Why does my Alocasia Portodora have deformed leaves?
Hey everyone,
I have this HUGE Alocasia Portodora I'm very proud of. But for a while now, it has started giving me deformed leaves. It will give me a normal one and the next would be deformed, then the next one would be normal, then deformed, and so on and so forth.
My first thought was pests but it's been months now and I don't see anything at all.
I thought maybe humidity but I have a humidifier running 12 hours a day at 70%.
I thought maybe a deficiency of some sort. I give it fertiliser regularly though (the one from PLNTS).
I did some research and it said it's either a virus or a watering issue.
It's in semi-hydro in Pon and I fill the pot with water to around 1/4. Should I put it in a self watering pot instead of a plastic pot inside a cache pot?
If you have any idea what's going on, I would love the feedback!
Thank you 🙏
#help #alocasiaaddicts #alocasia #alocasiaadvice
I have this HUGE Alocasia Portodora I'm very proud of. But for a while now, it has started giving me deformed leaves. It will give me a normal one and the next would be deformed, then the next one would be normal, then deformed, and so on and so forth.
My first thought was pests but it's been months now and I don't see anything at all.
I thought maybe humidity but I have a humidifier running 12 hours a day at 70%.
I thought maybe a deficiency of some sort. I give it fertiliser regularly though (the one from PLNTS).
I did some research and it said it's either a virus or a watering issue.
It's in semi-hydro in Pon and I fill the pot with water to around 1/4. Should I put it in a self watering pot instead of a plastic pot inside a cache pot?
If you have any idea what's going on, I would love the feedback!
Thank you 🙏
#help #alocasiaaddicts #alocasia #alocasiaadvice
2ft to light, direct
6” pot with drainage
Last watered 3 days ago
8
Hi Impe!
My first thought was nutrients, too. Is the fertilizer you use specific for hydro? Since there is no soil the nutritional needs for hydro plants are usually a little higher than soil plants.
Virus is tough to diagnose, you usually need to send a sample to a lab. So I think that's a last resort, here.
As far as the pot, it sounds fine! Alocasias are prone to root rot, but I do keep mine in leca with about 1/2 water so maybe yours could use a little more. What kind of water are you using? That's another place some plants have trouble, especially hydro, if we use hard water, city water with high levels of additives, etc.
My first thought was nutrients, too. Is the fertilizer you use specific for hydro? Since there is no soil the nutritional needs for hydro plants are usually a little higher than soil plants.
Virus is tough to diagnose, you usually need to send a sample to a lab. So I think that's a last resort, here.
As far as the pot, it sounds fine! Alocasias are prone to root rot, but I do keep mine in leca with about 1/2 water so maybe yours could use a little more. What kind of water are you using? That's another place some plants have trouble, especially hydro, if we use hard water, city water with high levels of additives, etc.
@elladellaluna I don't see any roots getting out anywhere and I repoted it before autumn in a bigger pot. I would be surprised it was the problem 🤔 I'm not completely rulling it out though.
@PlantMompy I indeed use a fertiliser for hydro. It can be used for hydro and soil, I made sure of it.
It's in a transparent pot, I don't see any root rot.
Every time I add water to the pot, I see drops of water on the leaves (guttation), that's why I prefer not to add too much.
And I use water from the tap but I use a water softener to get rid of some of the bad stuff in there. I do have a very calcareous water though.
@PlantMompy I indeed use a fertiliser for hydro. It can be used for hydro and soil, I made sure of it.
It's in a transparent pot, I don't see any root rot.
Every time I add water to the pot, I see drops of water on the leaves (guttation), that's why I prefer not to add too much.
And I use water from the tap but I use a water softener to get rid of some of the bad stuff in there. I do have a very calcareous water though.
@PlantMompy Yes, I repoted it in a bigger pot at the end of August and it already had a deformed leaf. After the repot, it grew a new perfect leaf. And then a deformed one.
It was already in Pon before the August repot.
It was already in Pon before the August repot.
@impeplants does the regular leaf come out after you fertilize and the deformed one in between fertilizing? Maybe the fertilizer is weakening and causing the deformed leaf and then sending out a normal one immediately after fertilizing 🤔🤔
@Lifeis2short I fertilize with every watering 😅 But I stopped this winter so maybe?
I looked and I have a bad leaf, a good leaf, then two bad ones, a good one and the latest is a bad one. I'm pretty sure the two bad ones in a row came before I stopped fertilizing for winter.
I looked and I have a bad leaf, a good leaf, then two bad ones, a good one and the latest is a bad one. I'm pretty sure the two bad ones in a row came before I stopped fertilizing for winter.
Well, it might very well be the roots 😅 Wasn't expecting that much since I repoted it in late August.
