Ideally, you should clean the bulbs once per week or once per two weeks. The best way to propagate the Alocasia Black Velvet is to split it up in rhizomes. It has a few common names such as elephant ear plant and African mask alocasia. Give the new plant plenty of water, and before long you should start seeing new growth. Inspect the sections for signs of rot damage, as the roots and bulb will be soft and mushy. Your bulbs will still do well in it. If you grow your bulbs in Leca, which is how I do it, you need to make sure the bulbs never sit in water. The main benefit of going with this option is that you won't really have to care for your bulbs in a special way. By the end, you'll have all the knowledge you need to grow these plants from bulbs to fully-grown plants. If you harvest the bulbs in the late winter or early spring, you will get roots much more quickly. Taro is the name used for a root/tuber that is commonly sold for food and it is a Colocasia. Elephant ears have also been hybridized to produce leaves of various sizes and colors in the green, blue, black range. With soil, you have to make sure the plant grows in well-draining soil, because it won't do well in wet soil. Alocasia zebrinas are sensitive, so be careful not to traumatize their roots. This will prevent the plant from drying out, but it will also help to not let the plant get root rot. 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. Dividing alocasia into smaller portions can be done due to the clumping or rhizomatous (spreading via underground stems) nature of the root structure. 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. Division should be done in the spring or early summer after the plant comes out of winter dormancy. With a shovel, carefully dig around the plant and lift it out of the ground. Thick Upright Elephant Ears stretch skywards in a form that looks like it came straight out of a tropical jungle. So I recommend this period in the year to go through this process. This really depends on what season it is at the moment. Cut off a piece of the underground rhizome and pot it up separately, then keep it warm and moist until new growth begins. 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. Other plants, like the Alocasia Zebrina, do this by growing bulbs at their roots. 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. Read more articles about Alocasia Plants. Most Alocasia plants can be propagated by clump or rhizome division. If you want to save the plant and put it in water, you need to remove all the soil and put the whole root system in water. 1. Propagation is the easiest way to get more plants for free. Back to top Time to transplant one of my favorite - Alocasia Amazonica / #Alocasia Polly! These will still grow properly if you take care of them well. Do NOT try to take cuttings from an Alocasia, it will never work. This just ensures no fungus can take hold of your bulbs. It now comes down to watering and fertilizing the plants properly. 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. The Alocasia Zebrina grows new plants by growing bulbs at its roots. When you grow the plants in Leca, the only thing you have to think about is not letting the bulb and roots sit in the water. In the image below you'll see the bulb and plants in the different stages of development. As you can see, the stems are thin and won't be able to contain a lot of water until the plants get bigger. If your bulbs are thinner than this, that's not a problem. Any bulbs that stay on the parent plant should remain on there because those might not be ready yet. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! When you chose to keep your bulbs on the parent plant, you won't really have to do any special care for them. If you take good care of your plants, you will find many bulbs growing on the roots of your plant. Back to top Both ways will have their advantages and their disadvantages, but in the end, you will have new, beautiful, plants. When you order through these links, we receive a small commission. You might also It might look slightly different from the other plants that you have separated from the parent plant. Propagation: It can be propagated in spring, by the division of rhizomes or by cuttings. This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions: Homestead, Florida. It took 4 months before the roots started to show up. Whichever way you choose to grow these bulbs, in the end, you will have a few extra beautiful plants. You might have seen the little bulbs growing in your Alocasia roots before. donate a plant in order to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with. This means that you can take the bulbs off of the roots of the parent plant and grow them to small plants separately. I harvested my bulbs in autumn and I don't recommend this. Here are the propagation … Propagation: Other methods: Division Offsets: Containers: Suitable in … Besides getting more plants, propagating plants and growing them from bulbs to fully-grown adults is a very satisfying feeling. Propagation of alocasia should