Alocasia Frydek is also known as the green velvet Alocasia or Alocasia micholitziana ‘Frydek’ is a variety of Alocasia prized for its velvety green, arrow-shaped leaves with their white veins.
Alocasia frydek comes from the southeastern part of Asia. It can be quite challenging to maintain at the beginning stages of its growth due to its fragile nature but it becomes much easier to care for as it matures.
Grow
Understanding where to grow Alocasia micholitziana ‘Frydek’ means looking at the basic things that they need in terms of light, temperature, humidity and soil or potting mix. Here are the most important things you need to know to choose the right growing location:
Light
For Alocasia Frydek to survive, it needs access to bright, indirect sunlight.
The source of light could be either from the sun or through the use of a “plant light”, what matters is that it is exposed to a source of light so photosynthesis can take place.
For indoor cultivation, the best location for the plant will be near an open window facing towards the east to catch the morning sunlight and indirect sunlight during the daytime.
While for outdoor cultivation, it can be placed in a shaded area that protects against the direct rays from the sun which can cause damage to the large foliage of the Alocasia frydek.
Temperature and Humidity
Alocasia frydek needs a warm and humid environment to grow. Most alocasia plants survive outside the tropical rainforest as indoor plants due to the similar humid and warm environment most homes and greenhouses provide.
Alocasia Frydek needs a temperature of between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit ( 18 to 30 degrees Celsius) to grow well. As for humidity, locations such as bathrooms, kitchens, or laundry rooms are humid enough for the plant to thrive.
To raise humidity, group houseplants together, mist, or use pebble-filled water trays below the plants’ pots.
Soil/ Potting Mix
Alocasia Frydek loves a rich, airy, and moist but at the same time loose potting mix that is well-draining to prevent excess water lodging. Compaction and waterlogging can lead to root rot and other issues, preventing air and other nutrients from reaching the roots of the plant.
A good peat-free potting mix should be able to provide you with the well-drained but moist and fertile soil these plants require. Also,make sure your pot or container has adequate holes at the base so that excess water can drain out.
Care
Watering
Alocasia Frydek requires constant watering but not to the level of being soaking wet. Just as in the tropical rainforest, this plant requires its soil/ potting mix to be moist but not waterlogged throughout the growing season.
The amount of water needed throughout the cultivation period will vary as it will require more water during the frost-free season between the end of spring and the beginning of fall than it will require during winter.
Feeding
Fertilizer application needs to be carefully controlled. Diluted organic feeds can be applied to Alocasia frydek every month during the spring and summer seasons as this is when the plant is most active.
During the winter season, fertilizer application should be stopped as plants tend to enter into their dormant state. Applying fertilizer during dormancy is bad because it can weaken and burn the inactive root of the plant causing more harm than good.
Dormancy
Alocasia plants do go dormant during the winter season. This is a natural occurrence that enables the plant to protect itself against the harsh cold of the winter season. Alocasia Frydek requires a warm and humid environment to grow and winter is the opposite of that.
During winter, the weather is cold and dry which makes it impossible for the plant to grow unless extra measures are taken to provide the required temperature in an enclosed space.
During this period the plant might lose all of its leaves, and look stunted, and weak, but there is no cause for alarm because as long as the bulb of the plant is still intact, firm, and alive, the plant will rejuvenate in the spring season.
Remember, no fertilizer is needed during this period, and watering can be done when the top half of the soil is dried out.
Pruning
Pruning is not necessary when cultivating Alocasia frydek. But in a situation where a leaf is infected by disease or becomes old and dry as a result of newer leaves growing up top, you can prune them away.
And in the rare situation whereby the entire leaves on an Alocasia frydek plant are damaged as a result of excess sunlight or disease, you can cut off all the leaves down to its base. The crown should usually regenerate and grow back new leaves over time.
Alocasia frydek can survive to regrow even after losing all of its leaves provided the crown is still intact.
How To Propagate Alocasia Frydek
There are two ways of growing/propagating most alocasia plants. Either by division during repotting or by growing the corms derived from the root into new plants.
Alocasia Frydek is a tuberous plant because it grows from a central rhizome making it difficult to grow from cuttings.
By Division During Repotting
This involves dividing the root of the plant during repotting. Ensure the plant has multiple bulbs with flowers growing on both before going down this road.
Uproot the plant from the pot with care so as not to damage it. Shake off any bit of soil on the root of the plant. Look for the line that connects the corms or root sections and cut through it with a sharp knife.
Place both root divisions into their new pots, place them under indirect sunlight and keep the soil moist.
Growing From Corms
In this method, ensure the corms used are still attached to the root system of the plant or have their own set of small root systems.
Using corms that are already detached from the root and sitting on top of the soil can sometimes yield no results because they might be dead and it’s difficult to differentiate between healthy and dead corms.
To get started, separate the corms from the root system if they are still attached and uproot those with their root system from the soil.
Place the corm with the root part facing downwards in a pot filled with quick-draining potting mix. Cover the top with a plastic or glass cover and place it in a location with access to bright and indirect sunlight. Ensure the potting mix is always moist.
This process might take months to start seeing results, so you need to be patient.
