How to Grow and Care for Alocasia Silver Dragon

Alocasia silver dragon is a striking tropical plant known for its thick, textured leaves in shades of green and silver. To flourish, this plant requires conditions similar to its native rainforest environment, including dappled light, high humidity, and a well-drained, airy potting mix like orchid bark. It becomes dormant if temperatures drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit and, like other types of Alocasia, is toxic to both people and pets.

Alocasia Silver Dragon Care

Here are the basic care requirements necessary for growing Alocasia silver dragon.

• Place the plant in bright, indirect light.
• Rotate the plant for balanced growth.
• Plant in soilless potting mix, such as orchid bark.
• Water when the top couple of inches of potting mix is dry.
• Provide high humidity (over 50 percent) for this plant.
• Keep indoor temperatures well above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Light

In their native rainforests, these plants enjoy dappled light on the jungle floor. In your home, offer your Alocasia silver dragon bright, indirect light. Too much exposure to direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, but too much shade results in straggly, leggy growth. Rotating your plant frequently helps to encourage even foliage growth.

Soil

A well-draining soilless potting mix instead of straight potting soil is essential to prevent root rot. Using equal parts sustainable coco coir (or sandy potting soil), perlite or pumice, and orchard bark will keep things nice and loose.

LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) is a convenient alternative sustainable, porous, light potting mix that Alocasias do well in.

Water

Ideally, you don't want to let the potting mix around your Alocasia silver dragon dry out completely. Letting the top couple of inches of soil dry out before giving your plant a thorough watering is optimal. However, don't panic if you forget occasionally. This variety is more tolerant of dry conditions than some other Alocasia, and you might start noticing the leaves warping slightly rather than dropping.

Try the bottom watering method with your silver dragon if you use a pot with good drainage holes. Place your plant in a small bowl of water and soak it for around 15 minutes. Drain the excess water from the pot and then return it to its favorite spot.

Temperature and Humidity

Don't leave your Alocasia silver dragon beside blasting air conditioning or heaters. These plants need high humidity to survive. Anything above 50 percent should be enough, but they thrive when humidity levels are around 60 to 80 percent.

Housing these compact plants in large terrariums,using a plant humidifier, and placing them in the right spot in your house (like a balmy bathroom) all help provide the muggy conditions they love.

This tropical plant needs consistently warm temperatures, too. Prolonged exposure to temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit can send the plant into dormancy.

Fertilizer

All types of Alocasia tend to be heavy feeders. Although silver dragons are a more compact variety, they'll still appreciate the application of a balanced liquid fertilizer every couple of weeks during their growing season in the spring and summer. They also appreciate calcium-rich nutrients like additions ofbone meal.

Pruning

The Alocasia silver dragon doesn't have any onerous pruning requirements. Trim away any dead or unhealthy-looking leaves. You might also want to cut off any insignificant spathe-like flowers that appear, though this is rare. This allows the energy to be directed back into the more eye-catching foliage.

Propagating Alocasia Silver Dragon

Propagating these plants isn't as simple as taking a stem cutting, but it's still possible through the division of rhizomes or clumps on mature plants that are at least a few years old:

1. Wait until your mature and healthy plant has come out of dormancy in spring before attempting propagation.
2. Always use gloves when handling the plants as Alocasias contain calcium oxalate crystals that are skin irritants.
3. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and expose the rhizomes by shaking the soil gently off the roots.
4. Use a sharp, sterile knife to cut off healthy rhizomes from the plant's central stem.
5. Pot the rhizome cuttings near the surface of a moist (not saturated), well-drained potting mix.
6. Keep the cuttings in a warm, humid spot.
7. If successful, new growth should appear a few weeks after the roots take hold.

Propagating Alocasia using the corms is growing in popularity but they can't just be stuck into potting soil without the proper preparation or they won't get the humidity levels they need. Instead, try the following:

1. Carefully loosen your plant from its pot and look for the corms. These are short, swollen underground plant stems resembling bulbs that grow around the plant's roots.
2. Try not to break any roots when you remove the corms from the soil.
3. Gently peel off the brown outer layer of the corm.
4. Use sphagnum moss (not normal potting soil) to generate the right moisture levels.
5. Make sure you don't cover the top of the corm with moss.
6. Cover the container with a plastic bag or humidity dome to retain moisture.
7. Place in a warm location with bright, indirect light.
8. Open the bag for 10 minutes or so once a week to prevent stale air from forming and keep the moss consistently moist.
9. Once roots are well established on the corm, transfer it to an evenly moist, well-drained potting mix. This can take from one to four months.
10. Keep the plastic bag cover over the plant for the first couple of weeks to minimize the chance of transplant shock.

Alternatively, you can follow the steps above but place the corm in shallow, filtered water with a dome over the top to retain the moisture.

Potting and Repotting Alocasia Silver Dragon

These plants can handle being slightly rootbound, so you won't need to repot silver dragon too often. Look out for the roots starting to grow out of the bottom of the pot drainage holes—this is a good indicator that repotting is required. Repotting during the dormancy phase once every two to three years is usually more than enough.

Select a pot that's around 1 or 2 inches larger in diameter than the original pot. A pot that's too large can contribute to root rot as the soil holds on to too much moisture. Water thoroughly after repotting.

Common Pests

Although they aren't prone to many diseases, Alocasia attracts humidity-loving pests. Spider mite infestations are common. Regular inspections allow you to take early action with insecticide application before a major problem occurs.

Common Problems With Alocasia Silver Dragon

Alocasia plants are not always thebest beginner houseplants so it's best to watch out for the following problems with these picky plants. They're usually a sign you need to adjust the conditions you're offering your silver dragon.

Curling Leaves

Underwatering and not enough humidity are the most common culprits for curling leaves. Don't let your potting mix dry out completely, and consider water-filled pebble trays, a steamy bathroom position, or a humidifier to up the moisture levels.

Yellowing Leaves

Achieving the right moisture levels with this plant can be tricky. If you're dousing it with too much water or there's not enough drainage in the potting mix, your plant could suffer from root rot. An early sign of this is yellowing leaves.

Dropping Leaves

Don't panic if a few mature leaves drop during the fall and winter when your plant is dormant. However, if you're not creating that tropical jungle environment for your plant—with dappled light, even moisture, and plenty of humidity—your silver dragon may start dropping healthy-looking leaves during the growing season.

From: thespruce