How I SAVED My ALOCASIAS From ROOT ROT | 4 Month Update | Alocasias in Passive Hydro

G'day, guys! In today's video, I give you a 4 month update on three Alocasias that had gotten root rot and how I brought them back from the dead and now have them thriving. They include my Stingray Alocasia, my Alocasia micholitziana / frydek, and my Alocasia scalprum 'Samar Lance'.
The long and the short of it is that I moved my Alocasias that had suffered root rot into passive hydro (semi hydro) using Leca and they've since grown back all their roots and pushed out a lot of new growth! So, I definitely think passive hydroponics is a great way to grow Alocasias and save them from the brink of death if you're having a hard time with them and the one leaf club.
Connect with me on Instagram - / petevsplant

[@beginnersbotany]

I'm so sorry I didn't hear a word you said... It was all about the fluff behind you 😂

[@petevsplants7516]

Haha no offence taken

[@kbm4409]

I was just saying the same thing....the cutie is just up and down ....turning around just being playful

[@mettechristineolsen4286]

Had to watch half of this like twice, Peaches totally stole the show! She's freakin adorable 💛 Thanks for all the good content, I binged most of your videos last month, I'm really enjoying them 🥰 Maybe it's time for me to try some semi-hydro soon too, just need to figure out what kind of nutrients and stuff to get, it's a whole jungle out there! No GT to be found here 😂

[@petevsplants7516]

Hehe good one, give it a go. Any hydro A+B solution will work, I'm sure :D

[@SuperUsername147]

I actually just repotted two stingray corms into pon (from leca) with a layer of leca on the bottom with no drainage. They were rooted and now theyve both sprouted. Semi hydro is wonderful for alocasia.

[@petevsplants7516]

Nice one!

[@AmyFoxPlants]

I’ve transferred almost all my alocasias to hydro/leca and they are all thriving so much better. I was so nervous at first but it’s looking good. Thank you for showing us how the corms, I was wondering about them too. Look forward to further updates 😁🪴

[@petevsplants7516]

Cheers, Amy! Love your channel, btw. Just getting into cacti and succulents now haha

[@Growingwithselena]

@@petevsplants7516I am too!!

[@mercantilehousing]

I put all my alocasia in LECA too, most my plants are in a chunky soil free mix. I have props in LECA too, but that’s it. I take any corms out, peel the brown and then pot up in Perlite

[@petevsplants7516]

Nice one! Do you find removing the brown helps them grow faster?

[@dianeparker2075]

I would try to get the leaf upright so it can continue it's growth. They are looking good, love using Leca and Pon mine are all doing great in those substrates. My Jacklyn came in soil but only had one yellow leaf, I keep most of the substrate on it but transferred to a mixture of Leca , Pon and a chunky mix. Now has 1 med size leaf, 1 huge new leaf and working on another. This is my favorite Alocasia, but I am looking to get a Scalprum when east coast weather warms. Love your videos🤗

[@user-ss8ih3bk2m]

omg that cat is the cutest

[@petevsplants7516]

Peaches sends her regards :D

[@aplantprocess]

My favorite Alocasia is a Scalprum too 🙌🙌 I love propping these in moss and yup, no annoying moss root stickiness. Great tip. I free babies in LECA by dislodging LECA that’s in their way. Another great video.

[@petevsplants7516]

Hehe glad it's not just me then!

[@Grrrnthumb]

LECA does help resist overwatering problems for small, weak plants in lower temps, so it's popular among beginners who are really struggling with these plants, but once you figure out the one key secret to Aloscasia (heat, heat heat!), you'll find that semi hydro will generally keep your plants smaller than pro soils, and you will likely never have the big huge many-leaf display. Get em warm, especially the night low minimums, and they will thrive in any soil and be able to get all the nutrients they want to support lots of leaves at once

[@VictoriaPL]

Oh wow! An Alocasia Stingray. Nice! None of my usual plantubers show that one.

[@blooberries_]

I just bought a stingray! Excited to watch it grow. Would love to see a video on how you feed in different mediums I think that would be really informative!

[@petevsplants7516]

Cheers, mate! Will try to do one in the future on that.

