If you are looking for the most beautiful houseplants. Then your search ends here. Alocasia Stingray is a beautiful houseplant. It has uniquely shaped leaves that is why it is also called elephant ear stingray.
Most of the new gardeners drop the idea of growing houseplants. Because they do not have enough time for plant care.
But alocasia stingray care is quick and easy.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to grow and maintain the health of Alocasia stingray plants
Quick care guide
| Common Names | Elephant Stingray |
| USDA Zones | 9b to 11 |
| Plant size | 1.2 meter |
| Light | Bright, indirect |
| Temperature | 18 to 25 degrees C |
| Humidity | Above normal |
| Water | moderate |
| Soil | Well-draining |
| Pests | Mealybugs and spider mites |
| Diseases | Yellow leaves, brown leaves, root rot. |
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About the Alocasia Stingray plants
This plant is native to Southeast Asia. You can grow it in your home with minimal care. It has green color leaves that resemble an elephant ear. They do not grow big like other elephant plants.
The plant can grow from 1 to 1.5 meters in height if care for properly.
The best part is you can put the plant anywhere in your home. It will surely add class and style to the room. The plant will purify the indoor air by consuming harmful chemicals from the air. It also releases more oxygen into the air.
Having air-purifying plants at home is beneficial for your health.
Stingray plants emit good mood vibes in all directions. This means it can enhance your mood and reduce stress with its natural vibes.
How to grow and care for Alocasia Stingray plants?
Light
Alocasia stingray needs bright filtered light for good growth and vibrant leaves. So, the best place for the plant will be a west-facing window.
If the direct sun rays are coming from the window. Then you need to install a curtain between the window and the plant. This will prevent the direct fall of sun rays.
If you do not want to use a curtain. In this situation, you should move the plant a few feet away from the window.
The last thing you can do is use artificial growing lights. Nowadays we have many options in the market.
Out of them LED grow lights are more useful and highly efficient.
They emit a light spectrum that is similar to the sun rays. The plant cannot differentiate between the light emitted by the sun or LED light.
200 watts grow light is perfect to grow 1 to 2 alocasia stingray plants.
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Water
For Alocasia stingray care water, it 2 times per week in the summer season. Whereas it needs less water on winter days.
Before watering regardless of the season, you should check the condition of the potting soil. Pour some water only if the top 2 inches of the soil are dry.
Water the plant until the water comes out of the draining hole. This technique keeps the soil moist for a long period of time.
Filtered water is best to use. Because tap water may contain chlorine. Water authorities add it to the water to kill the harmful organisms in the water. This type of water is not recommended for Alocasia stingray care.
Soft water free from heavy minerals is a perfect choice.
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Temperature
This plant needs a warm temperature. Maintain the temperature between 18 to 26 degrees C. If it drops below 12 degrees C. The plant can survive in it. But once the temperature drops below 12 degrees C.
Then the cells in the plant leaves start freezing and dying. This process continues until you adjust the temperature to the correct range.
Sudden high temperature causes leaf curls and makes them dry. Low temperature triggers yellow leaves.
Temperature also affects the nutrition absorption rate of the roots. Sudden fluctuations give a shock to the plants.
Potting Soil
You need slightly acidic soil. The pH of the soil should be between 5.5 to 6.5. The best mix would be
1part garden soil + 1 part perlite + 1 part peat.
This mixture together from a good draining soil with excellent aeration qualities.
Such soil can save the plants if you forget them to water. Because the perlite has the ability to store water contents for a long time.
Humidity
Your plants need high humidity than the normal range. This means you have to work more to keep the room-air well moist. One simple solution is using the humidifier. This can be expensive for some growers. Do not worry we have some affordable yet powerful techniques.
Fill a normal tray with water and put some small stones in it. Then put the plant pot on it. This will increase the humidity. Because when the water in the tray gets evaporated it will make a balance of air moisture around the plant pot.
The last method is misting water on plant leaves on hot days and grouping the plants. By putting all plants close together you can build a humidity balloon around them.
Occasionally misting water on plants keeps the plant temperature in control.
Note: Humidifier is the best and instant solution to low humidity.
Fertilizers
10-10-10 formula will do best for the stingray plants. To speed up the growth give fertilizers to the plants in their growing phase. Spring to August is the right time for fertilization.
You need to give a nutrient boost to plants once every 3 weeks. Liquid fertilizers are recommended. Because they are easy for the plants to absorb. They do not create any salt build-up in the root area.
Highly fertile soil is required therefore you need to add compost-like substances to the soil. If you are using pre-fertilized soil. then you don’t need to fertilize plants. Because such contains all the essential nutrients.
It is slightly costly than the normal potting soil.
Propagation
- First of all, remove the plant from its pot
- Then remove the soil with your hands
- Wash the plant with tap water
- Divide the rhizomes so that the offsets become visible
- Cut the roots and pot the offsets in different pots
- The pot must contain a highly fertile potting mix
- Put the pots in the high humid area.
Pruning
If you grow this plant in USDA zones 9b to 11 then you need to surely trim it. Because due to the perfect temperature they might not go to their resting period.
Wear the gloves and sterilize your tools.
Closely observe the plant and look for signs of damage
You have to remove them first and then move to the overly grown parts.
Yellow leaves brown-spotted leaves need to be removed.
Common problems with Alocasia Stingray
Pests
Generally, the Alocasia stingray plants do not infect by common pests. But in some cases, these plants may get suffer from spider mites and mealybugs. Check both sides of the plant leaves. If you see tiny pests then your plant is suffering from them. You need to do something to fix this issue or you will lose the plant.
These pests suck the plant nutrients and damage them.
To fix this issue
Firstly, separate the plant from other houseplants.
Rinse the leaves with soapy water
After that spray neem oil on the entire plant.
Leaf spot
When the leaves get yellow or brown spots this condition is called leaf spots. The spots on leaves can be of many colors. Incorrect temperature range and poor air circulation are responsible for this problem.
To fix it
The one and the only solution is to identify such leaves and cut them and remove them from the plant. This way you can save the other plants.
After that use fungicide to kill the reaming bacteria that triggers this problem.
Yellow leaves of Alocasia Stingray
Alocasia stingray yellow leaves are caused by many things such as overwatering, underwatering, nutrient deficiency.
Over also cause root rot and once the roots stop their functioning. This causes the yellow leaves in houseplants.
Underwatering is also responsible for the discoloration of leaves. The plant cells in the leaves need a good amount of moisture to stay green.
When we do not give enough water to plants the leaves go out of moisture. Due to this reason their color changes to slightly yellow.
Nutrient deficient plants also turn into yellow color. Because they need nitrogen and magnesium for green growth. When a plant goes out of nitrogen this reflects on its leaves.
