Alocasia macrorrhizos

[Than]

I have a small alocasia macrorrhizos which started growing in a tiny pot this winter, indoors. It was very happy, green and growing fast. Since April I started taking it out every time the temperature was above 18C. Since last two weeks it's outside 24 hours since the temperature is between 17 and 27 C. It receives full sun for some hours every day but most of the time it's shade and semi shade (under a pine tree). I repotted a week ago to a bigger pot. The roots were super healthy. I water when dry and fertilize every 3 weeks. 

Since about a month ago I noticed that the leaves turn yellow on the edges and between the nerves. I fertilised and also gave it iron but no change. If anything it's getting worse. Could it be the sun? 

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by ego

[Than]

Two older photos. No yellowing, a new leaf every week! Overall looking great. 

 

[teddytn]

If I had to guess it would be the sun yeah. I planted a small alocasia greenhouse grown and the 2 oldest leaves got scorched bad. Fertilizer usually won’t burn them unless it’s an extreme amount, can’t over water, underwater and the leaves go crispy brown. Any new leaves that grow out now should be sun proof. 

[Than]

50 minutes ago, teddytn said:

If I had to guess it would be the sun yeah. I planted a small alocasia greenhouse grown and the 2 oldest leaves got scorched bad. Fertilizer usually won’t burn them unless it’s an extreme amount, can’t over water, underwater and the leaves go crispy brown. Any new leaves that grow out now should be sun proof. 

I hope so. The same bulb produced another little plant last summer but it died after the second leaf. Then, in the winter, I removed the bulb and planted in a smaller pot and here we are now. Let's see. The mother plant was growing happily under full sun in Indonesia...

Edited June 1, 2022 by ego

[Manalto]

It looks nutritional to me but I can't identify the deficiency. Possibly temporary, transplant shock. If I learn anything, I'll report.

Edited June 1, 2022 by Manalto

[Than]

13 hours ago, Manalto said:

It looks nutritional to me but I can't identify the deficiency. Possibly temporary, transplant shock. If I learn anything, I'll report.

Problem started well before transplanting

[Than]

Today the leaf that was more yellow developed a whole near the edge! Same story as last year. That makes me think it is indeed the sun. Hard to understand because I've seen alocasias grow happily in full sun. Perhaps because it's still young?

 

[teddytn]

1 hour ago, ego said:

Today the leaf that was more yellow developed a whole near the edge! Same story as last year. That makes me think it is indeed the sun. Hard to understand because I've seen alocasias grow happily in full sun. Perhaps because it's still young?

 

I would make sure your watering it at least every other day, maybe every day if you get really hot weather and the next leaf it puts out should be tough as nails. I’ve had very similar experience. I’ve got a big pot full of colocasia and another with musa basjoo that I overwinter in the garage. I usually start watering them and get them back growing well before spring and when they get put out the sun can scorch them until they get acclimated. Huge amounts of water helps to get that next leaf out. Just planted an alocasia a few weeks ago in full sun and same thing happened as well. The 2 oldest leaves completely scorched white and then crispy brown, watered like crazy and looks great now.

[Mytropicalyard]

Not sure if it's this:  I have some Colocasias planted in ground outside my house.  One day I noticed the edges of the leaves turning yellow and also a feathery pattern of the yellow area.  After much researching it lead me to scale/pest infestation.  I looked at the underside of the leaves and found a bunch of small white to translucent bumps.  I treated the entire area with Neem oil and at times I want full atomic bomb and used insect killer all over the plants.  After doing this and waiting a few weeks with occasional inspections of the plants, I am pest free (knock on wood).  My Colocasias are now super Green and the only yellowing I see is the old age leaves that are already past their life time.

[Than]

19 hours ago, teddytn said:

I would make sure your watering it at least every other day, maybe every day if you get really hot weather and the next leaf it puts out should be tough as nails. I’ve had very similar experience. I’ve got a big pot full of colocasia and another with musa basjoo that I overwinter in the garage. I usually start watering them and get them back growing well before spring and when they get put out the sun can scorch them until they get acclimated. Huge amounts of water helps to get that next leaf out. Just planted an alocasia a few weeks ago in full sun and same thing happened as well. The 2 oldest leaves completely scorched white and then crispy brown, watered like crazy and looks great now.

I did the same with the mother plant that was big. Lots of water almost every day. But that was in a tropical climate. This one is in Greece. Won't overwatering kill it? In most sources I find online they say alocasias should not be overwatered and soil should dry first before waterings

[Silas_Sancona]

16 minutes ago, ego said:

I did the same with the mother plant that was big. Lots of water almost every day. But that was in a tropical climate. This one is in Greece. Won't overwatering kill it? In most sources I find online they say alocasias should not be overwatered and soil should dry first before waterings

Interesting..  know i've seen these growing right next to ponds.  Several pictures on iNaturalist of them growing near water as well.. ( Some horrible miss- IDs of these as well, lol  )

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/126165-Alocasia-macrorrhizos

[Than]

2 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Interesting..  know i've seen these growing right next to ponds.  Several pictures on iNaturalist of them growing near water as well.. ( Some horrible miss- IDs of these as well, lol  )

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/126165-Alocasia-macrorrhizos

It is a puzzle for me too! I always thought of alocasias as water loving plants and as I said in Indonesia I used to water them with a hose every day! However, I read here and there that we should water only when soil is dry.

To be honest this something that has been puzzling me since I moved from Indonesia to Greece. The temperature in both is about the same in the summer. Humidity though is different. 80% in Indonesia, between 30 and 60% in Greece. That makes me think that plants should need more water in Greece since the dry atmosphere and wind would make them dry faster. In Indonesia I used to water every day with a hose. So when I came to Greece I used to do the same. I killed many plants. Till now I cannot figure out why plants need less water in Greece.

[Manalto]

I'm piggybacking on this thread (it's a habit of mine) because I noticed something today with my alocasia (not sure of the species) that I hadn't seen before - seed. Should I expect the seed to be viable? Tips for germination?