underwatering and Alocasia Micholitziana
Quick answer
If underwatering is what's going on with your Alocasia Micholitziana, the most likely cause is: Alocasia micholitziana leaves lose turgor when the substrate is left dry too long: the soil shrinks back from the pot wall, slight dehydration makes the leaves flaccid and the stems wrinkle, and severe underwatering then crisps whole sections of the leaf. Once dehydration has progressed that far the growing medium itself can turn hydrophobic and actively repel the next watering, which is why the plant can stay parched even after a thorough initial pour.
Start here:
- 1. Water the Alocasia micholitziana as normal, then water it again 30 minutes later to rewet a substrate that has become hydrophobic; alternatively, stand the pot in a dish of water and let the growing medium hydrate from the base upward until it is uniformly moist.
- 2. After the substrate is rehydrated, top-dress it 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 resuming normal watering.
Why underwatering happens to Alocasia Micholitziana
alocasia micholitziana
Alocasia micholitziana leaves lose turgor when the substrate is left dry too long: the soil shrinks back from the pot wall, slight dehydration makes the leaves flaccid and the stems wrinkle, and severe underwatering then crisps whole sections of the leaf. Once dehydration has progressed that far the growing medium itself can turn hydrophobic and actively repel the next watering, which is why the plant can stay parched even after a thorough initial pour.
How to correct underwatering on Alocasia Micholitziana
- 1
Water the Alocasia micholitziana as normal, then water it again 30 minutes later to rewet a substrate that has become hydrophobic; alternatively, stand the pot in a dish of water and let the growing medium hydrate from the base upward until it is uniformly moist.
- 2
After the substrate is rehydrated, top-dress it 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 resuming normal watering.
Keep underwatering from repeating on this Alocasia Micholitziana
Check Alocasia micholitziana weekly rather than watering on a fixed schedule, and water once the top of the substrate begins to dry but before the soil shrinks away from the pot, because letting the mix dry past 50 percent lets the rhizome dehydrate and the substrate can flip to hydrophobic.