How to grow Alocasia macrorrhizos in water? A detailed guide to water cultivation

How do you grow Alocasia macrorrhizos in water? Many gardening enthusiasts run into the problem of root rot when growing Alocasia macrorrhizos in water. In fact, this mostly happens because enthusiasts do not understand water-grown plants well enough. Many enthusiasts think that simply putting the plant's roots into water is enough, but that is actually wrong. To grow a plant in water, it needs to go through a whole series of steps such as root washing, disinfection and acclimation before it can truly be called a hydroponic plant. Enthusiasts often just wash the roots clean and then put the plant into a hydroponic container. This may show the effect of water cultivation for a short time, but root rot may appear later on.

How to grow Alocasia macrorrhizos in water

1. Choose a well-grown Alocasia macrorrhizos free of pests and diseases as the mother plant material for hydroponics. Clear away the old leaves and dead leaves on the stem, keeping just two or three new leaves; if none of the leaves look nice, you can also keep only the topmost leaf stalk. Loosen the pot soil, take the plant out of the pot, and then rinse the whole plant clean. It must not carry any soil, because for one thing it easily pollutes the water, and for another it carries bacteria that easily cause root rot.

2. After rinsing the mother plant clean, cut off all the soil-grown root systems from the base, then carefully check the stem for rot and pest damage; you can use a small knife to dig out the softened or rotted parts of the stem until you reach the woody part, removing the rotted material or pests. After pruning, fix the plant with a planting basket of a suitable size according to the plant's size and shape. Immerse the whole planting basket in a 3%-5% thiophanate-methyl solution or carbendazim solution to disinfect for 5-10 minutes; then put it in a cool place to dry.

3. Plant the dried mother plant together with the planting basket in a perlite rooting bed. By controlling the moisture, nutrients, temperature and light of the bed, initial roots (the original water roots) can grow in about 10-15 days.

4. When the initial roots grow to 2-3 cm long, they can be moved to an induction pond for inducing water roots. At this stage, adjusting the dissolved oxygen content and EC value in the water is very important, as it determines the success of the induction, and the nutrient solution ratio also needs to be adjusted appropriately. Once the water roots reach a certain number and length, it means the plant has adapted to growing in water, and it can be put into a bottle for static hydroponics.

How to care for hydroponic Alocasia macrorrhizos

The suitable growing temperature for Alocasia macrorrhizos is 20-25°C. It likes warm, humid and semi-shaded environments, so during the growing season place it in a shaded spot on a balcony or in a courtyard (avoid direct sunlight in summer). Keep the pot soil moist at all times, and apply a dilute liquid fertilizer based mainly on nitrogen mixed with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer 1-2 times a month (stop fertilizing in winter and control watering).

Alocasia macrorrhizos is a flowering plant that likes plenty of water and plenty of fertilizer. It likes loose leaf mold or sandy loam and likes sufficient light. Apart from appropriately shading it in the hot midsummer, it is best to give it all-day light in the other seasons. In addition, Alocasia macrorrhizos especially likes a hot and humid climate. At noon every day in midsummer, spray water on the leaves to increase air humidity. Only in this way can the leaves of Alocasia macrorrhizos be large and thick. If it is too shaded, the leaves will grow larger but become thinner, and the leaf stalks will also be brittle; the leaf stalks being too long and breaking is due to a lack of light. Alocasia macrorrhizos should be placed in a bright indoor spot, such as by a window, and needs at least 3 to 5 hours of light every day. Bright light is enough; it must not be exposed to harsh sun. Alocasia macrorrhizos likes water, so if the leaves become soft, it should be watered. Watering regularly with a little ferrous sulfate can make the leaves greener, larger and thicker.

Alocasia macrorrhizos is an indoor foliage plant. Foliage plants have relatively large leaves, so their transpiration is relatively strong; with a large transpiration rate, more water is released into the air. Dry weather leaves everything in a state of water shortage, so keeping a pot of Alocasia macrorrhizos at home in this season means you can breathe moist air when you get home. However, its sap is toxic, so prevent it from dripping into the eyes or being swallowed by mistake, which can cause throat swelling or eye inflammation.

What to do if Alocasia macrorrhizos has root rot

For a water-grown Alocasia macrorrhizos that already has root rot, the enthusiast should cut off the rotted parts, then if conditions allow carry out disinfection treatment, such as with potassium permanganate, or plant ash will also do. After disinfection, let the wound dry in a cool place, then plant it in soil. Once the plant returns to normal (has grown roots), grow it in water again. If after cutting the roots you grow it directly in water, it is still prone to root rot. The enthusiast can weigh it up: whether to plant in soil first and then grow in water, or to continue growing it in water.

The enthusiast can weigh it up: whether to plant in soil first and then grow in water, or to continue growing it in water.