Alocasia Is A Brilliant Shamrock. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Diseases And Pests. Types And Varieties. Photo

2023 Author: Ava Durham | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 07:13

Alocasia is considered to be one of the most beautiful decorative deciduous plants for the exotic beauty of unusually colored leaves. In folk medicine, alocasia is called "trefoil". In culture, only a few species of alocasia are grown out of 70 species known in nature, common in the humid tropical regions of Southeast Asia, where they are used as ornamental and medicinal plants.

Content:

• Description of alocasia
• Features of growing alocasia
• Alocasia care
• Reproduction of alocasia
• Precautions when growing alocasia
• Possible difficulties in growing alocasia
• Types of alocasia

Description of alocasia

Alocasia (Latin Alocásia) is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants of the Aroid family. About 70 species are known to grow in the tropics of Asia, Oceania and South America.

About 70 species of evergreen tropical plants of the aroid family belong to the genus Alocasia (Schott) G Don.) The height of different species varies from 40 cm to 2 meters or more, some species have a developed aerial stem. At the top of the stem, on long juicy petioles (from 20 cm to 1 m), several large, often oval-arrow-shaped leaves, the length of the leaves can reach from 35-40 cm to 1 meter.

Leaves are dense, almost leathery, with prominent veins. The leaves have aquatic stomata-hydatods, through which droplets of water are released in wet weather or with excessive watering.

Flowering in culture is rare. Many people believe that the decorativeness of alocasia is in their leaves, and the inflorescences are not particularly decorative. But it should also be borne in mind that if the plant has bloomed, and even in such an unusual shape (an elegant long peduncle with a height of 10-15 to 30 cm or more, the inflorescence is an ear of white-pink color, completely or partially covered with a cover sheet - a blanket), then it cannot be called "not representing special decorativeness." The cover of the flower is painted in whitish-greenish, pink-white colors.

Alokazia, distinguished by its splendor and exotic beauty, is deservedly recognized as one of the most outstanding decorative foliage plants. Powerful specimens reaching several meters in height are a good decoration for interiors: bright halls, foyers, winter gardens, artificial reservoirs and fountains.

Features of growing alocasia

Temperature: Heat-loving. Not lower than 20 ° С in summer, not lower than 18 ° С in winter.

Lighting: Photophilous, in summer you need shading from direct sunlight. Alokazii copper-red, Amazonian and large-rooted in winter need additional lighting.

Watering: Abundant in summer, the land should never dry out. In winter, watering alocasia is moderate and very careful. For most species, waterlogging of the soil is destructive.

Fertilizer: In spring and summer, alocasia are fed every 2-3 weeks. A complex mineral fertilizer is used for indoor plants.

Humidity: Frequent spraying and gentle washing of leaves.

Transfer: The soil for alocasia must be nutritious. Transplanted annually in spring, adult plants in two years. Do not use heavy clay soil - it can adversely affect the plant. Soil - 1 part of leafy land, 1 part of coniferous, 1 part of peat and 0.5 part of sand. For copper-red and Amazonian alocasia, coniferous bark (pine, spruce, etc.) is added to the soil.

Reproduction: By division during transplantation, as well as by offspring, eyes, cut with pulp from the grassy trunk.

Alocasia care

Alokazia is a rather unpretentious and fast-growing plant; it is not difficult to grow it even for beginner lovers of indoor floriculture. She feels best in a light or slightly shaded place. Can be grown on windows of east or west exposure, the light should be diffused. On the windows of the southern exposure, shading will be required. You can create diffused light for the plant, for example, with gauze or tulle curtains.

Forms with monochromatic leaves can be grown with a lack of light, while bright diffused light is desirable for variegated forms. A lot of light is needed for young plants during the growth period, but the plant should be shaded from direct sunlight.

Alokaziya is thermophilic, in the spring-summer period the optimum temperature is within 22-26 ° С, in the autumn-winter period - 18-20 ° С. Alocasia should be protected from drafts.

From the beginning of spring to autumn, watered abundantly. Watering is carried out in several stages, half an hour after watering, excess water from the pan should be poured out. The next watering is done when the top layer of the substrate is dry.

In winter, watered moderately, watered a day after the top layer of the substrate dries up. Drying the clod of earth, as well as waterlogging (especially in winter), can harm the plant!

Alokazia likes high air humidity, however, water and spray should be done carefully in cold and cloudy weather. To create additional moisture in the air, you can put the plant pot on a pallet with wet expanded clay or pebbles. In this case, the bottom of the pot should not touch the water. It is necessary to regularly wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, cleaning them from dust.

From spring to autumn, every two weeks they are fed with mineral and organic fertilizers for indoor plants.

Alocasia for good growth requires a substrate that is well permeable to moisture and air with a slightly acidic reaction (pH about 5.5), consisting of leaf, coniferous land, peat and sand (1: 1: 1: 0.5) or from humus, leaf, turf land, peat and sand (2: 2: 2: 1: 1). You can use the composition of the soil mixture, consisting of leaf, peat soil, sand, sphagnum moss and charcoal (1: 2: 6: 6: 3: 2). Good drainage is required, plants are planted in tall pots.

Alocasia is transplanted in the month of March, young plants - as needed, adults - every two to three years, plant transplantation can be replaced by transshipment. The plant is transferred without destroying the earthen coma, into a pot of larger diameter (2-3 cm larger than the previous one).

Reproduction of alocasia

Alocasia is propagated in the spring: by seeds, suckers or daughter tubers, by dividing the rhizome and stem cuttings.

Variegated forms are not propagated by seeds, since variegated characters do not indulge. Seeds are sown immediately after collection, in a light substrate (leafy or peat soil + sand), the seeds are embedded shallowly. Spray constantly, maintain a temperature of 22-24 ° C, and periodically ventilate. Seedlings dive twice, then transplanted into 7-centimeter pots. Young plants are transplanted or reloaded after the roots have covered the entire clod of earth. Young plants form large leaves after about a year.