[@lolgalit]

Well - I was watching that cat lol. Not the plants. I am new to Alocasia - not planning to get lots of them but - defently the 3 or 4 that I really like. Right now I have Alocasia Rugosa (Melo). It is doing well right now - but It got some yellow spots . What is the reason for that?

[@suewestby824]

A real camera hog 😂

[@CornishRexCharlie]

me too, lol At times I would find myself completely tuned right out from what was being said LMAO

[@petevsplants7516]

Haha that's what I said when I first got an alocasia and then next minute... 10 of them were in my collection haha.I think the yellow spots on the leaves can often be from inconsistent watering. So it's drying out too much between waterings. I notice it on some of mine and it's usually the oldest leaves that have it happen first.

[@lolgalit]

@@petevsplants7516 haha - you maybe right - but I do not have enough space for everything - and my main love is mesembs so it will kind of keep me from getting them... maybe... lol. Thank you

[@surgeinc1]

Good tip about rooting corms in the prop box. Awesome cat!

[@petevsplants7516]

Thanks, mate!

[@justanotherfaceinthecrowd]

I keep all my alocasia in leca .. it’s the one plant that I cannot keep in soil for S … glad you said that about the corms as I have a prop box with about 15 or so in there atm they are just shooting now.. I was worried about removing them as not done them in loss before

[@petevsplants7516]

I feel you, mate... It's pretty much a death sentence if I don't move them out of their original soil immediately

[@denzgarcia8847]

I dont skip the Ads. I love Plants😊

[@petevsplants7516]

Thanks a lot, Denz!

[@denzgarcia8847]

@@petevsplants7516 welcome Mate😎

[@vicky3792]

The Alocasia scalprum is in my wishlist

[@IdrisFashan]

I have one and she is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. 🤘🏾 6 months old, 2 corms and a baby plant! 🤘🏾

[@petevsplants7516]

Yeah, they're stunning. @Unplantparenthood has a beautiful one on her channel.

[@gerda_g]

Had to watch the video twice. Some parts even trice cause I couldn’t follow it at all! Thanks to Peaches! 😻 I still don’t have any Alocasia! Shocking! 😂 and it might be a slippery slope if I do get one! I prefer growing in semi hydro and this video and all the comments are really convincing me to try Alocasia! Frydek probably would be the first one I would like to have a go at. I think it’s an absolutely stunning plant. To be honest, they all are! Great video as always! Thanks!

[@petevsplants7516]

Haha not sure if that's a good thing or not... she's meant to augment not take over haha. Yeah, definitely get on the Alocasia boat. They're cool plants. They're just drama queens if you fuck up the watering lol and the annoying thing is some can handle less, others more, etc... it's not one size fits all in my experience. Grrr! :D

[@gerda_g]

@@petevsplants7516 sweet! I’m sold! I’ll give it a go this year. What can go wrong?! 😅

[@KathyGallagher01]

Hi Pete. So nice to see a stingray, no one seems to show them for some reason. I really like the scalprum, but appear to be quite expensive here. The new addition to the family is very distracting when your showing plants, love it! 😂

[@petevsplants7516]

Where's 'here' again, Kathy? They showed up at the big box stores here during covid so I think that brought the price down, but I had heard prior to that they were quite rare.

[@KathyGallagher01]

@@petevsplants7516 In the UK Pete

[@vonwilson668]

Great vid Pete, alocasia are a beautiful pain in the butt but if you can get them to a reasonable size, they’re a breeze.. my baby Melo is causing me grief atm but I’ve just popped 3 corms in the prop box for backup just in case ☠️ … Peaches is so funny, I love watching her

[@petevsplants7516]

lol I'm onto my second melo... fingers crossed I can keep it alive. I'll pass on the love to Peaches :D

[@richardr5878]

Love me some jewel alocasia! My honey put an Etsy gift card in my stocking so now my Jacklyn, Cuprea and Azlanii are en route. I always get starts, so haven’t dug for any corms yet. Working on getting past the 3 and 5 leaf club. Several are throwing pups though, so taking it as a good sign. Glad to see leca did well for you. I’m happy with my soil mix still, but will try it if I have any struggles. Have not heard success stories with Pon. Not sure why leca works but not Pon not so much. Like to follow your progress if you try.

