How to grow Alocasia macrorrhizos (giant taro)? Save these little cultivation tips

Alocasia macrorrhizos is an ornamental plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions, with leaves that stay evergreen all year round, and it is very popular among people. So, what little cultivation tips are there for Alocasia macrorrhizos? Let's find out together!

1. Watering frequency

Alocasia macrorrhizos is a plant that likes moisture, so watering is good for its growth, but it does not need to be watered every day; just water it when needed. Generally, when the ambient temperature is between 15-30 degrees, water thoroughly after the soil surface looks dry; when the ambient temperature is above 30 degrees, water every day to keep it moist; when the ambient temperature is between 10-15°C, water thoroughly only after the soil has dried out; when the ambient temperature is below 10 degrees and the plant has not been killed by frost, follow the principle of watering thoroughly only after the soil has dried out, but it is best to water with warm water.

2. Fertilizing frequency

Alocasia macrorrhizos grows very fast, so during its growth process fertilization must be moderate; applying a thin fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium 1-2 times a month is enough, otherwise it easily causes the lower part of the Alocasia macrorrhizos stem to become bare and bald, affecting its ornamental value. Alocasia macrorrhizos grows swiftly in summer and has high nutrient needs, so every 15-20 days it should be alternately top-dressed once with liquid fertilizer such as decomposed soybean cake water and compound fertilizer. In winter, fertilize once a month; fertilization should be light and thin. When top-dressing with liquid fertilizer, never pour the fertilizer water into the leaf sheaths to avoid rot. For fertilization, decomposed soybean cake water and urea can be applied alternately.

3. Pruning methods

1. When pruning Alocasia macrorrhizos, first do not look at the places where its leaves are densest, but choose the yellow leaves to start with, because this is the most obvious and the best place to start. So use scissors to cut off all the yellowing leaves, and cut them off together with the petiole.

2. If only the edges or parts of a leaf are yellowing, there is no need to cut off the whole leaf, because if the other parts are green, that means they are good; only cut off the yellowing parts. If the yellowing is only at the leaf tip, then only cut off the leaf tip, and keep all the other parts.

3. During cultivation, Alocasia macrorrhizos will inevitably suffer from some pests and diseases, so diseased leaves and insect-infested leaves that have been infected by pests or diseases must be picked out one by one. First cut off all these diseased and insect-infested leaves, then use the corresponding liquid medicine and insecticide for control, and finally bury the diseased leaves deep in the ground or burn them.

4. Finally, carry out overall pruning. Choose leaves in areas of high leaf density and leaves of plants that have grown too tall and too large for pruning, and you can cut them off directly with scissors, especially the top ones, which must be cut off to remove apical dominance, so that more side buds can sprout. Cut off all curved, drooping, or wounded rhizomes or leaves, while tall and robust rhizomes or plants can be kept for replanting.

The above are the little cultivation tips for Alocasia macrorrhizos. Do you understand them all now?