Leaves dripping slowly
I have read that they drop leaves when new ones come in but I only have 2 new leaves and I have lost 3 and losing another what am I doing wrong 😭
1ft to light, direct
10” pot with drainage
Last watered 3 years ago
3
So Alocasia’s tend to lose a leaf every time they grow a new one. If you are losing and gaining new leaves at about the same rate then I wouldn’t worry too much. As your plant grows larger (and the stalk expands) it’ll be able to support more leaves in the future.
Sometimes though leaf loss is a sign of an unhappy plant, is your soil staying wet? I’d recommend you allow at least the top 2-3 inches of the soil to dry out fully before you water again. If you’re really worried and the soil has been staying wet for a long time you can check the roots gently for rot and cut back any roots that have become squishy. Finally, Alocasia’s tend to prefer bright indirect light, direct light can burn the leaves if it’s very strong. Your plant stats say your plant is in direct light so it might be worth trying a new position? Good luck!
Sometimes though leaf loss is a sign of an unhappy plant, is your soil staying wet? I’d recommend you allow at least the top 2-3 inches of the soil to dry out fully before you water again. If you’re really worried and the soil has been staying wet for a long time you can check the roots gently for rot and cut back any roots that have become squishy. Finally, Alocasia’s tend to prefer bright indirect light, direct light can burn the leaves if it’s very strong. Your plant stats say your plant is in direct light so it might be worth trying a new position? Good luck!
@DaniPhantom Once the stalk becomes larger and stouter, your Alocasia Plant will be able to maintain more leaves. You appear to be watering too often. Always allow the top 2″- 3″ of the soil of an Alocasia Plant to dry out before watering, and try to keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy. To check the soil stick your finger in about 2 to 3” into the soil and it’s dry it’s time to water it. This is completely normal, and nothing to be worried about. In fact, it's super common for any plant to shed leaves when it's first acclimating to its new surroundings, as the temperature, humidity and lighting in your home is 100% guaranteed to be different to that of where it was previously living. 7 things to know about your plant:
They are dramatic in the face of stress, but don’t confuse this with a lack of resilience (more on this later). They will commonly drop leaves when you first bring them home, especially if they’ve been mailed (they really don't like cooped up in a dark black box - can you blame them?). This is completely normal, and nothing to be worried about. In fact, it's super common for any plant to shed leaves when it's first acclimating to its new surroundings, as the temperature, humidity and lighting in your home is 100% guaranteed to be different to that of where it was previously living. And as a result, the plant will shed a few of its older leaves and grow new ones that are better adjusted to its new digs. I've spoken to many a new Alocasia owner who has panicked when the plant appears to be throwing a tantrum. But as you would with a petulant toddler, don't take it too seriously. It's just a phase, I assure you. Try not to become attached to a particular leaf (following the above point) as they don't tend to last as long as leaves on other tropical plants. Depending on the specific species, I'll get maybe a few months out of my Alocasia leaves. But! They're faster growers, so as quick as they are to drop a leaf, they're as fast to grow new ones, and will reward you with many beautiful leaves during their life. My larger Alocasias grow 1 or 2 leaves on average each month, and my smaller ones less often
The signs of a dying leaf are as follows - first, the stem softens, which causes the leaf to lean out awkwardly. Secondly, the leaf yellows around the edges, and then in towards the middle. Once a leaf starts yellowing, it will not bounce back. Whether or not to leave it on or chop it off is down to your aesthetic preference - some would argue to leave the leaf on so the plant can take full advantage of the nutrients within it. I don't care to watch the swan song of a dying leaf, so I usually chop it when the leaf starts yellowing, snipping it at the very base of the plant
The old “leafy up, leafy down” dance is a quirk of these plants, where they’ll go through a period of time simultaneously growing & killing off leaves at the same time - often when stressed. This won't last forever, and with time, you'll notice that your Alocasia will likely start to hold on to more leaves at a time. I will note however, variegated Alocasias (in my experience and those of others) seem to only hold a max of 4 to 5 leaves at any one time. Why? No idea!
