Tony O’Neill , expert gardener and well - sell author of the famous “ Simplify Vegetable Gardening , ” “ Composting Masterclass , ” and “ Your First Vegetable Garden , ” combine womb-to-tomb passion and expert knowledge to simplify gardening . His foreign mission ? Helping you cultivate a thriving garden . More on Tony O’Neill
{ “ statusCode”:401,”message”:”License paint missing ” }
Several Alocasia plants are call Jewel Alocasia , including Alocasia infernalis ‘ Viery , ’ Alocasia melo , and the Alocasia baginda ‘ Dragon Scale . ’ The A. infernalis is a dark green industrial plant , and theA. melois covered in pubescence , but the Dragon Scale is by far the most impressive .
board of Contents
Overview Of The Alocasia Dragon Scale (Alocasia baginda)
The Alocasia Dragon Scale prefers dappled , collateral lightheaded , holey , well - draining soil and temperatures between 68 and 77 ° F ( 20 – 25 ° C ) . Your Dragon Scale prefers the upper levels of humidity ( 60 % ) and should be kept out of tipple .
Guard against over - irrigate all indoor plants , keeping the soil damp but not wet . The Silver Dragon is also in the Alocasia baginda genus , but its leafage is much lighter than the Dragon Scale ’s leaves .
Alocasia Dragon Scale , also known as Alocasia baginda ‘ Dragon Scale , ’ has an amazing , veined texture that is supposed to mimic tartar scale . The leaf contribute to the effect ; they are robust and flexile , with a fast topside .
Alocasia Dragon Scale is a train form of Alocasia baginda , which is autochthonic to Borneo ’s tropical woods . As note above , the Dragon Scale plant is one of the gorgeous Jewel Alocasias .
AnotherAlocasia bagindain the radical is the Alocasia Silver Dragon . It ’s deserving checking out the Alocasia cuprea ‘ Red Secret , ’ another jewel .
The Alocasia Dragon Scale leaves are gloss green with vivacious maroon vena , creating stunning foliage with a luminous tone of voice . The undersurface are a pale emollient coloring with pictorial red nervure .
The hue of immature leaf deepen with age , and the plant can take up to 600 days to give full maturity . A mature plant is about 3 groundwork ( 91 cm ) tall .
The plant is eye - take in at any size of it and can stomach alone or contrast efficaciously with other plants . It prefer small space and is a perfect choice for a terrarium .
Alocasia Dragon Scale Care Summary
Dragon Scale Plant Light Requirements
The optimum lighting for a Dragon Scale Alocasia plant is bright , collateral luminosity . Is indirect but brilliant . Excessively burnished light ( direct ) will scorch exposed leaves , and too little ignitor will cause chlorosis ( sensationalistic leaves ) .
develop your Scale Dragon Alocasia in a warm spot with ample bright collateral light , in high spirits humidity , and no drafts . turn out the flora to keep growth balanced while avoiding lineal sun .
take using a sheer drape to strain the light if you have a lovely sunny windowpane where the sunshine may be too bright . You do n’t want to interpose with the plant ’s energy seed , but you do n’t need to fray it .
Outdoor Alocasia Dragon Scale Care
If grown alfresco , replicate the Scale Dragon Alocasia parent plant environment ; under the canopy of a tropical forest . If your room has limited light , compensate by using contrived light .
The Dragon Scale Alocasia is a tropical plant hardy to Zone 10a but must be grown in pot to allow you to work them indoors if temperatures drop .
Watering Dragon Scale Alocasia
Like its sister , the Silver Dragon rare , the Alocasia Dragon Scale rare , does n’t require as much water as mintage outside their group . pee the industrial plant good , flushing residual fertilizer salt out and then allow it to dry .
Do n’t piss again until the top third of the pot is dry to the touching , then reduplicate the flushing . Remember the shibboleth : soil ironical help oneself my beginning , not squall . breeze is as important to solution as water is .
Alocasia Baginda Potting Soil
Continually wet dirt forbid roots from breathing . safe soil is necessarily easy grease . Sand is loose but is unable to retain moisture . A potting mix that balances inert and organic materials is best .
sluggish material , like expand shale , perlite , pumice , and crybaby sand , serve a potting mix run out quicker . constituent materials like coconut coir , compost , and sphagnum moss in a potting mixture be given to aid the mix continue weewee .
You want a well - draining potting admixture that retains wet – a mix of inert and organic ( carbon copy - containing ) materials . Excessive piss retention , because of densification or too much C , can cause antecedent bunkum .
Over - watering , wet leafage and sodden mixture can promote root rot and fungal infection . Water your Dragon Scale Alocasia almost as if it were succulent . If you mistrust root rot , consider repotting .
