlants]

I recently switched a few to pon as well..... We'll see how this goes

[@CharlotteLnD]

So do you use self watering pot or just keep water in the bottom tray of the pot?

[@tim_meister]

@CharlotteLnD I just use a clear pot with drainage hole in a cachepot and a little water at the bottom

[@krisfarnsworth620]

Have you ever tried top dressing with moss? For me it takes all the guesswork out of when to water my Alocasia. Soft/wet moss… don’t water, wait til the moss gets crunchy.

[@EverythingPlants]

Yes.....well I've done that with anthurium. I'm honestly slowly giving up on alocasia haha.

[@donnarie101291]

i really enjoy propogating alocasia ...its especially fun watching the corms go from being a bump on the roots to being a seedling....

[@EverythingPlants]

Totally agree!

[@lisaanglim9588]

I’ve heard that Alocasia do very well in pon. @plantsbymelissa has been putting all her alocasia in pon. And she grows them beautifully.

[@Lance.pigman]

I thought all my alocasia died and tossed the old soil in a bin together. I ended up using the soil again for other plants and what do you know, now I keep getting baby alocasia everywhere 😂 the corms I swear are impossible to catch sometimes

[@EverythingPlants]

That is too funny! Good thing you kept the soil

[@Adele-i7p]

What a cool story .

[@EverythingPlants]

@@Adele-i7p agreed!

[@Adele-i7p]

@@EverythingPlants must be good to get surprised.

[@gablovesplantssydney]

I reuse my soil as well and have baby alocasia popping up in all my other pots. They are prolific in their production of corms. I let them grow until they get to a decent size then put them in their own pots. I find that they need to be disturbed in order to grow otherwise they just stay attached to the mummy plant in homeostasis. I have inherited a large elephant ear from my mum (it was losing leaves at her place) which I am going to repot and go on a corm hunt. Can’t wait to see how many I find!

[@babs1076]

I have tried several alocasias and stopped for a year. Just bought 4, put them in pon and a self watering pot and they’re thriving! My cuprea, has 6 leaves, working on a 7th, it 4th since in my care and it’s only been 2 months. Highly recommend pon!

[@EverythingPlants]

I have placed a few in pon....time will tell

[@Swingn2plants]

I use self watering pots for all my Alocasia and give them high humidity until they are mature. They do just fine. I also use insect guard in my grow cabinet for a day or two for spidermites. For the ones I cut back I put them in fluval stratum and put them in prop boxes and they grow back immediately.

[@RickCocco]

Loved the nickname.. the toddlers of the plant world.. I have two toddlers and 15 different baby alocasia, I completely agree!

[@EverythingPlants]

Right?! Hahahaha

[@ameliamurphy8416]

Lots of helpful information, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks for watching!

[@megshush]

The timing of this video is perfect. I recently decided that I am done with this genus because they are too much work to keep happy and growing well. I even tried pon and thought it would solve my issues but the results ended up being the same in the end. I still have a few of them and will try my best… I will never acquire another alocasia.

[@EverythingPlants]

I am with you 100%. I'm done

[@megshush]

@@EverythingPlants you look so done in this video. It is funny and not funny how these plants can wear on us lol

[@EverythingPlants]

I still enjoy them but I will not be buying anymore haha

[@dianespring3228]

That’s why I use self watering pots with all my alocasia

[@EverythingPlants]

I tried this too....clearly I was doing something wrong. I think another factor is my extremely dry climate. Same reason calatheas do terrible for me haha

[@rebeccahenderson7761]

@@EverythingPlants Have you tried Semi-Hydro? Give a reserviour a try - it's a game changer.

[@m0rningcl0ud]

I found it easier to use leca in transparent pot, that way I can see the water level

[@MisadventureMisty]

Wish I could show a pic of a few of my alocasia. One has about 10 corms growing new plants around the base. It’s so bushy right now.

