underwatering and Alocasia Frydek
Quick answer
If underwatering is what's going on with your Alocasia Frydek, the most likely cause is: Prolonged underwatering on Alocasia Frydek shows up when the substrate is left dry for too long, the soil contracts and shrinks away from the sides of the pot, and the cells of the velvety leaves lose turgor; severe underwatering causes crispy browning of leaves or whole sections of the plant because the substrate can become hydrophobic and actively repel the next watering.
Start here:
- 1. Water the Alocasia Frydek as normal, then water it again 30 minutes later to rewet a substrate that has become hydrophobic; alternatively, place the pot in a dish of water and allow the growing medium to slowly hydrate from the base upward until the substrate is uniformly moist.
- 2. Top-dress the rehydrated substrate with a thin layer of fresh soil to restore the microbiology and texture of the growing medium, and in severe cases cut the plant back to where the stems are still green and fleshy before watering from the base to nurse it back to health.
Why underwatering happens to Alocasia Frydek
Alocasia micholitziana 'Frydek'
Prolonged underwatering on Alocasia Frydek shows up when the substrate is left dry for too long, the soil contracts and shrinks away from the sides of the pot, and the cells of the velvety leaves lose turgor; severe underwatering causes crispy browning of leaves or whole sections of the plant because the substrate can become hydrophobic and actively repel the next watering.
How to correct underwatering on Alocasia Frydek
- 1
Water the Alocasia Frydek as normal, then water it again 30 minutes later to rewet a substrate that has become hydrophobic; alternatively, place the pot in a dish of water and allow the growing medium to slowly hydrate from the base upward until the substrate is uniformly moist.
- 2
Top-dress the rehydrated substrate with a thin layer of fresh soil to restore the microbiology and texture of the growing medium, and in severe cases cut the plant back to where the stems are still green and fleshy before watering from the base to nurse it back to health.
Keep underwatering from repeating on this Alocasia Frydek
Check Alocasia Frydek weekly rather than watering on a fixed schedule; water when the top of the substrate begins to dry but before the soil shrinks away from the pot, because every Alocasia species tolerates drying by at least 50 percent better than it tolerates a fully hydrophobic, dehydrated root zone.