underwatering and Asian Taro
Quick answer
If underwatering is what's going on with your Asian Taro, the most likely cause is: Colocasia (asian taro), like Colocasia 'Hilo Beauty', does not appreciate drying out and will only grow well when humidity is held at 50 percent or greater, so a pot that is allowed to dry completely between waterings produces the same collapse that spider mites, heat and low humidity produce: leaves that flop, margins that crisp and a general failure to push new growth from the corm.
Start here:
- 1. Water the pot thoroughly until excess runs from the drainage holes, then re-water as soon as the top inch of the potting mix feels dry rather than waiting for the plant to wilt, because the corm rebounds more reliably from a steady moisture supply than from a wet–dry cycle.
- 2. Mist the large heart-shaped leaves with room-temperature water or run a cool-mist humidifier nearby to lift the air around the plant to roughly 50 percent humidity, the level the genus entry says it needs to grow well.
Why underwatering happens to Asian Taro
asian taro
Colocasia (asian taro), like Colocasia 'Hilo Beauty', does not appreciate drying out and will only grow well when humidity is held at 50 percent or greater, so a pot that is allowed to dry completely between waterings produces the same collapse that spider mites, heat and low humidity produce: leaves that flop, margins that crisp and a general failure to push new growth from the corm.
How to correct underwatering on Asian Taro
- 1
Water the pot thoroughly until excess runs from the drainage holes, then re-water as soon as the top inch of the potting mix feels dry rather than waiting for the plant to wilt, because the corm rebounds more reliably from a steady moisture supply than from a wet–dry cycle.
- 2
Mist the large heart-shaped leaves with room-temperature water or run a cool-mist humidifier nearby to lift the air around the plant to roughly 50 percent humidity, the level the genus entry says it needs to grow well.
Keep underwatering from repeating on this Asian Taro
Move the plant out of hot, dry window drafts and onto a pebble tray or near a cool-mist humidifier set to hold the room around 50 percent humidity, and check the pot weight every few days so the medium never goes bone dry.