Whenever Alocasia Stingray receives light, it receives energy for photosynthesis too. Your bulbs will still do well in it. Dig a hole just deep enough that the tuber can be placed in it at the depth it was before. The only thing you have to worry about with Leca is to not let the roots sit in water. Alocasia, also called elephant’s ear, is a prolific and striking plant hardy in USDA zones 8b through 11. For those of you who grow your Alocasia Zebrina in soil, the best time to check for bulbs is when it's time to repot your plant. Explore our colocasia bulbs for sale. You could even choose to not separate the plant at all and let it grow as-is. request a plant guide or It has a few common names such as elephant ear plant and African mask alocasia. Plants always want to survive and they do this by finding ways to create new plants. Xanthosoma belongs to the Arum (or Araceae) family of plants, sometimes called aroids. Alocasia Calidora. You don't have to do this anymore once your bulbs grow roots, because they will absorb the water around it. After a while, the baby plants will peak out of the soil or Leca and it will let you know that everything went fine. Thank you for reading this post! It might take a bit of work, but you'll be rewarded with new plants, and that's always worth it. These plants should be kept in moist soil, but are allowed to dry out for a day. Alocasia Black Velvet Propagation. Type #2: Alocasia Elephant Ear Care Alocasia varieties, of which there are about 70, are smaller than their Colocasia cousins, growing up to 6 feet high and wide. You don't have to take them off, but when repotting your plant they tend to fall off. © 2021 Roelof Jan Elsinga, All rights reserved. Alocasia grows from rhizomes in the ground, and the best method of alocasia plant propagation involves splitting up these rhizomes. Taro is the name used for a root/tuber that is commonly sold for food and it is a Colocasia. To sow bulbs make a hole about 2-3 inch in soil, place bulbs … This was a very long time. When light is absent, it stops receiving the needed energy for the production of its own food. This guide will help you with what you need to do to care for these baby Zebrinas. You can find more relevant information about this topic here: Never miss a plant guide by signing up for my mailing list. Win-win! Keep this in mind as you might need to check the moisture level of your soil more often. As I mentioned earlier, it could take a while before your bulbs start to grow roots, so don't give up hope on them too quickly. Regional. Dividing alocasia into smaller portions can be done due to the clumping or rhizomatous (spreading via underground stems) nature of the root structure. But how do you go about propagating alocasia plants? Propagation using bulbs Alocasia is producing bulbs under the soil that can be used for propagation purposes. Alocasia rarely produces a flower and subsequent seed pod. Propagation of alocasia should be done in spring or early summer, when the plant is just coming out of dormancy from the winter. How do you propapage an Alocasia Zebrina? Back to top The most common propagation method for Alocasia is soil propagation, since any offsets and clumps will most likely already have their own root system. The Alocasia Zebrina is a tuberous plant that grows in clumps. Thick Upright Elephant Ears stretch skywards in a form that looks like it came straight out of a tropical jungle. The steps we're covering are: Now, let's learn how to propagate these beautiful plants. Leca helps to keep the moisture levels more consistent. Division of Alocasia Polly involves completely getting rid of the old soil and repotting it. This just ensures no fungus can take hold of your bulbs. Alocasia x amazonica care is not insurmountable by any means once you understand it. And the best part of this is that it was completely free. around the plant to avoid damaging the roots or the rhizomes themselves. I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! 1. If your bulbs are thinner than this, that's not a problem. The separated plants will have learned to feed themselves right away, and the other plants will have primarily been fed by the parent plant. Viability declines if seeds are allowed to dry. But what can you do with them? If you do try elephant ear … Just remember that if your plant starts to rot, don't throw it out just yet. To help you figure out how to do this, we've divided this guide into 3 easy to follow steps. The next step in alocasia plant propagation is to plant the rhizomes in a new spot. This family includes philodendron, colocasia, caladium, alocasia, and other very tropical foliage plants.Like these other aroids, Xanthosoma thrives in an environment of high humidity, copious water and food, and elevated temperatures. Don’t plant them any closer than 36 inches (91 cm.) The best method to propagate the alocasia plant is through rhizome division. This really depends on what season it is at the moment. The Zebrina bulbs are very small and you can see what they look like in the image below. Because Alocasia Polly is a tuberous plant that grows from a bulb. Read more articles about Alocasia Plants. Baby Alocasia Zebrina grown from the parent plant. The main benefit of going with this option is that you won't really have to care for your bulbs in a special way. Their erratic germination means that even if your elephant ear has seed pods, you are better off starting plants from offsets. You can propagate an Alocasia Zebrina through propagation by division. The parent plant will feed the bulbs and make sure they grow properly. Most Alocasia species will do all right in shade, but they often appreciate slightly brighter filt… Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! If you grow your bulbs in Leca, which is how I do it, you need to make sure the bulbs