[@petevsplants7516]

Yeah, they're pretty insane. Get starts? Not sure re: pon. Might have to give it a go. Perhaps they need more space in the substrate for their roots and corms? Dunno... Everything else I have loves pon so far. It's ridiculous!

[@richardr5878]

@@petevsplants7516 Starts=baby plants or plugs/propagations. I really enjoy the process of growing them into their best life. It’s not the instant dopamine shot, but I find it more overall satisfying. I can really relate to you when you pull out your prop box and hydro set up and see those roots or new growth points. Teaches you patience and distills pride. Not that long ago my mind would have been twisted with the thought of sticking something in moss and see what happens in 6 months. Now I buy fruit trees for my food forest saying “we’ll have peaches in only 2 years!” 😂

[@zebbie6886]

Important cat content @ 11:22

[@petevsplants7516]

I'm amazed she stays through the whole video.

[@-jacinta-]

Sorry Pete, could you start again? I was watching your gorgeous cat and didnt notice you there.

[@petevsplants7516]

Haha I'll be sure to include her in future then

[@claptonhousecat8092]

Love this idea will try with a couple of my alocasias…can’t take my eyes off your feisty calico. What’s her name? Nice video!

[@petevsplants7516]

Peaches :) Let me know how you go.

[@Draculiana]

Scalprum,Platinum and Flying Squid are on my wishlist, i have 10 Alocasias until now and i'm aparently collecting them :D

[@petevsplants7516]

haha yeah they're pretty epic plants even though they're a pain to keep happy.

[@user-kd7qp7ul9j]

Im glad I found ur videos and channel. Been struggling with 2 alocasias (quilted green and tiny dancer). Im in NY in a dark apartment. Now for the season are in my balcony. I just did exactly what u did with stingray (i want one). They’re in a clear vessel. Can i still bring it outside after that change or should i keep them indoors with grow light? I hope you can give me advice. Thanks Pete!

[@wanderotter4667]

if you drill a hole with a glass drill bit, one fourthup from the bottom, you can never put too much water, and flush it trough once a week, so algae doesn't form.:)

[@hellbiter2324]

Pete!!! Have you tried Fluval Stratum? I'm about to try it with my very first Alocasia, and apparently a lot of people grow theirs in stratum as well. If you haven't already, I'd suggest giving it a go because I'd love to see how you'd compare it to Pon! Id also love to see how your plants do in it and get your overall opinion. Thanks!

[@petevsplants7516]

Hey, mate! Yeah, I've thought about it as I've seen others using it before, but it's pretty expensive here haha though so is pon

[@sierra734]

You must like the texture of the Maharani then , a bit tougher texture I can tap my nails on lol one of my top favs tfs I’ll have to try leca too now ❤

[@kbm4409]

Do you currently use pots without drainage for your passive hydro? Is that just better for you or is it more for the look?

[@Jax2113]

Ugh, my alocasias were doing so well for well over a year but in the past 2-3 weeks pretty much all of them got root rot 🤦‍♀️ I literally just finished dealing with my "Frydek" that lost all of its roots then saw your video! Hopefully by spring everyone will be back to being beautiful. But I am curious about something, with your alocasias in closed drainage with leca, do you let the reservoir dry out or do you keep it full (and by full I mean filled 1/3 of the way) at all times? I think that may be the source of one of my problems but it could also be that particular brand of pots (everything I've put into them have rotted so 🤷🏽‍♀️ who knows).

[@petevsplants7516]

Yeah, I've had that happen a few times. Try to prop in water to regrow the roots then chuck in semi hydro or just throw them in a prop box and you should be all good. I don't usually let it dry out completely but it'll be 2/3-3/4 empty before I refill it again.

[@MyLocsMyPlants]

I have a few alocasia corms in perlite I'm anxiously waiting to take them out of the prop box lol I don't think they're ready yet tho

[@petevsplants7516]

Hehe I'm like that always checking them too and wishing they'd grow faster

[@MyLocsMyPlants]

@Pete vs Plants exactly 😂😂

[@ashe7578]

I’ve gone through so much trouble with alocasia over the past two years and I’ve learned the the best thing to do (for me, at least) is to immediately unpot a new alocasia, cut off all the roots and most of the leaves, and plop that bad boy into semi-hydro with super chunky perlite. I’m not sure why this works so well??? I’ve managed to avoid root rot entirely and the new roots tend to be visible within a week of the chop. I’ve tried this method with black velvet, cuprea, nebula, pink dragon, polly, amazonica, var. frydek, and dragon scale and had insane success (rip to all the ones i killed before this 😂). Semi hydro is honestly a god send with alocasia!