[@EverythingPlants]

You can send it to my Instagram everything_plants_ca

[@Wubblyt]

I recently put my alocasias in tree fern fibre and for the past few months they seem to like it. I was surprised to see new corms sprout, this never happened in soil mixes for me, before I had to harvest the corms and grow them in a prop bin. I tried transferring a few to pon before which resulted into instant dormancy 😂

[@EverythingPlants]

😂 I've tried aroid mix, self-watering pots, moisture retentive soil and now pon..... All with the same result lol

[@AmbersDaintyBush]

I knew I saved those little pots with slits for a reason!! 😂 will try air layering!

[@EverythingPlants]

Yes! It works so good!

[@pollensplants]

You nailed it Jeff! Consistency is def a must for alocasias 👍🏽👍🏽

[@EverythingPlants]

I don't have that haha. You need to start making full length videos on how to properly care for alocasia

[@pollensplants]

@@EverythingPlants oh man I so wish I had the time or even the skills for editing or making full videos, perhaps one day when the kids are old enough ahaha. And btw if you start seeing spider mites just back off the nitrogen for a while and they should slowly disappear, they are attracted to excess nitrate and ammonium✌🏽👍🏽☺️

[@EverythingPlants]

@@pollensplants so do you switch fertilizers or stop all together?

[@ofhismercy109]

I like that diy pot extension, Jeff! Gonna make one for my leggy Frydeks.....

[@EverythingPlants]

It works so slick

[@Horsewoman-pt2ku]

I had predominantly philodendron, monstera and several calathea and 1 Alocasia. The spider mites went after my calathea rufabarba and the thrip went after my monstera and a few philodendron and the 1 calathea near my monstera last fall. Since then I have added 4 more Alocasia so I’m keeping up now with pesticides

[@EverythingPlants]

We should all keep a calathea to sacrifice for the rest of our plants hahaha

[@susannahwalsh2153]

Alocasia regal shield is the best. Easy, massive leaves. I’ve had mine in a dark cool basement over winter and has thrived. Now in back yard doing great. 👍

[@gaddaitherage8204]

My alocasia micholitziana is doing really well so far after about 4-5months. Knock on wood. I find having it in semi hydro works best. I have it in pafcal chips w a wick setup, and I have nutrient solution in the reservoir. I am super lucky it came in this setup in the store already and I don’t have to transfer from other mediums (I previously had a great looking alocasia and it suffered a lot when trying to transfer). My current plant grew a lot, with some leafs bigger than my head. Each stem has at least 5 green leaves and the yellowing is not as big of an issue as before when it came in an aroid mix. So yeah semi hydro is the way to go. Also, regarding pests my previous plant was a magnet, but when I got my new one, I hosed it down gently in my shower and then wipe down each leaf. I do this twice a week to be safe. So far no issues and no pest damage. But yes, alocasias are high maintenance plants.

[@jaketheplantguy]

I've found that alocasia need more light than almost any other "houseplant". Not enough light usually means 1-2 leaves.

[@EverythingPlants]

I agree. Currently all of mine are under grow lights and get good light (around the 400-500FC) but I think for me....it's the inconsistent watering 🤷

[@AntoninJezek]

I've been lucky to have avoided pests. I also guess I've been lucky to have had a pretty good experience with alocasias. I only give it medium light and fertilize with fertilizer sticks.

[@EverythingPlants]

Awesome! Do you live in a tropical or humid/warm climate?

[@tiffanyi5645]

I stopped getting alocasia when I learned that they go dormant. And if even if you’re lucky enough to avoid dormancy, they will start to grow smaller leaves. If I lived in the tropics I’d give them another try but while I’m still here in NYC, I’ll stick to my trust Philodendrons and Syngoniums

[@AntoninJezek]

My hasn't gone dormant, but I put a cheap 8w cool white light pointed toward my alocasia, and it has thrived. I didn't think a weak light would have done that, but it did.

[@melanieg.9092]

Mine never went dormant and I have them under 10W so not all that much and regular room humidity (50%)

[@shalimarssc3317]

wow great info-- i gave up on alocasias early on the plant journey bc of so many of the issues you mentioned. Thanks for the great content

[@jeannette7243]

Hissy-fitty pest magnets ... right. I think I'll give them a miss. 🤣🤣🤣 Thanks!

[@EverythingPlants]

I like that..hahaha

[@crystaltorassa4299]

Love this video. I can never get enough alocasia content. Thank you for sharing!