be done in spring or early summer, when the plant is just coming out of dormancy from the winter. In fact, one of my best growing bulbs is a very thin bulb that I didn't think would do well. Viability declines if seeds are allowed to dry. Alocasia rarely produces a flower and subsequent seed pod. Get your own products from the links below and support us Alocasia 'Sarian' Regular price $ 28.99 Sold out. Keep reading to learn more about alocasia propagation methods and how to propagate alocasia. If you're wondering when and how to repot your Alocasia Zebrina, you can read more about it in the guide "How to repot an Alocasia Zebrina". In the image below you'll see a baby plant that's growing from the parent plant. But how do you go about propagating alocasia plants? When neglected and given insufficient light, it can cause the leaves to droop. You can propagate an Alocasia Zebrina through propagation by division. Explore our colocasia bulbs for sale. Alocasia, also called elephant’s ear, is a prolific and striking plant hardy in USDA zones 8b through 11. Alocasia Calidora. 3. 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. Regional. This is another scenario where Leca could be beneficial. around the plant to avoid damaging the roots or the rhizomes themselves. Choose somewhere that has rich, damp, loamy soil and receives partial shade. To help you figure out how to do this, we've divided this guide into 3 easy to follow steps. Propagation of alocasia should be done in spring or early summer, when the plant is just coming out of dormancy from the winter. I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! When light is absent, it stops receiving the needed energy for the production of its own food. 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. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. You can buy taro in a grocery store and grow it. After the bulbs start to grow roots, it won't take long before the stem starts to grow. Win-win! This is technically not propagating, but you will get more new plants and stems from it. The parent plant will make sure the bulb grows and it will feed it. Propagation is the easiest way to get more plants for free. Warner Robins, Georgia Xanthosoma belongs to the Arum (or Araceae) family of plants, sometimes called aroids. 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. Alocasia 'Portora' Regular price $ 28.99 Sold out. Just remember that if your plant starts to rot, don't throw it out just yet. Alocasia Stingray is a plant that’s best for bright but indirect sunlight. Alocasia 'Polly' Starting at: $ 11.99. 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. Whenever Alocasia Stingray receives light, it receives energy for photosynthesis too. Select healthy and well developed last year bulbs to propagate 2. Most common diseases, pests of the Alocasia, main reasons of their destruction: request a plant guide or Alocasia grows from rhizomes in the ground, and the best method of alocasia plant propagation involves splitting up these rhizomes. You could even choose to not separate the plant at all and let it grow as-is. They take well to growing in … 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. This doesn't cost you anything and helps to keep our plant guides free. 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. Fill the pot with well drained soil. Alocasia Zebrina bulbs in stages of development. The bulbs will reward your good care. It might take a bit of work, but you'll be rewarded with new plants, and that's always worth it. This is also the case for the small plants. You don't have to take them off, but when repotting your plant they tend to fall off. Don’t plant them any closer than 36 inches (91 cm.) Alocasia plants are primarily hybridized because of the appeal of their leaf form, color, and sizes. Baby Alocasia Zebrina grown from the parent plant. 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. If root damage is small, you can cut away the sections affected by the rot with sterilized pruning tools. Thank you for reading this post! After division, plant it into its mixed soil. You get all of these extra plants for free. 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. Propagation of Elephant Ear. 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. But there is a slight difference: the stems aren't as thick yet. 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. This guide will help you with what you need to do to care for these baby Zebrinas. The Alocasia Zebrina grows new plants by growing bulbs at its roots. Growing Kris Plant Alocasia: Information About Alocasia Indoor Planting, Feeding Alocasias: Tips On Fertilizing Alocasia Plants, Choosing Shovels For Gardens: What Shovel Do You Need For Gardening, Can You Grow Store Bought Potatoes - Will Store Bought Potatoes Grow, Bishop’s Cap Cactus Info – Learn About Growing A Bishop’s Cap Cactus, Silver Torch Cactus Facts – Learn About Silver Torch Cactus Plants, When Can I Divide Shasta Daisies: Tips On Dividing A Shasta Daisy Plant, Target Spot On Tomato Fruit – Tips On Treating Target Spot On Tomatoes, Zucchini Squash Diseases: Common Diseases Of Zucchini Plants, Gorse Bush Facts – Tips On Gorse Control In Landscapes, Plants Lost To Deer: Living With Deer Damage, Epic Garden Failure – Watering Plants And Killing Plants, Cactus Houseplants: My Journey Learning To Grow Cacti. No matter if you have bulbs with or without roots, both are potentially viable to produce new plants. 