Just rescued Alocasia from the clearance rack!!
Y’all! I just rescued this guy from the clearance rack at my local nursery. The guy in the nursery said he was still salvageable with the new growth coming in and the three not dead leaves 😅 I couldn’t pass up the chance for the price! Help me help him. I’ve never had one, and I want to make sure I don’t send him to his grave faster! Do I let him acclimate to his surroundings before doing anything? They watered it yesterday, so the soil is wet, but it won’t stand on its own - are we thinking possibly root rot, or just needs to be replanted? I’m going to research my newbie heart out today, but any and all tips/tricks would be so appreciated!🤗 #AlocasiaAddicts #alocasiaCuprea #HappyPlants #NewPlantMom #Alocasia
2ft to light, indirect
4” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 years ago
12
Best Answer
Hello Tara ☺️ Congratulations on your gorgeous adoption! What a beautiful little guy, I love his stripy leaves 🥺🤩 The condition of his roots and even the size of the pot they’ve had him in are incredibly concerning; I think you’re absolutely right that there’s some risk of root rot going on, particularly since there’s some abnormal discolouration around his base and so many of his roots are currently exposed. Alocasias do generally need a little time to acclimate to their changes in environment but I’d honestly recommend repotting him as soon as you’re able to as the initial stress of transplanting will be significantly less than the stress he’s currently experiencing and he’ll recover quickly in a better soil situation. Alocasias thrive in nutrient rich soil so regular potting mix with plenty of organic matter present is ideal, however due to the consistent amounts of moisture he requires this soil is a lot more prone to compaction, so I’d suggest blending it generously with either some peat or sphagnum moss and even some small stones or pebbles (one part of each to every part regular potting mix) to increase aeration to his root system. I’d also suggest transferring him to a bigger pot so he has more room to breathe; an increase in diameter of between 8 - 10cm is ideal considering his size and adequate drainage is essential. Although he’s just been watered if you’re intending on repotting him sooner rather than later he will still need another deep watering once he’s situated in his new home to reduce transplant shock and it’s likely that once he has been repotted his leaves will droop slightly as he reacclimates, but don’t panic if they do, this is completely normal and he’ll recover within a couple of weeks with plenty of care. Your little alocasia would strongly benefit from bright indirect sunlight (either under a dimmable grow light or on a windowsill that receives plenty of light throughout the day is perfect) as they’re quite sensitive to sunburn and as such don’t appreciate much direct light, especially during his recovery period. If you’d like to eventually move him outside once he’s happier he’d do best in a spot that’s partly shady with very filtered sunlight. Alocasias benefit from regular waterings but don’t enjoy being completely saturated, so a thorough misting of his soil generally once weekly in the warmer months (until the soil is thoroughly moist but not mushy and the water has made it out of the drainage holes at the base of his pot), reduced slightly in the colder months (every 7 - 10 days as his soil will retain more moisture during these periods) is perfect. If he is currently suffering from root rot upon removing him from his current pot I’d strongly recommend pruning off the most badly affected roots, in addition to the unhappy areas of his foliage so he can redirect the majority of his energy to newer, healthier growth. Alocasias do generally like to be misted as their natural growing environments are often quite humid, however I’d advise against it until yours has made a significant recovery to reduce his susceptibility to fungal infections. I really hope this helps, you’re doing this poor little guy such a solid by taking him into your care and I’m sure he’ll absolutely thrive being in a loving home! Best of luck 🪴🙏
I believe your first step is to get it out of the soil and check for root rot, then go from there.
Thia group is great at advice and I'm sure you'll receive more soon.
Good luck! And it's great you are trying to save this baby.
Normally I'd personally let it acclimate to new environment. But due to the fact of root rot possible you want to get on that ASAP if it is what it is.
Thia group is great at advice and I'm sure you'll receive more soon.
Good luck! And it's great you are trying to save this baby.
Normally I'd personally let it acclimate to new environment. But due to the fact of root rot possible you want to get on that ASAP if it is what it is.
Oh thank you so much!! I really appreciate the tips on what to expect as he recovers as well! I when I go to repot, should I cover the base as well? I don’t want to bury him too deeply, but also want to help his stability. I’m also considering a coconut core pole to help with that! Or do you suggest a moss pole instead?
@signorebean @FieryOrchid76 just finished repotting him! Definitely had a bit of root rot, and still had the plug mesh wrapped around the bottom, but the roots attached to it weren’t even attached to the plant 😅 washed as much dirt off the roots as I could, trimmed the rotted parts, and put him in a mix of peat moss, perlite, Fox Farms Happy Ocean soil with some horticulture charcoal chips. Watered him down well. I think he will do amazing! Can’t wait to see how he improves - thank you both for the amazing tips!💚 #AlocasiaAddicts #alocasiaCuprea #repotting
@AmusingRedhill Ahhhh that’s absolutely AMAZING news (apart from the root rot, poor little guy 🥺 but it sounds like you’ve definitely taken care of that and him in general for the better 🤩)! ⭐️✨ I’m so sorry for not seeing your comment about the type of poles you were considering for him but it looks like the one you’ve chosen for him is nice and thick which will give him plenty of room to spread out around it 🌿 I swear his foliage already looks happier, a lot more pigmented and shiny! I’m sure he’s going to absolutely THRIVE and that he’ll thank you forever with more and more lush growth as he establishes 👑 Thank you so much for the update! ☺️
@signorebean @FieryOrchid76 here is day 4 update - he’s looking SAD 😅 are we still okay or do you think he’s not going to make it? The two large leaves are getting thin and soft feeling, along with changing colors
@AmusingRedhill Hmmm. My first thought looking at it and what you describe is too much water.
Other possibilities are too much or too little light, not enough humidity.
Also check under leaves for signs of pests. That's another possibility.
To be honest I'm just not 100% sometimes I am a very Visual person and do better seeing something closer.
I'm an odd duck. 😂
Yet other times I'm confident in what's going on.
I wish I knew for certain. Fingers crossed.
Other possibilities are too much or too little light, not enough humidity.
Also check under leaves for signs of pests. That's another possibility.
To be honest I'm just not 100% sometimes I am a very Visual person and do better seeing something closer.
I'm an odd duck. 😂
Yet other times I'm confident in what's going on.
I wish I knew for certain. Fingers crossed.
@FieryOrchid76 thank you! I tried pulling him from the pot and he just pulled right out, no roots had started to take and the soil was still pretty moist😅 so I have him covered for the night with a light layer of soil and am going to get a chunky mix of soil tomorrow to try again. Do you think I should chop and prop?
Hello again Tara! I’m so sorry to hear your gorgeous little guy is still struggling 😣 Alocasia leaves react like that when the plant has been receptive of too much moisture; this could very much be a delayed reaction to his since amended root rot, particularly after being repotted. I’d suggest holding off on any future waterings despite his regular schedule until he and his soil have had a chance to dry out a little; not completely but once his soil feels only very marginally moist as opposed to damp. I had this same issue with a couple of my alocasias after repotting and allowing them to dry out more than usual, particularly after being previously waterlogged (mine were nursery rescues as well and also had root rot) seemed to be the fix. I returned to a regular watering schedule with them after a bit less than two weeks and they’ve been happy ever since. It sounds like the blend of mediums you’ve repotted him in is perfect and will do wonders for his drainage! 🪴 I hope this is of help and that your alocasia’s road to recovery is a lot speedier and less stressful from here on out 🥺🙏
@signorebean thank you so much for reassuring me! I’ll let him dry out further and see how he does!