Alocasia odora Seedlings

In Updates on 6 June 2011 tagged Alocasia

Last month I posed about planting Alocasia berries. This month: seedlings!

Only about a third of them germinated, the rest rotted. I’m not sure if they were just bad seeds or if I did something wrong. I have a hunch that the growing chamber may have been too hot – between the heat mat and the humidity dome it was pretty steamy in there. Still, 33% is not bad for a first try.

I was also conducting a mini-experiment by trying the seeds in three different media: seed starter mix, Vermiculite, and coir (shredded coconut husk). And the results are … it completely didn’t matter. You can see one of each in the photo above. It seemed like the seed starter mix stayed a little drier and the Vermiculite stayed a little wetter. I actually preferred the coir, as it stayed fluffy and evenly moist. But the seedlings didn’t seem to care one way or another.

See Also

• Jewel Alocasia Bloom
  My Alocasia melo bloomed today. I just love his adorable little polka-dotted winkie.
• The Great Living Room Repot
  Last Sunday was a rainy day, so it was a perfect time to do some overdue indoor plant repotting.
• The Big Jungle Pot: Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers
  This pot was a joy to make and I hope it brings good luck to my friend's new business.