How to Grow Alocasia Black Velvet | Growing Alocasia reginula

If you love a bold foliage plant that can make quite an impression, then learn everything about How to Grow Alocasia Black Velvet and flaunt it in your drawing room!

This stunning tropical plant is native to the forests of Borneo. It has dark foliage with a velvety feel to it, which makes it striking to look at. Let’s have a look at How to Grow Alocasia Black Velvet in India.

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Alocasia Black Velvet

Alocasia Black Velvet is a cute plant with dark green leaves having a silver sheen to them. The plant stands out with its pronounced midrib on the leaves that carry a bold white-green color. It is a great coffee table plant and dwells in indirect light, making it an apt choice for living and bedrooms.

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How to Grow Alocasia Black Velvet?

The plant is relatively easy to propagate and you can do it by seeds and division. As growing the plant from seeds can be a time-consuming process, the division is the best way to do it.

Simply, take out the plant from the pot and divide the rhizomes using a clean and sharp knife. Make sure that each section has a clump of roots attached to it. Plant it in a pot filled with a well-draining potting mix, water well, and place it where the plant gets bright but indirect sunlight.

It would be a good idea to get a well-grown specimen to save time.

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Requirements for Growing Alocasia Black Velvet In India

Location

The plant does best in indirect light. To make sure it gets the proper color, give it morning sun exposure for 1-2 hours but keep it protected from the harsh afternoon light. Find a spot that gets bright indirect light all day long and it will be more than happy to dwell there.

Do not keep the plant in the shade as it will result in stunted growth.

Soil

Though the plant is not fussy and will do just fine in regular garden soil, use a coarse and well-draining growing medium if you want the best growth. To make your own mix, add two parts each of perlite and orchid bark to one part of regular garden soil.

Watering

Do not water the plant daily. Wait till the topsoil becomes dry to touch. Overwatering will cause root rot, which may cause the death of the plant.

Temperature

The plant grows best in the temperature range of 15-30 C. Do not expose it to temperatures exceeding 35 C for longer periods of time as it will scorch its leaves.

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Taking Care of Alocasia Black Velvet

Fertilizer

Add a handful of cow manure to the growing medium at the time of planting. It will give it a head start for about a month or two. Post that, use a balanced liquid fertilizer, diluted to half of its strength, once in 5-8 weeks. Do refer to the label for instructions.

Humidity

The plant grows best in the humidity range of 60% to 75%, which is not common in Indian households. For this, keep its pot on a pebble tray filled with water.

Pests and Diseases

You don’t have to worry much about the pests as long as the plant is well ventilated. Just be careful of the Spider mites though. You can take care of them by using insecticidal soap.

Avoid overwatering to keep the plant safe from potential diseases like fungal leaf spot.

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Toxicity

The plant contains calcium oxalate crystals which can cause irritation in the mouth if ingested. It would be a good idea to keep it away from pets and children.