never sit in water. No matter if you have bulbs with or without roots, both are potentially viable to produce new plants. If you harvest the bulbs in the late winter or early spring, you will get roots much more quickly. An Alocasia Zebrina bulb after the roots have grown. For those of you that grow your Alocasia in Leca, it's as simple as pulling the plant out and carefully removing the bulbs from the parent plant. Keep reading to learn more about alocasia propagation methods and how to propagate alocasia. As a general rule, it is pretty easy to propagate Alocasia Polly. Alocasia 'Odora' (California) Regular price $ 24.99 Sold out. Ideally, you should clean the bulbs once per week or once per two weeks. Alocasia 'Serendipity' Elephant Ear Plant Propagation in Water Some species, such as the Colocasia esculenta, or taro, can be potted in shallow water. Alocasia Macrorrhiza | Alocasia Upright Elephant Ear Bulbs | Alocasia Macrorrhiza Bulbs Most varieties of elephant ears have foliage that angle downward, so the leaf surface faces the viewer. You can propagate Colocasia varieties by dividing the bulbs in the winter. The parent plant will make sure the bulb grows and it will feed it. I prefer to leave the tiny bulbs … Inspect the sections for signs of rot damage, as the roots and bulb will be soft and mushy. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Using Leca to propagate your Alocasia Zebrina is the easiest way, but you can also do this with well-draining soil if that's what you prefer. donate a plant in order to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with. The Leca will regulate the moisture level for you and the plant will drink when it's thirsty. Soak overnight in distilled water and plant. The best time to divide your alocasia is in spring or early summer at the start of the growing season. Other plants, like the Alocasia Zebrina, do this by growing bulbs at their roots. You can also let the bulbs grow without removing them from the parent plant. Grower's Tips . Micropropagation can be used to propagate Alocasia. If the bulb is still skinny and doesn't seem to come off easily, it's not quite ready yet. Read more about taking care of an Alocasia Zebrina. Not all Alocasia have the same foliage, A.longiloba thibautiana has long narrow foliage, green and variegated. Use a pot having 7-10 inch upper diameter and drainage holes. In fact, one of my best growing bulbs is a very thin bulb that I didn't think would do well. Alocasia Stingray is a plant that’s best for bright but indirect sunlight. By separating the bulbs, you'll already have propagated your plants because they're now independent plants. All beginner-friendly plants to get you started. Most common diseases, pests of the Alocasia, main reasons of their destruction: Simply remove the mushy portion, rinse, let it dry, and replant. Elephant ears have also been hybridized to produce leaves of various sizes and colors in the green, blue, black range. If root damage is small, you can cut away the sections affected by the rot with sterilized pruning tools. Most Alocasia plants can be propagated by clump or rhizome division. Alocasia 'Portora' Regular price $ 28.99 Sold out. Get your own products from the links below and support us This is … When you chose to keep your bulbs on the parent plant, you won't really have to do any special care for them. Just prepare a pot (with a drainage hole) for each plant; I like using normal plastic nursery pots and then placing these in a decorative overpot. Alocasia Lauterbachiana All are popular indoor and outdoor plants. With a shovel, carefully dig around the plant and lift it out of the ground. Carefully remove the Alocasia Amazonica from its pot and gently pull the dirt away from the bulb and roots. The bulbs that are still connected to the parent plant could be separated after it grows bigger. It now comes down to watering and fertilizing the plants properly. This is technically not propagating, but you will get more new plants and stems from it. If you take good care of your plants, you will find many bulbs growing on the roots of your plant. These bulbs can be harvested and planted separately, but you can also leave them on the parent plant. Harvesting alocasia bulbs! Propagation: It can be propagated in spring, by the division of rhizomes or by cuttings. Like many people, I was seduced by the dark green, glossy leaves with sharply contrasting veins, as well as by the striking shape and form of the leaves. I harvested my bulbs in autumn and I don't recommend this. Some plants shoot out new plants on stems, like spider plants and strawberries. away from each other. Back to top This is definitely not a requirement though, so don't feel bad for using soil. It might look slightly different from the other plants that you have separated from the parent plant. Whichever way you choose to grow these bulbs, in the end, you will have a few extra beautiful plants. The bulbs will reward your good care. You can also dig up the roots of the Alocasia and separate some of the additional bulbs in the root mass to plant and grow a new Alocasia. After the bulbs start to grow roots, it won't take long before the stem starts to grow. Select healthy and well developed last year bulbs to propagate 2. Alocasia Zebrina bulbs in stages of development. In this propagation guide, we'll go over what you can do with the Alocasia bulbs and how you can help them grow into small plants and fully-grown Alocasia Zebrinas. Alocasia Zebrina on to of Leca in the nursery pot Now that you have the plants in the pot, you can carefully add Leca to the pot, covering the roots. Sign up for our newsletter. In the image below you'll see a baby plant that's growing from the parent plant. Division should be done in the spring or early summer after the plant comes out of winter dormancy. When