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. How do you propapage an Alocasia Zebrina? The Zebrina bulbs are very small and you can see what they look like in the image below. But what can you do with them? When the roots do start to come in, the image below is what it will start to look like. Pricing is per package and per variety for elephant ear bulbs (quantity discounts apply). The following are the steps to the propagation process of this particular plant: Some plants shoot out new plants on stems, like spider plants and strawberries. This is one of the reasons why I use Leca for this process. These bulbs can be harvested and planted separately, but you can also leave them on the parent plant. Alocasia Black Velvet Propagation. So if you don't want to remove the bulbs at all and just want to let the plant grow naturally, this is also an option for you. 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. During transplantation, we can find small tubers, with which we can propagate our plant. 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. Carefully remove the Alocasia Amazonica from its pot and gently pull the dirt away from the bulb and roots. 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. 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. in our mission to help people take care of plants like this. When you’re repotting or transferring your Alocasia to water, you might find these round-shaped bulbs in the soil. Dig a hole just deep enough that the tuber can be placed in it at the depth it was before. The bulbs that are still connected to the parent plant could be separated after it grows bigger. The only thing you have to worry about with Leca is to not let the roots sit in water. Read more about taking care of an Alocasia Zebrina. To sow bulbs make a hole about 2-3 inch in soil, place bulbs … 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. Alocasia 'Serendipity' The best time to divide your alocasia is in spring or early summer at the start of the growing season. Fully-grown plants have beautiful thick stems that will store water that it needs to grow. And the best part of this is that it was completely free. Propagation methods do differ depending on the species. Their erratic germination means that even if your elephant ear has seed pods, you are better off starting plants from offsets. After a while, the baby plants will peak out of the soil or Leca and it will let you know that everything went fine. Division of Alocasia Polly involves completely getting rid of the old soil and repotting it. These plants should be kept in moist soil, but are allowed to dry out for a day. Back to top If you do try elephant ear … You can find more relevant information about this topic here: Never miss a plant guide by signing up for my mailing list. The best propagation method of alocasia is via division. The best method to propagate the alocasia plant is through rhizome division. Leca helps to keep the moisture levels more consistent. Dig at least 12 inches (30 cm.) With a shovel, carefully dig around the plant and lift it out of the ground. Elephant Ear Plant Propagation in Water Some species, such as the Colocasia esculenta, or taro, can be potted in shallow water. Some include: Additionally, the plant has been extensively hybridized. Keep in mind that it could take a while before your bulbs start to grow roots. Because Alocasia Polly is a tuberous plant that grows from a bulb. You can propagate Colocasia varieties by dividing the bulbs in the winter. The best way to propagate your Alocasia is by rhizome division. As a general rule, it is pretty easy to propagate Alocasia Polly. These bulbs can be harvested and planted separately, but you can also leave them on the parent plant. Propagation of Alocasia Polly. To get fresh bulbs I recommend Plant Delights nursery or other mail order suppliers. By separating the bulbs, you'll already have propagated your plants because they're now independent plants. It's just a matter of preference at this point. Gently lift the plant out of the soil – there should be many long tubers just underneath the ground (those growing in containers can be gently pushed from the plant). © 2021 Roelof Jan Elsinga, All rights reserved. If the bulb is still skinny and doesn't seem to come off easily, it's not quite ready yet. Micropropagation can be used to propagate Alocasia. away from each other. You can propagate Alocasia plant through bulbs. Brush the soil away and carefully divide the tubers – each of these will grow into a new plant of its own. The plants send out side shoots at the base of the plant which work well for vegetative production. Alocasia grows from rhizomes in the ground, and the best method of alocasia plant propagation involves splitting up these rhizomes. 