Basic Green Velvet Alocasia Care
The once rare Green Velvet Alocasia (also known as the Alocasia Frydek) is popping up in plant stores more and more recently. Below you will find all the information you need to easily care for your Green Velvet Alocasia.
| Light |
Bright Indirect LightI love the sunshine but too much direct light will damage my leaves. |
| Water |
Water ModeratelyI don’t like my soil to be too dry or too soggy. Little and often is what I’m after. |
| Humidity |
High HumidityI thrive in humid environments so please mist my leaves every so often. |
| Soil |
Potting SoilI need soil specifically for indoor plants as it retains the right amount of water. |
Green Velvet Alocasia Propagation
If you’re looking to propagate your Green Velvet Alocasia then the best method to choose would be by division of a larger, more matured plant. By choosing to divide/ propagate when the plant is more mature you’re significantly more likely to have success and will also run less of a risk of damaging the existing parent plant.
How to Propagate a Green Velvet Alocasia
The process for propagating your Green Velvet Alocasia is really quite straightforward. Start by removing any pots and excess soil, a chopstick will often make this much easier and also allow you to be more careful with the root system.
You should be able to see separate rhizomes of the plant at this point, Green Velvet Alocasia plants grow in new rhizomes which produce new stems to the plant. Gently separate these as best as possible, if you need to cut them make sure to use a sharp clean blade or pair of shears.
From that point the cuttings will simply need potting into some good quality potting mix, care for the cuttings just as you would for the more mature plants!
Bright, indirect light is best for your Green Velvet Alocasia
Whilst they can tolerate an hour or two direct light, it is best to keep your Green Velvet Alocasia in a spot with amble indirect light to avoid problems such as leaf burn or hotspot damage.
Water your Green Velvet Alocasia according to the season
How much you water your Green Velvet Alocasia really depends on the season and the temperature. You want to hold off watering a lot during winter but increase the regularity during summer. They don’t like their soil to dry out completely but also are sensitive to root rot so it might take a little while to figure out what works best for your plant.
Cold temperatures will be damaging
Green Velvet Alocasia prefer to be in temperatures upwards of 65F (18C) and will struggle with anything colder. Make sure to keep your plant away from drafty windows or doors or the outside air will shock and damage your plant during winter.
High humidity is vital
When caring for your Green Velvet Alocasia, it’s important to increase the humidity. Otherwise, you risk drying the leaves out. A few simple ways to do this is misting, showering, using a pebble tray or investing in a humidifier.
The best way to propagate a Green Velvet Alocasia is through division
If you want to successfully propagate your Green Velvet Alocasia, we recommend dividing the mother plant into several smaller plants. Make sure that each offcut has a good section of the root system to give it a good chance of survival.
Fertilise only in summer
If you want to fertilise your Green Velvet Alocasia, we recommend using a water-soluble feed about once a month to every 6 weeks during spring and summer. It’s super important that you stop fertilising your plant during the colder darker months as growth will be stagnant.
Unfortunately, they are toxic to pets
You want to keep your Green Velvet Alocasia away from pets and children as they are toxic when ingested.
Green Velvet Alocasia FAQs
Quick and simple answers to the most common questions we see about the Green Velvet Alocasia .
How rare is the Green Velvet Alocasia?
It can often be tricky and expensive to get your hands on the rare Green Velvet Alocasia. However, we have noticed them popping up more and more in plant shops around the world.
Is the Green Velvet Alocasia easy to care for?
Green Velvet Alocasia plants definitely aren’t the easiest to care for and may have some trouble adapting if the environment or care routine isn’t right. Make sure you find a warm spot with indirect light and get into the habit of misting your plant to prevent it from drying out.
Can the Green Velvet Alocasia tolerate full sun?
No, you should keep your Green Velvet Alocasia away from intense direct sunlight as it can quickly dry out and scorch the leaves, leaving irreversible yellow and brown patches. Instead, find a spot with a good level of indirect sunlight.
Is the Green Velvet Alocasia toxic?
Unfortunately, the Green Velvet Alocasia is toxic so keep them away from pets and children.
Common Problems with your Green Velvet Alocasia
Here are some common issues that you might run into. It's important to diagnose any issues early to give your plant the best chance of bouncing back.
Why does my Green Velvet Alocasia have yellow leaves?
The most common reason a Green Velvet Alocasia will develop yellow leaves is overwatering. A good way to spot this is if it starts from the lowest leaves. Check the moisture in the soil to check and replace if waterlogged. Soggy soil also gives off a damp and musty smell so get up close to your plants every now and again.
Another cause of yellow leaves on a Green Velvet Alocasia is direct light. During summer when the sun can be quite intese, it may be scorching the leaves which shows up as yellow patches on the leaf. The best thing to do is move your plant to a shadier spot and trim off the worst affected leaves.
Why is my Green Velvet Alocasia drooping?
There are quite a few reasons why your Green Velvet Alocasia might be drooping. We would always start off by looking at watering issues so check the soil to see if there is too much or too little moisture.
If there is no issue with how much you are watering your Green Velvet Alocasia, then you might need to look at other causes for the drooping leaves. The issue might be caused by cold drafts or shock after being moved to a new spot or repotted. If the drooping leaves are caused by stress, this should resolve itself on its own after a few days. However, if cold temperatures are causing your Green Velvet Alocasia to droop down then you need to move it away from any drafty windows or AC vents.
The final reason that might explain why your Green Velvet Alocasia is drooping is a pest infestation. Pests can suck the nutrients from your plant which causes it to look limp and droop down. Take a good look over your plant to spot any other warning signs as pests usually cause brown leaves, holes in the leaves or white webbing across the stems,
Why does my Green Velvet Alocasia have brown leaves?
Brown leaf edges or tips on a Green Velvet Alocasia are often caused by a lack of humidity. An easy way to fix this is by misting the plant several times a week, using a pebble tray or investing in a humidifier.
Why is my Green Velvet Alocasia losing leaves?
It can be quite concerning to notice that your Green Velvet Alocasia is losing leaves as this usually means something isn’t quite right. Leaf drop can be caused by a range of issues, from watering problems, cold temperatures, shock, pests and even a lack of humidity if the issue goes on for long enough.
To properly diagnose the reason why your Green Velvet Alocasia is losing leaves, inspect the potting mix to check if there is too much or too little moisture in the soil and monitor environmental factors such as light, temperature and humidity.
The only other thing to consider is if your Green Velvet Alocasia is losing leaves simply because of natural ageing. This is a normal process that happens to a lot of plants where they drop some of their oldest leaves in favour of new healthier and bigger growth.
Why does my Green Velvet Alocasia have curling leaves?
There are two main reasons why Green Velvet Alocasias curl their leaves, and they both have to do with moisture: underwatering and low humidity levels. If your Green Velvet Alocasia is being underwatered you might also spot light brown patches across the leaves, whereas low humidity causes browning from the leaf edges and tips inwards.
To fix an underwatered Green Velvet Alocasia that is curling its leaves, slowly reintroduce water rather than drowning your plant as this can cause shock. And to boost the humidity, misting the plant a few times a week should help stop the leaves from curling.
