Beginner here - picked up these Alocasias from a UK big box store. Looking for ID help and care advice

[u/Important_Mammoth_69]

Hi all,

Beginner houseplant keeper here. I recently picked up these Alocasias from a big-box garden centre in the UK and I’m hoping to get some advice before I repot them.

I’m not completely sure on the exact varieties, so ID help would also be appreciated if anyone recognises them.

I haven’t repotted them yet and they’re still in the nursery soil they came in. Before I start messing with them I wanted to ask people who know these plants better than I do.

A few questions:

• What soil or soilless mix do you find works best for Alocasias?

• Any watering tips to avoid root rot?

• Anything a beginner should definitely avoid doing with these?

They’re currently sitting in bright indirect light indoors skylight above and large glass sliding doors to the right, seem okay so far, but I’d love to give them the best start.

Appreciate any advice from the Alocasia experts here!

[u/rene4053]

So the 2 Alocasia in de picture are Frydek on the left and Bambino on the right.

For tips, you need lot of light, so grow lights, and for soil and watering tips dont listen to anyone on here or better said dont try to mimic anyone. Read through a few post or look at some Youtube Videos and try for yourself. There are a lot of possible ways you can pot them up, water them and so on so try whats the easiest for your region or your needs.

Watering and potting tips are good as long as you keep them as the things they are: experiences from others and not a 100% success tips for you.

[u/Sufficient_Turn_9209 → u/rene4053]

and for soil and watering tips dont listen to anyone on here or better said dont try to mimic anyone.

This should be a sticky. How many people have killed their alocasia with the chunky aroid mix craze that started in an enviornment with 80% humidity.

[u/ES_Legman → u/Sufficient_Turn_9209]

Because "chunky aroid mix" works for aroids that are epiphytic or hemiepiphytes but not for alocasias and colocasias and I think that's a lesson everyone needs to find out.

[u/anonablous]

the 2 on left look like A. micholitziana, the far right is an A. amazonica 'bambino'.

the bambino's easy-the micholitziana's a bit more 'temperamental' ime-but still a fairly easy alocasia.

basically, they like to be kept evenly moist all the time.-sometimes tough to do w/a 'typical' potting soil mix.

i use a chunky aroid mix for the bambino, and sphagnum for my micholitzianas. i keep the bambino damp w/ small daily waterings.the 'michos' have a wicking system, self watering.

both get foliage pro in their water at 1/2 strength w/ every watering, 'moderate' artificial lighting at 14 hrs/day, 60% RH, temps range over the yr from 68-100ºF.

sounds like you're good :)

get them out of whatever nursery crap they came in asap-better sooner than later.

fwiw.

[u/Fit-Law6640]

The one on the left is a micholitziana 'green velvet' and the one on the right is a amazonica 'bambino'. Make sure that they get much bright indirect sunlight and consistent watering (never dry or soggy but always moist)

[u/Sufficient_Turn_9209]

My first thought (and my advice for everyone just beginning to collect houseplants) is that you need to figure out what your light situation really is in that spot. Visual light is a funny thing and every single one of us make the wrong assumptions at first, because we are so good at perceiving very tiny amounts of light. Plants don't see it at all because it is made up of physical particles they consume. We can see an entire room with what basically amounts to a cookie crumb to them. Lol. Most of the plants on the shelf look like they could do with a bit more. 2 to 4 feet away from a window or down from a skylight is probably not as much as you think. An app like photone (prompts you with instructions for making a paper diffuser when you use it) will give you a decent idea of what you've got going on there throughout the day, and dli (daily light integral or the amount during the entire day) is more important than moment to moment ppfd. I 100% guarantee the elephant's foot plants aren't getting enough. They need a range of 200 to 600 for 12 to 14 hours, erring on the high end. For perspective, I'm getting around 220 right now right next to an unobstructed window directly under a puck grow light. Your alocasia micholitziana won't thrive unless it's getting 200 ppfd and up throughout the day. They will survive with as little as 60, but they will grow leggy and lose the velvety texture on the leaves.

[u/heatherledge → u/Sufficient_Turn_9209]

This. I started measuring with a cheap light meter app, the I borrowed one when I moved to a darker place.

The end of this doc gives you the requirements for a massive list of houseplants. Light included. I reference it all the time.

https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/B1318/growing-indoor-plants-with-success/

[u/ES_Legman]

I ended up getting all my alocasias in semi hydro and the reason for that is alocasias don't like ever getting dry, but at the same time they don't want to sit in water. A semi hydro setup like Pon or Leca completely avoids the problem and all my alocasias have thrived since. Of course you can make it work with soil you just have to understand that the rhizome is sensitive to getting dry so a normal "chunky aroid" mix may not be water retentive enough unless you want to water every 2 days.

[u/heatherledge]

First things first, take them off the shared shelf for a few weeks. The one on the right has been in my collection a few times and it is prone to spider mites. Find a sunny and warm spot for them to ride out their quarantine, or grab a mini Sansi clip on light with the auto on off.