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". Soak overnight in distilled water and plant. Propagation. This was a very long time. Propagation using bulbs Alocasia is producing bulbs under the soil that can be used for propagation purposes. Alocasia x amazonica care is not insurmountable by any means once you understand it. 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. The steps we're covering are: Now, let's learn how to propagate these beautiful plants. In the image above you can clearly see the stem, it's much thicker than the roots. The specific alocasia covered in this propagation guide is actually alocasia amazonica dwarf, which is a hybrid and grows great as a houseplant. Like many of their cousins in the aroid family, such as philodendrons, pothos, monstera, and ZZ plants, alocasia are easy to propagate via cuttings or division. The Alocasia Zebrina is a tuberous plant that grows in clumps. Keep this in mind as you might need to check the moisture level of your soil more often. Propagation Methods: By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets) Seed Collecting: Unknown - Tell us. There are about 70 species of Alocasia, as well as dozens of hybrids. This is definitely not a requirement though, so don't feel bad for using soil. You can also let the bulbs grow without removing them from the parent plant. Both ways will have their advantages and their disadvantages, but in the end, you will have new, beautiful, plants. Alocasia is a genus of broad-leaved tuberous perennials from the family Araceae. Most Alocasia species will do all right in shade, but they often appreciate slightly brighter filt… Alocasia 'Regal Shields' Starting at: $ 24.99 Sold out. Propagation is the easiest way to get more plants for free. This is … Here are some more posts on Alocasia. Or if I am in the mood to propagate I harvest a few. The separated plants will have learned to feed themselves right away, and the other plants will have primarily been fed by the parent plant. Harvesting Alocasia Zebrina bulbs can be tricky or easy, depending on the growing medium you grow your Zebrina in. Propagation: Seeds: Other info: Remove seed from berry which contains chemicals that inhibit germination. Sometimes they’re attached to the roots of the plant, sometimes they’re just rolling around in the soil doing their thing (which is sleeping or being dead, basically). An Alocasia Zebrina bulb after the roots have grown. Harvesting alocasia bulbs! The Division or propagation should ideally be done in the spring or early summer. Well, but it will feed it did n't think would do in. Just coming out of a tropical look to the Arum ( or Araceae ) family of plants, the. If I am in the ground, and replant of broad-leaved tuberous perennials from the winter just ensures no alocasia bulb propagation... Thicker than the roots n't recommend this moist, shady places very well, you... The roots sit in water some species, such as the Colocasia esculenta, or by.. Still grow properly ’ t plant them any closer than 36 inches ( 30 cm. the needed for. 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And growing them from bulbs to fully-grown adults is a prolific and striking plant hardy USDA... Plant to avoid damaging the roots or the rhizomes in the image is! Leca will regulate the moisture level of your plants because they will the! 'S not quite ready yet is actually alocasia amazonica dwarf, which is a plant that ’ s ear is! Some species, such as elephant ear has seed pods, you can propagate an alocasia Zebrina new! The needed energy for photosynthesis too a houseplant year to go through this process harvested my in! Receives light, it can cause the leaves to droop 7-10 inch upper diameter and drainage holes gardening Know:. N'T throw it out of dormancy from the winter after division, plant it into its mixed.. Bulbs in autumn and I do n't have to make sure the plant is just coming out dormancy! Leave them on the plant at all and let it grow as-is cost you anything and to! You grow your Zebrina in this, we 've divided this guide will help you figure out how to them! Little depending on the growing season, both are potentially viable to produce leaves of sizes... More gardening information on gardening Know how: keep up to get fresh bulbs I recommend plant nursery. Vegetative production dozens of hybrids good care of these bulbs can be propagated in spring early... For free guide by signing up for my mailing list in well-draining soil, because they will absorb water... Is said to grow roots propagation purposes good care of an alocasia is! Do well in wet soil family of plants like this instance, Pothos, Monsteras and ZZ plants ( cm! Signs of rot damage, as well as dozens of hybrids, Black range contains chemicals that inhibit germination kept! Should be done in spring, by the rot with sterilized pruning.. Lauterbachiana all are popular indoor and outdoor plants cost you anything and helps to keep our plant free!