you order through these links, we receive a small commission. Elephant ears (Colocasia and Alocasia) are tropical plants grown for their stunning, often enormous leaves, which can be lime green, variegated or nearly black.These summer-loving plants grow from a bulb that should be planted in the spring. If you're wondering what it means to take good care of your Alocasia Zebrina, you can read the guide that is about "How to care for an Alocasia Zebrina". Propagation of Elephant Ear. When the roots start to get bigger, the plant becomes more self-sustaining and you won't have to do as much work as before. You can propagate Alocasia plant through bulbs. Propagation methods do differ depending on the species. As you can see, the stems are thin and won't be able to contain a lot of water until the plants get bigger. This is one of the reasons why I use Leca for this process. With soil, it's much easier to notice when you can harvest your bulbs because they usually just fall off when you clean the soil off the roots of your plant. Fully-grown plants have beautiful thick stems that will store water that it needs to grow. During transplantation, we can find small tubers, with which we can propagate our plant. The ideal time for this is in spring or early summer, as the plant goes into dormancy in winters and comes out around this time. The goal is to give the bulbs the opportunity to grow roots by watering it when it gets dry, but not give it so much water that it'll start to rot. The roots and stem usually start to grow at the same time, but it's not instantly clear which is the stem and which ones are roots. After division, plant it into its mixed soil. 3. Propagation: Seeds: Other info: Remove seed from berry which contains chemicals that inhibit germination. Other easy plants to propagate are, for instance, Pothos, Monsteras and ZZ plants. Any bulbs that stay on the parent plant should remain on there because those might not be ready yet. Back to top This is also the case for the small plants. With soil, you have to make sure the plant grows in well-draining soil, because it won't do well in wet soil. Alocasia plants are primarily hybridized because of the appeal of their leaf form, color, and sizes. Do NOT try to take cuttings from an Alocasia, it will never work. Warner Robins, Georgia At this stage you can still adjust the position of the plants in the pot, so place the plants to how you like the look best. Back to top There are about 70 species of Alocasia, as well as dozens of hybrids. Once you understand how to take care of these bulbs, you'll have beautiful new Zebrinas in no time. Some include: Additionally, the plant has been extensively hybridized. Here are some more posts on Alocasia. The following are the steps to the propagation process of this particular plant: If you plan to grow your bulbs in the soil, make sure the soil is well-draining and let the soil dry out before you water it again. By the end, you'll have all the knowledge you need to grow these plants from bulbs to fully-grown plants. You get all of these extra plants for free. In the image above you can clearly see the stem, it's much thicker than the roots. Brush the soil away and carefully divide the tubers – each of these will grow into a new plant of its own. Alocasia zebrinas are sensitive, so be careful not to traumatize their roots. If you’re propagating alocasia plants in containers, make sure to keep them somewhere warm and humid and to give them plenty of water. If you're looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always Propagation. When the roots do start to come in, the image below is what it will start to look like. Keep in mind that it could take a while before your bulbs start to grow roots. Alocasia 'Polly' Starting at: $ 11.99. Alocasia is a genus of broad-leaved tuberous perennials from the family Araceae. Or if I am in the mood to propagate I harvest a few. You might have seen the little bulbs growing in your Alocasia roots before. Give the new plant plenty of water, and before long you should start seeing new growth. The Division or propagation should ideally be done in the spring or early summer. Propagation of alocasia should be done in spring or early summer, when the plant is just coming out of dormancy from the winter. Propagation: Other methods: Division Offsets: Containers: Suitable in … With a shovel, carefully dig around the plant and lift it out of the ground. Fill the pot with well drained soil. It requires very little maintenance once it gets going, and it can grow to impressive size, making it ideal for an attention grabbing spot in the garden or a pot. To get fresh bulbs I recommend Plant Delights nursery or other mail order suppliers. Propagation is the easiest way to get more plants for free. Alocasia 'Regal Shields' Starting at: $ 24.99 Sold out. The only way to produce new plants is to get bulbs from the soil, or if a bulb starts growing on its own and a new plant pops up from the soil. That can be harvested not all alocasia have the same foliage, A.longiloba thibautiana has long foliage... Of preference at this point is commonly Sold for food and it also! The different stages of development because they 're alocasia bulb propagation independent plants about this topic:... You grow your Zebrina in the water around it all of these still! Propagate the alocasia Zebrina grows new plants care for your bulbs grow removing... 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Stretch skywards in a grocery store and grow it more about Taking care of them well these plants offsets. A hybrid and grows great as a houseplant tiny bulbs … Grower 's Tips alocasia to water, and best... To droop of hybrids bulbs with or without roots, both are potentially viable produce! Best time to divide your alocasia roots before Zebrinas are sensitive, so do feel!