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Posted 4w ago by @COPlantMom

Alocasias

All my Alocasias are struggling this winter (Polly, Stingray, Silver Dragon, Dragon Scale, black velvet). I haven't changed much since warmer weather. I've tried We the Wild food they're mad with or without. The Polly just got chopped all the way down yesterday 😠. I was sick all fall with pneumonia, so my kiddo and hubby had to help take care of my babies. They're with lights and humidifiers. Any advice?
PS the grow light do stay on for 12 hrs a day.
#alocasiaaddict #planttherapy #plantmom #plantmafia #plantmom.
Best Answer
@COPlantMom I have been looking at pH on these guys. I have all the alocasia you have and nothing changed and they were just struggling. Yellowing leaves etc. what I have found is they prefer acidic soil, between 5.5-6.5 on the pH scale. In fact if it’s a younger plant they prefer closer to 4.8. So I checked all my alocasias that were doing this (because people will jump on the fungal wagon and I KNEW it wasn’t fungal, I had treated the crap out of it) and drumroll…. mine were measuring at 7.1-7.8. I have grown blueberries in the past and they like acidic soil. When they don’t have it, their leaves look like they’re dying or have a fungal infection. I attached a screen shot to show you what they look like. And the other pic is my Melo and what I was seeing. ALL of my alocasia were losing leaves. My silver dragon I have had for only 6 weeks so it wasn’t as desperate as the rest. Sooo, as I researched them to see what I was missing I picked up on that “acidic” word. I recently got some fast acting sulfur (you can use white vinegar or lemon juice but it’s really temporary). Anyhow, I added the sulfur about a week ago on everything except the melo. I added lemon juice to that guy on 12/30… my melo is growing a flower AND new new leaf and my black velvet is growing a new leaf. So, take it for what it’s worth.

But incorrect pH prevents nutrient uptake. So even if you’re using WTW, which is good, it wouldn’t matter.
Alocasias are tropical plants, so they might dieback in prolonged cold. They have corms, which will ensure that they can grow back.

I'm in tropical Singapore, an man January is a terribly wet month. Our temps dropped from 32°C [86°F] to 25°C [77°F], and expected to hit a low of 22°C daytime [72°F], my alocasia already slowed down growth a TON. [and my nose is acting up, too chilly 🥶]
@Araceae That does make me feel better. These guys and my Swiss cheese Monstera are giving me hair loss, 😆 j/k but close.
Hello! Im sorry this is happening and I hope you’re feeling better after the pneumonia that’s terrible!

I’m gonna tag @TheOddAsity to see if she has any input or ideas. Can you share any more photos or give any more info as to when this started?
Also, elevation affects pH. I’m in Utah so I probably need to watch that better as well. And I make my own substrate for my plants. I use coco chips, coco coir, charcoal and chunky perlite. Those combined sits about 7.0-7.5. LECA has a pH (at my house) of 8.0. All my other plants THRIVE in my mix. My alocasias at the beginning did too. I got my alocasias around the same time (8-9 months ago?). But at about the 6 month mark they were dropping leaves.