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks so much!!!

[@mayasixtus1573]

I've had good luck with fluval stratum in a clear glass jar so I can monitor the moisture level in the fluval. *edit I've just had them in fluval for a month and so far so good. I've got a Polly, a Bambino and a Silver Dragon.

[@EverythingPlants]

That is good to know!

[@surgeinc1]

Wow!!! The mysterious little white trails on my Anthurium Clarinervium King, is thrip damage! Thank you for the excellent photo. They say Alocasias will break your heart 💔

[@EverythingPlants]

Oh she's a heart breaker for sure. Thanks for watching

[@TajmToCook]

I love alocasias. Currently, I have 6 plants and quite few corms (some still attached, some in their own pots). They live in nutrition solution or fluval stratum at the moment. Will move them to leca once I am done with observation and learning how the babies are growing as well as how the plants are growing and behaving. The oldest one is 6 months in my care, the youngest one 2 weeks or so, but so far I did not have any issues with any of them. We'll see in few more months... They seem to be happy with the combination of light and water spa in all inclusive resort (constant access to water and food) that I call home 😁

[@heatherstephens9295]

Watching from New Zealand - my dear old Amizonica (Poly) has turned into quite a cluster now with all its little corms sprouting. I’ve been too apprehensive to split it up as it is just so happy & I must say it looks really effective 🙌

[@EverythingPlants]

If it's happy then let it grow!

[@NightlifeTyrant]

Bro! This is Great! I’ve seen some of your vids here & there but this one thus far “took🍰the🎂cake” for me! Officially Subscribed. Definitely learned some “GooD-GooD NeW-NeW” on this joint. Much Obliged! BiG👍🏼Ups & HeLLa’🤘🏼PrOps 2 yuh from TexXxAss! 🤠

[@EverythingPlants]

Heck ya! Welcome to the channel!

[@lindaedwards4632]

Your Alocasia collection has really grown. You have a lot now 😀🇨🇦

[@EverythingPlants]

Yes...they are beautiful but challenging lol

[@liteweightpup2561]

Thanks Jeff. My bambino was covered in mites and no other plants around it had them. So yeah, they are magnets! I wonder if a regal shield would do well planted I. The garden and brought back inside in Fall? I plant elephant arts in ground in spring and cut down the leaves to the bulb to store over winter, zone 6b. Have you tried planting tropical in your garden?

[@liteweightpup2561]

Ok, you actually answered my question later in the video😂

[@EverythingPlants]

Yes, I've kept this one outside in a pot in the summer and have cut it back in the winter

[@melissamonroe561]

I moved from the 3 leaf club 2 a lush plant when I moved my alocasia in2 self watering pots with wicks & increased there sunlight 2 direct sun in a south window. I live in the midwest U.S.A.

[@EverythingPlants]

Nice work!

[@MarisaAndChew]

I've got some no leaves, some corms tossed in moss, done that are waist high... The humidifier didn't get turned on this year for more than a week and it was for me bc i was getting bleeding noses... My issue through the winter was either flat mites or sorry mites, whatever they were they wiped off looking like cigarette smoke and webbing was very minimal.... It's been a consistent 18/19 in here since November, my humidity has already gone back up to 60% on its own from the 35% it was all winter. Miticide was when i finally felt like i was winning. My one Regal shield is now about upper thigh high and has 6 leaves, my baby Regal shield is at 4 leaves. I have been switching to self-watering and it seems like that's the key with so many plants, even those the reservoirs do end up dry 😬 My Jaclyn was doing great, was huge then had a baby then both went down. Just tossed the corms in with the others and am hoping they come up. I feel like a lot of alocasia come back WAY STRONGER than when we get them initially. My biggest problem is azlanii. The corns shoot out a leaf and then it melts. I've tried to move it to less humidity, leave them, add light etc and nope... My self-watering mix is miracle grow cactus, miracle grow perlite and then orchid bark tossed in.

