Alocasia melo is also famous as alocasia Rugosa. It has large size thick textured eye-catching greenish-blue leaves. If you have alocasia growing experience then you will find it easy to care for Melo.
No need to buy fancy tools and costly fertilizers. Your normal houseplant fertilizer and a medium-size plant pot are all you need.
For watering, use clean water. If the tap water in your area contains high chlorine content then stop using it and shift to bottled water. Further growing and caring requirements are discussed below. Read till the end and learn how to grow unique alocasias.
Let’s start
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About Alocasia Melo Plant
In indoor growing conditions, this plant only grows up to 1 to 2 feet tall. The rubbery leaves grow 20 inches long and spread 10 inches wide. This means you need to give good space to this plant.
The shrub-like structure of alocasia Melo makes it a perfect piece of decoration.
Generally, garden stores sold it 4 to 6 inches tall in small size plastic pots. Ask them to transfer it to the terracotta pot at the time of purchase. Then give it the proper care to grow tall and strong.
Light, Water, Fertilizer, and Humidity are the main growth factors. Take care of these things and your plant will thrive beautifully. Remember that for perfect greenish-blue leaves you need to give them proper light and humidity.
Light Needs
Alocasia Rugosa has large size rugged thick leaves. But this does not mean it can tolerate the full sun. The leaves are made up of soft tissue and do not need direct sunlight.
For good Alocasia Rugosa care, place the plant pot in indirect bright light.
You can put it near the sunny window or under the big trees. The motive is to give it bright light and protect it from direct light.
In a low-light environment, this plant loses its leaf color and shows stretchy growth.
For indoor growing Alocasia Melo find a bright light location near an east-facing window. You can also use grow lights for better health. I prefer Led lighting technology over another mode of artificial grow lights.
Potting Soil
Loamy soil is recommended for alocasia Rugosa care. It drains well and also absorbs a good amount of moisture when watered.
Some people advise using regular potting soil. But I do not have good experience with it. It became compact and extra moist which is not good for Alocasia Melo plants.
Peat, Perlite, Coco Coir, and Compost are the best mixture to grow Melo alocasia.
The main aim is to use well-draining soil that only absorbs the required amount of water. A pot with a draining hole is required to save a plant from accidental overwatering.
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Watering Alocasia Melo Plant
The main threat to this plant is every extra cup of water. Try to learn the soil moisture checking technique. For your ease, you can use soil moisture testing meters. They are simple to maintain and easy to operate.
It is a handheld device that tells the moisture reading of the growing medium in digital form.
Let the soil dry then water it gently.
Do not wet the leaves while watering, this increases the chances of leaf fungus. This is a disease that eats up the plant leaves.
The Top 2 to 3 inches of the potting soil should dry before the watering application. There must be 72 hours gap between each watering session. In summer due to hot weather, your plant may need more water.
Fertilizing
Fertilizers are required for the good health of a plant. Melo alocasia plants need liquid fertilizers. No need to buy organic nutrients. Because synthetic houseplant fertilizer is best for it.
All you need to do is dilute it more than the recommended quantity.
If they say to dilute 1 cup in 2 cups of water then use 3 cups of water for dilution.
Temperature & Humidity
60 to 85 degrees F is the best ideal temperature for the plant. Any drop below 60 degrees F freezes the plant content. It starts feeling cold and goes into the dormancy period.
You should use a temperature monitor device to keep track of the room temperature. Then you can adjust the plant location accordingly.
A too-high temperature during the summer season is also not beneficial for the plant. It puts a negative effect on foliage health.
Like every other tropical plant, the Melo plant also needs high humidity. But it has good tolerance against humidity fluctuations.
The general home humidity which is between 45 to 65 % is good to grow. The general humidity rule is if your body is comfortable in your home humidity So are your plants.
If you feel hot your plant will also feel hot.
Repotting
To know the exact time of repotting you need to check the bottom hole of the plant. If you see roots are coming out of the bottom. Then it is the right time to repot the plant.
One size bigger pot is fine because it drains well and does not hold much water. Large pots hold a large amount of soil and water.
Large pots also do not drain quickly. This increases the chances of root infections. Therefore, choosing the correct size of pots is mandatory.
Pruning & Maintenance
Alocasia Rugosa is a small size plant with a bushy appearance. To give it proper shape you may need to prune it 2 to 3 times a year.
To do it safely you should sterilize the trimming tools before use. I use rubbing alcohol to sterilize all my garden tools.
