I recently bought this little guy at a holiday market because of how gorgeous her leaves were, but I didn’t realize that she might require a little more care than I’ve ever had experience with (I’ve only had succulents and a snake plant…). I’ve heard self watering pots are a great idea for alocasias so I’m going to start there! I’ve been keeping her right by my north-facing window so she can soak up the bright shade as well.
by Fabulous-Bumblebee84
3 Comments
Okinawa has a very strong root system. I transferred mine to pon with a wick in a clear, self watering pot first day I got it. Now I just water and fertilize it whenever the water level gets low. Just make sure to wash the roots well and get all of the soil off of it if you plan on using pon. The clear pot will allow you to see the root’s health easily. My Okinawa didn’t show any stress at all after I transferred it.
Ooo that’s a sexy one. Need one of these now 😂
Honestly, the larger Alocasia species like odora and macrorrhizos (Okinawa Silver is the former) are difficult to over-light indoors. You can give it limited direct light, and even acclimate it to almost full sun if you do it slowly.
They do like consistent access to moisture, but access to oxygen at the roots is equally important. A good, chunky aroid mix with a wick watering system is a decent compromise. I’ve got my regular odora in a south-facing window and a baby ‘California’ aurea in an east-facing one (the mother plant is in my basement grow tent being all cranky because it’s on the chilly side), and both thrive with the extra light.