[@EverythingPlants]

I find that different varieties require slightly different care/needs

[@jillianleblanc9370]

Good morning thank you for Sharing beautiful House Plants lovely collections beautiful video

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks Jillian

[@skyqueenstudios]

My alocasia Morocco is one of my favourite plants. It produces so many corms, it has baby plants sprouting up sometimes too and it’s never given me any reason to complain. She also looks so pretty with her pink petials. My frydek on the other hand, she’s a fricking diva. Right now I think she’s going dormant on me. It didn’t go dormant last winter so I was hoping it would continue but maybe not. I’ve been wondering, why do the frydek’s leaves turn upside down sometimes? Is it too much light? I changed one of my grow lights by only a few inches and the frydeks leaves started going upside down so I had to move it and since then it’s been gradually losing leaves and generally looking like it might go dormant. If it weren’t for the corms she gave me I think I probably wouldn’t replace it if it did fail. I like the thicker leaf alocasias better and there’s an anthurium (?) or a philodendron that looks a bit the same that I’d like to find.

[@EverythingPlants]

I looked this up because I'm not sure as well..... I did find some answers on Reddit and people say it's turning away from too much light. I can't confirm this but it seems like that's the consensus LOL

[@marcelagarnica7076]

How are you liking the plants you converted to pon? PS that shirt is so cool!

[@EverythingPlants]

@@marcelagarnica7076 LOVE IT! I need more for my alocasia

[@planttherapy1860]

I would love a golden bone. It's a beauty

[@glen4075]

❤😂. They absolutely are the toddlers of the plant world.

[@EverythingPlants]

Oh ya....throwing tantrums all the time haha

[@Adele-i7p]

Happy Sunday 😊 🌄, a good day too relax and watch plant videos. 👍

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks for watching!

[@Adele-i7p]

@@EverythingPlants your so welcome. Have a great evening.

[@EverythingPlants]

You too!

[@mistert2421]

frydeck draw spider mites sooo fast, does this happen as well in you cabinet. thanks

[@deegrows7589]

What do you do with all the plants you grow from corms?

[@EverythingPlants]

I have a lot right now. I'll probably give them away

[@Jessica-gt4sy]

Wow great info and you have lots of healthy looking Alocasias even though some arent so happy rn! Just an FYI the insect is named Thrips and that name represents one insect pr one billion so even if you are only talking about 1 singular insect you would still say "this plant has 1 Thrips on it".

[@CosyRach]

I’ve had two in my entire time plant growing (8 years) and I’ll never own one again! Too much hassle and they drop leaves if you so much as enter a room with a slightly bad attitude 😆

[@CosyRach]

And don’t even mention spider mites! 😭

[@kathleenhall3868]

You packed a lotta info into today's video, Jeff. The concept of bulbs, corms, tubers coming out of dormancy will save some alocasia from the compost bin, I'm sure. As you said, the giant-leaved alocasia are easier. I buy them as dormant in bags, pot up outside when night time temps stay @ 50* for a week, then bring them inside during Washington State winters as houseplants. I grow inch plants at the base ... always trying to find surfaces to grow more, aren't we? I can't see the link to your Amaz store on this one; I'd like to find the Pure stuff you mentioned. Thanx.

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks so much Kathleen. Right now the only place I can find purecrop1 is from a local plant shop. The Amazon links are in the description of this video

[@ConnieP92]

Hey Jeff, I feel your alocasia pain but since using self-watering pots as well as pon/LECA mix for ALL my Alocasia plants they have been thriving and keeping all of their leaves (except for maybe an older leaf) and they are even pushing out new leaves as we speak while we move into winter here in Sydney. Of course I give them as many of the 'right' conditions as possible and our natural humidity here is quite good (averages around 60-70%) so I barely have to use humidifiers, only during our hot summers. My only concern then is obviously pests so I monitor them for that as well as topping up their reservoirs 👍🏼

[@EverythingPlants]

I think that is a huge difference compared to my environment.....natural humidity. It's dry here for most of the year. I do have some in pon right now so time will tell!

[@luccac6247]

Great content. Appreciate the insights and tips for some of us whom own Alocasia's. Came across your channel yesterday. Watched a few of your recent videos. Very informative. You've got another subscriber. Noticed a cup that said North Shore Tropicals? You reside in the lower mainland? Burnaby BC is home for me. Never heard or seen that shop on the North Shore. I frequently visit throughout the week. I'll have to check them out!