Spider mites love Alocasias something fierce, so it’s super important you isolate & quarantine them when you bring them home. Spider mites will appear as a fine dust like layer on the top of leaves. To treat, shower the BAJESUS out of the leaves to dislodge the buggers, and treat with your pesticide of choice. I use a miticide called Stealth which is expensive but very effective, but other options exist. This is the only method I’m familiar with but Google should offer other solutions so I encourage you research your own methods if you're under attack from these buggers
These plants lean quite easily, so will benefit from a stake if you prefer the aesthetic of them growing upwards rather than splaying out. Leaning is not always a sign of bad health - make a point to notice how they grow in the wild next time you see one. The vast majority of my Alocasia fam have a stake to help support their upward growth
These guys are tough cookies, and can bounce back from being reduced to one leaf or even none, so don’t give up on them too fast. I’ve had some return from the brink of almost certain death.
They are dramatic in the face of stress, but don’t confuse this with a lack of resilience (more on this later). They will commonly drop leaves when you first bring them home, especially if they’ve been mailed (they really don't like cooped up in a dark black box - can you blame them?). This is completely normal, and nothing to be worried about. In fact, it's super common for any plant to shed leaves when it's first acclimating to its new surroundings, as the temperature, humidity and lighting in your home is 100% guaranteed to be different to that of where it was previously living. And as a result, the plant will shed a few of its older leaves and grow new ones that are better adjusted to its new digs. I've spoken to many a new Alocasia owner who has panicked when the plant appears to be throwing a tantrum. But as you would with a petulant toddler, don't take it too seriously. It's just a phase, I assure you. Try not to become attached to a particular leaf (following the above point) as they don't tend to last as long as leaves on other tropical plants. Depending on the specific species, I'll get maybe a few months out of my Alocasia leaves. But! They're faster growers, so as quick as they are to drop a leaf, they're as fast to grow new ones, and will reward you with many beautiful leaves during their life. My larger Alocasias grow 1 or 2 leaves on average each month, and my smaller ones less often
The signs of a dying leaf are as follows - first, the stem softens, which causes the leaf to lean out awkwardly. Secondly, the leaf yellows around the edges, and then in towards the middle. Once a leaf starts yellowing, it will not bounce back. Whether or not to leave it on or chop it off is down to your aesthetic preference - some would argue to leave the leaf on so the plant can take full advantage of the nutrients within it. I don't care to watch the swan song of a dying leaf, so I usually chop it when the leaf starts yellowing, snipping it at the very base of the plant
The old “leafy up, leafy down” dance is a quirk of these plants, where they’ll go through a period of time simultaneously growing & killing off leaves at the same time - often when stressed. This won't last forever, and with time, you'll notice that your Alocasia will likely start to hold on to more leaves at a time. I will note however, variegated Alocasias (in my experience and those of others) seem to only hold a max of 4 to 5 leaves at any one time. Why? No idea!
Spider mites love Alocasias something fierce, so it’s super important you isolate & quarantine them when you bring them home. Spider mites will appear as a fine dust like layer on the top of leaves. To treat, shower the BAJESUS out of the leaves to dislodge the buggers, and treat with your pesticide of choice. I use a miticide called Stealth which is expensive but very effective, but other options exist. This is the only method I’m familiar with but Google should offer other solutions so I encourage you research your own methods if you're under attack from these buggers
These plants lean quite easily, so will benefit from a stake if you prefer the aesthetic of them growing upwards rather than splaying out. Leaning is not always a sign of bad health - make a point to notice how they grow in the wild next time you see one. The vast majority of my Alocasia fam have a stake to help support their upward growth
These guys are tough cookies, and can bounce back from being reduced to one leaf or even none, so don’t give up on them too fast. I’ve had some return from the brink of almost certain death.