[@petevsplants7516]

Yeah, interesting. Might be because it acclimates to your environment much more quickly that way.

[@hennesseyme9112]

I have to rewatch. I didn't hear a word because I was concentrating on your cat and the fake mouse.

[@jessdono123]

Hi! My red secret got root rot 😢 I changed the substrate but should I clip the dropping leaves or keep them?

[@jessdono123]

Loving your channel it’s so helpful!

[@petevsplants7516]

I'd leave the leaves until they're 50% yellow or more. The plant will still be photosynthesising with them or pulling nutrients and water from them as they die, so removing them won't help it.

[@petevsplants7516]

Thanks so much, mate :D

[@jessdono123]

Thanks! It was pushing out a huge new leaf 😢 the struggle is real

[@amelise]

Beautiful plants Pete. I have had my Colocasia Black Magic Esculenta growing in a pond outside in zeolite for nearly 10 years and she's thriving so I would imagine pon/mab would work for alocasia? I'm flip flopping over moving my platinum dragon and red secret into leca or zeolite.

[@petevsplants7516]

Wow... those are beautiful plants! Do you have offshoots you can take from the Colocasia to try out in pon/mab?

[@amelise]

Probably@@petevsplants7516 I'll have to order some and try it out. Bank is looking a bit skint after the silly season is all so may have to wait a little.

[@richardportelli1983]

Flowering is the plant saying shit I think I am not going to make it so I better try to reproduce before I'm compost.

[@ellehudson3540]

Wait you dont not have variegated Alocasia get on it there amazing

[@petevsplants7516]

Haha I didn't feel I had the skill to keep it alive until now.

[@sugarandoatsllc833]

What do you do if you don't have leca

[@Lance.pigman]

Coconut coir chunks, all you really need to grow a good alocasia

[@petevsplants7516]

Haha no kidding? Just 100% that?

[@Lance.pigman]

@@petevsplants7516 oddly yes. The coco coir gives them all the nutrients they need. Could always toss some charcoal and orchid bark in there as well for good measure but ultimately just need the coconut coir chunks.

[@nvcken]

Hey, may I ask how much TDS / ppm for watering Alocasia in Hydro leca ?

[@zrzekmane5116]

Hi Pete! So I pulled some corms out of my Polly and put them in my prop box. and so far, two of them have produced nice leaves for me, which I have since potted up. Im curious though, will those corms not normally grow along side the original plant when in soil? Or do they NEED to be pulled out to produce anything? My alocasia is still fairly young so Im typically only getting 3 leaves at a time. Since pulling the corms, I havent had any new growth on the original plant. Did I stifle it by taking its corms? Also, Peaches is crazy. lol

[@petevsplants7516]

I'm sure they'd eventually grow when left on the plant assuming they activate. There'll be some kind of trigger from the environment or plant that causes them to start growing. However, I think if they stay attached to the plant and in particular stay submerged below the soil or substrate, then they may stay dormant for a lot longer when compared to separating them.

[@zrzekmane5116]

@@petevsplants7516 Thank you! That makes sense. I'm hoping my original plant is just trying to get through the winter, and will start growing again come spring time. Thanks again!

[@mdowney14]

Why not transfer them to your chunky aeroid mix?

[@petevsplants7516]

I've had rot issues in it before, but it's probably the mix I used wasn't chunky enough or I watered too frequently. The passive hydro just takes the guess work out of watering.

[@zap4980]

This might be a crazy question but what is corms 🤔

[@petevsplants7516]

It's like a small bulb the plant shoots off its base to create a new plant.

[@zap4980]

@@petevsplants7516 Thanks for sharing 🪴

[@SimbaTvb]

Who also didn’t get most of it cause was watching the cat? 😂

[@adquragarden2653]

👍👍👍👍🤝🤝🤝🤝🥰

[@AhmadAsrafHashim]

Maybe move the plants less frequent in front of the camera, it's very dizzying.

[@petevsplants7516]

Apologies, mate.