[@EverythingPlants]

Hello and welcome to the channel! I am actually from Regina, Saskatchewan! I have ordered from Northshore Tropicals and get it shipped in Sask

[@luccac6247]

@@EverythingPlants Good to know shipping is an option with this company. Regina 👍A bit cooler your way to say the least.

[@PlantsAndBlink]

My alociasa zebrina any time she gets a new leaf: "two is great, but three's a crowd...byeeee"

[@EverythingPlants]

Hahahaha....byeeee

[@teuth]

👀 waaa the one i've been waiting for! this is so good, this video is so rich and dense with knowledge that it took me like 4 tries to finish it lol. i didn't know you could chop em vertically like that, very cool. all very useful info. talk to ya soon bro

[@gudrunorca]

Hey Jeff, Thanks for this insightful video on Alocasia care. I have had mixed results and currently zero Alocasia plants in my collection. However, my last specimen, Alocasia cucullata suffered from inconsistent watering and thrips. It died back completely but I kept it, knowing in the back of my mind it might have corms. I found three upon unpotting the verrrrrrry dry plant today. The corms feel like they have moisture in them still. The pot itself has been sitting dry for months. How long can the corms be kept? I’m in The Netherlands, where it’s springtime, so perhaps a good time to replant the corms in a prop box like yours?

[@Plantlifewithnina]

I do keep my Alocasia in Pon and they love it. So far so good!! 🙋🏼‍♀️🪴🌿

[@EverythingPlants]

That's great!

[@lisaanglim9588]

Love this video. I love alocasia but they not so much loving me back. I’ve got a couple that are doing great and have given me no problems. One is the makoyona -peacock alocasia.

[@jaaustin500]

Your plants look happy! Don’t get too caught up in fighting the pests- they will always survive somehow. The problem is that we don’t have their natural predators around our houses, like out in the wild.

[@BTeezy82]

My silver dragon fell over and a stem broke in half... should I cut it down lower and is there any chance of propagation with the leaf and half a stem?

[@bobbiechinn9578]

I will not be getting anymore of those anytime soon... constant work and I have as many plants as you prob do... several hundred...dont need the headaches 😊

[@EverythingPlants]

Exactly!!! 🤣

[@mistert2421]

you just answered my question....lol ,thanks again😄

[@Jadelifestyleplantenthusiast]

Any suggestions for a good quality humidifier? Mine died after couple a month.

[@EverythingPlants]

Hello. I have the one I currently use on my Amazon page.....the links are in the description of this video for both Canada and the US. It's the Levoit brand and should be under accessories

[@olgasuchankova7431]

Living in Ireland..never had a problem with pests..

[@EverythingPlants]

Lucky you! That is awesome

[@GreenIsGoodYeah]

“Toddlers of the plant”. 😂 So related as a toddler mom. 🤪🤣 0:12

[@EverythingPlants]

Lol

[@PlantsAndBlink]

My latest batch of corms all rotted in my propbox and turned sqishy :(

[@EverythingPlants]

Nooooooo

[@loriedmundson782]

Tried the stingray and zebrina. No luck...😢 my house is a no alocasia zone until the end of time. Love plants, but life is too short for fruitless effort.

[@sushiegirl]

I’m not kidding, I suffer from pests PTSD lol they are my nightmare 😂

[@EverythingPlants]

I try not to stress about them anymore but sometimes it just gets to you so I completely understand

[@cherylsimmondsday9380]

Please tell me what pon is

[@EverythingPlants]

Pon is mineral rich rocks! Google lechuza pon and it will tell you more!

[@thanostsarbos1197]

Can someone tell me what's the "this" he wish he knew before buying an alocasia ?

[@EverythingPlants]

@@thanostsarbos1197 that they are fussy plants

[@miketavars4201]

Idc what anyone says, it might take a little more effort buy its really not that serious.

[@ellencnixon]

💜💜

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks!

[@carolstuff]

👍

[@EverythingPlants]

Thanks!

[@mollys1584]

Ahhh...no thanks. 😮

[@EverythingPlants]

Not buying alocasia???