When the plant is propagated by offspring or daughter tubers, by dividing the rhizome and stem cuttings, the places of the cuts are sprinkled with charcoal. Rooting works well in a light substrate (mixture of peat soil and sand) with bottom heating. It is necessary to maintain the temperature at least 20-23 ° C, constantly spray, water the substrate and periodically ventilate.

Precautions when growing alocasia

The plant is poisonous and can greatly irritate the mucous membranes, the rhizomes of some types of alocasia are also poisonous. Alocasia leaves contain a toxic substance - hydrocyanic acid. It is recommended to work with gloves and wash your hands with soap after finishing work. Alocasia should be located so that they are inaccessible to small children and animals.

Possible difficulties in growing alocasia

Slow plant growth

The reason may be a lack of nitrogen in the soil. It is necessary to feed the plant with a urea solution (1 g / l).

Withered leaves

The reason may be overdrying or waterlogging of the earthen coma. Adjust watering. Another reason may be that the substrate is too heavy. Change the substrate to a more suitable one.

The leaves lose their color, the leaves turn pale

Lack of light may be the reason. Adjust the illumination. If the plant has been in shade for a long period, then it is necessary to accustom it to more lighting gradually. In winter, illumination with fluorescent lamps is desirable.

Dry brown leaf tips

The reason may be too dry indoor air or lack of watering.

The most common alocasia disease is leaf rot as a result of root rot infection. This can happen as a result of waterlogging of the soil or when a houseplant is transplanted into heavy soil. In this case, treatment is carried out with a fundozol solution, removal of rotten leaves, and it is also desirable to transplant alocasia into looser soil.

Another common mistake of florists is transfusion in winter. If unpresentable spots appear on the leaves of your alocasia, similar to ulcers, then you should exclude watering for a while.

Brown spots on the leaves indicate a powdery mildew infection. You can get rid of it with the help of copper-containing fungicides such as oxychoma, polycarbacin, cuproxate. Topsin, foundazol and colloidal sulfur are also effective. Folk methods help well - spraying and washing off plaque from leaves with soapy water.

Types of alocasia

Alocasia large-root - Alocasia macrorrhizos

Homeland - India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. The plant is quite large. Stems reach 2 m in height or more, petioles are more than 1 m long. The leaf blade is ovoid-cordate with well-defined diverging lobes at the base of the blade, 50 to 90 cm long and 40-80 cm wide. Peduncle up to 30 cm long, with a yellow-green veil, 18-24 cm long, the ear is equal to the length of the veil. The berries are bright red, shiny up to 1 cm in diameter.

As an edible and medicinal plant (tubers - the so-called giant taro) is common in the tropics. The juice in the leaves is poisonous (it contains hydrocyanic acid), however, the plant is used in Chinese medicine. Stem preparations are used for pain in the stomach, intestines, toothache, and cholera. The crushed tuber is applied to various tumors. Leaf and whole plant preparations are recommended in the treatment of pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Alocasia macrorrhizos is photophilous, not afraid of sunburn, tolerates shading. Undemanding in culture, can grow in rooms with central heating. A. macrorhizos, due to their large size, are more suitable for offices and winter gardens.

Variegata form (Alocasia macrorrhizos var.variegate) - differs from the original species in variegated leaves with large white spots and smaller sizes.

Alocasia odorous - Alocasia odora

Grows in the Himalayas, in the south of the Indochina Peninsula, on the island of Taiwan, in the Philippines. Herbaceous plant with a thick, strong, short, almost tuberous rhizome. Shoots are thick up to 1 m tall. The leaves are beautiful, on long stalks, leathery, fleshy. The leaves can be up to 1 meter long and 60-80 cm wide.

Young leaves are thyroid, old ones are narrow ovate, almost linear, with a sagittal base. The lower protruding parts of the plate are fused with the petiole. The inflorescence is an ear. Flowers are sessile with a specific smell. The bedspread is about 20 cm long, covers the ear, bluish-green in color. It rarely blooms in the room.

Alocasia copper-red - Alocasia cuprea

Homeland - about. Kalimantan. One of the most decorative and medium-sized alocasia. Stem up to 10 cm long. (often underground). Petioles 20-30 cm long, leaf blade cordate-ovate, vertically directed, up to 25-35 cm long, 14-17 cm wide, semi-skinny, copper-green above with a metallic sheen, intense purple below; attachment of the petiole to the plate is thyroid (not to the edge of the plate, but at some distance from it); in the place of attachment on the upper side of the plate, there is a characteristic swelling.

Peduncles are collected in 2-3 and up to 10-15 cm long, dark purple. Bedspread up to 15 cm long and up to 8 cm wide; the ear is always shorter than the coverlet. Does not bear fruit in culture. The plant contains a poisonous sap that irritates the skin, therefore it is necessary to work with rubber gloves and wash hands thoroughly after work.

Alocasia Black Velvet (Alocasia reginula A. Hay 'Black Velvet')

Homeland - Borneo. Stem up to 10 cm long. The petiole is up to 15-25 cm in length, the leaf blade is cordate-ovate, velvety, black and burgundy on top, the veins form a white pattern, the bottom plate is green up to 25-35 cm long and 20-25 cm wide. Peduncle up to 10 cm long, white-pink veil, 7-9 cm long. with a pink ear. It often blooms in indoor conditions.

Alocasia reginula (Alocasia reginula) - differs from 'Black Velvet' in that its leaves are glossy and dark green with an elongated tip. A. reginula and 'Black Velvet' are light-requiring, tolerate direct sunlight, but should be shaded during the day. Put up with shading.