Sterilization reduces the chances of infections and other diseases from one plant to another.
For general maintenance of the plant, you should remove the yellow and dead leaves. Healthy alocasia has old and yellow leaves at the bottom part.
The top leaves are the young and most healthy leaves.
Toxicity
Alocasia Melo is highly toxic to dogs, cats, and humans. Ingestions of any part of the plant is toxic. Therefore, keep your plant away from the reach of your pets and kids.
It can give mild to worst skin allergies and irritations. To avoid accidental touch with the sap of the plant. It is best to wear garden gloves before working on your plant.
I always use garden gloves to protect my skin.
On accidental ingestion immediately wash the hands and mouth to reduce the toxic effect and call the nearest poison control center.
Alocasia Melo Propagation
Root division is the only possible way of successful propagation in the case of alocasia Melo. Below are the complete propagation steps
- Lose the soil and take the plant out of its pot
- Remove the unwanted soil for the roots
- Separate the rhizomes into parts
- Plant each division in a separate plant pot
- Give some water and place it in a warm humid place.
- Keep the soil moist for the next 30 days.
- Within 7 to 10 days your all plants will get well established in their new pots.
At the time of propagation, you should also check the roots for the infection. If you see damaged parts of the roots then immediately grab the shears and cut them. This will protect the remaining healthy parts of the roots.
At a single time, you can cut 25 % of the root ball. Do not stop propagation if the roots are infected.
Common Problems in Caring Alocasia Melo
Pest Infestation
Aphids and mealybugs are the two types of pests that are commonly found on infected alocasia rugosa plants.
Both the pests suck the juice of the plant to live and to increase their population. As a result, your plant leaves start turning yellow with small spots on them.
To save your Melo alocasia from dying you should immediately wash your plant with insecticidal soap and normal tap water.
Wash your entire plant with soap and allow it to drain extra water. Keep it separate until you see healthy signs.
To prevent pest infestations, I use neem oil spray thrice a month. I buy neem oil from the market and according to the instructions add water to it.
Then use the mixture to spray on my plants. Neem is a very effective and natural method of preventing pest attacks.
Overwatering
Melo needs consistently moist soil and to keep the soil moist growers give frequent water. This results in overwatering.
We all know every extra cup of water is deadly for the plant. The extra water in the soil invites root rot.
In this disease, the roots of the plant start decaying due to fungal attacks.
The only available treatment for root rot is repotting the plant in a new pot and fresh soil.
Gently unpot your plant, remove the soil, cut the damaged roots, prepare the new pot with fresh soil and plant your plant in it.
Within a few days, your A. Melo will heal itself.
Brown Leaf tips
There are two causes of slower alocasia rugosa growth. One is the lack of essential nutrients in the soil. Use fertile potting soil to grow indoor plants like alocasia.
Also, add some organic substance to potting soil to give a nice nutritional boost to your plant.
I use compost in my every soil formula because compost is an organic material and constantly gives essential nutrients to the growing plant.
The second cause of slower Alocasia Melo growth is the lack of proper light. It needs indirect bright light to make its food.
Low light results in weak photosynthesis and lower production of plant glucose.
Slower Growth
There are two causes of slower alocasia rugosa growth. One is the lack of essential nutrients in the soil. Use fertile potting soil to grow indoor plants like alocasia.
Also, add some organic substance to potting soil to give a nice nutritional boost to your plant.
I use compost in my every soil formula because compost is an organic material and constantly gives essential nutrients to the growing plant.
The second cause of slower Alocasia Melo growth is the lack of proper light. It needs indirect bright light to make its food.
Low light results in weak photosynthesis and lower production of plant glucose.
White Powder on Leaves
If there is a white powder-like substance on your plant it is called powdery mildew. It is a fungal disease but not deadly like root rot.
Treatment is extremely easy all you need to do is just clean your plant with normal soap and water. Then to prevent powdery mildew in the future use a neem oil spray.
Neem is very useful in treating fungal diseases of plants.
Also, keep the surroundings of your plant pot clean and hygienic. Use a clean cloth to remove dust from the plant leaves.
This will also help to reduce the chances of fungal diseases in the future.
Conclusion
Just water is responsible and your plant will thrive perfectly. The green color leaves look amazingly beautiful and appealing.
Overwatering results in yellow and brown leaf edges.
To make leaves thick and glossy arrange proper light and give fertilizers on time.