Root Health
think of that stem health determines your indoor plant ’s general health , so ensure the root systems have entree to enough air . For your plants to thrive indoors , you must balance watering with dry , erring on the latter ’s side .
Yellow leaves ( greensickness ) are generally a mark of a watering problem – too much or too little . unnatural leaves have had their water provision compromised by extended ironic soil or a blockage in supplying ( root rot ) .
Dying leaves are part of the plant ’s ontogeny , especially old folio . The old leaves require to snuff it so the plant can bear out new development .
Dragon Scale Alocasia Humidity Requirements
You ’re plausibly mindful that most Alocasias believe they ’re still in the rain forest and seek ridiculously gamy sum of humidity – minimally 60 % , but sooner around 80 % .
For growers outside of tropic regions , how well an Alocasia Dragon Scale adapts to low levels .
The answer varies ; however , some growers describe succeeder in humidity levels as low as 40 % ; however , these owners may have a superscript watering schedule or spark that relieve oneself their plants more resilient . The ideal humidity level for your Dragon Scale Alocasia is around 60 % .
Raising Humidity Levels
If your humidity levels are small , placing a piss - filled pebble tray near the plant life or meld it with other tropical can help to raise them significantly . A room humidifier will most in all likelihood be take to achieve appropriate humidity levels ( nursery ) .
During the winter , I use a humidifier to combat the dry burden of central heating and keep humidness levels above 60 % . I supervise humidity stage with a digital humidity meter , which help oneself me determine whether additional measures are require .
A well - light kitchen or bathroom is one option to moot . These surface area sport high humidity and frequent steamy periods . Remember to pull off air circulation to forestall pathogen from grow .
ascertain whether the most important part of Dragon Scale Alocasia upkeep is soil , lachrymation , or humidity is difficult . All are necessary to keep your works in good condition .
Temperature Preferences
Your Dragon Scale Alocasia should be kept at temperatures between 68 and 77 ° F ( 20 – 25 ° C ) . Bring your plant indoors to avoid the first icing , taking them out again in early summer .
Dragon Scale Alocasia Dormancy
quiescency can be triggered by cool temperatures or shorter days . The plant will end actively growing . Dormancy is substantive to establish health and follows a vigorous develop season .
As with like works , allow your Alocasia baginda to rest , lose weight watering and cut fertilizing . When its farm season commencement , noticeable by Modern emergence , resume watering and fertilizing .
Keep your Alocasia Dragon Scale aside from any hot or cold draught , which may make significant stress , lead to yellowing leaves and brown leaf lead .
How To Fertilize Alocasia Dragon Scale
You do n’t need to add much fertilizer to provide excellent Alocasia Dragon Scale care . From give through other fall , feeding with a balanced fertilizer once every six weeks is an excellent habit ; use a half - dilution of the label ’s recommended amount .
Overfertilization is more coarse than undernourishment in this plant because it is a wakeful eater . Fertilizer that has not been applied contaminates the soil . The industrial plant exhibits the damage as browned folio tips and edge , but there is an gentle curative .
flush the pot cleans the land of remaining fertilizer salts and other pollutant . Run extra urine through the soil and let it drain exhaustively . iterate one or more times . flush the soil every few month is a beautiful technique .
Minor Flowering
The Alocasia Dragon Scale is one of those species that can bloom restfully . It has little violet spathes that dividing line with the gorgeous foliage .
Many agriculturist snip the blossoms to conserve the energy of the plant . This can be done anytime ; it will not harm the works .
Simple Pruning
This plant requires pruning to remove deadened and decaying leave and stem . This abbreviate the possibility of rotting cloth spreading disease and attracting pests .
Cut the afflicted radical near the radical with sterile tools cleaned with isopropyl ( rubbing ) alcoholic beverage .
Alocasia Dragon Scale Dormancy
Dormancy is a key part of Alocasia Dragon Scale upkeep that should not be overlook . It commonly happens in the winter due to low light or temperature , but it can happen anytime . Your plant may discontinue growing , and some of its present leave may take down or die .
tolerate the land to dry out almost completely before lacrimation , and keep light and temperature layer regular . Your Alocasia Dragon Scale will get to develop anew in a few months .
Alocasia Dragon Scale grows from stocky , nutritive - rich tubers beneath the soil . Even if all leaves shine off , do not discard your plant . plainly supply mild condition and wait for your plant to set out farm again .
When To Repot Alocasia Dragon Scale
It should be no surprisal that the sensitive Alocasia Dragon Scale dislikes being repotted . Repotting is a watershed moment in a plant ’s life ; Alocasias might lose their leaf and go dormant surveil repotting . If at all possible , avoid doing it .
Repotting is best done in the spring . If the plant has outgrow its former container , repot it in a locoweed that is one size turgid or one or two column inch wider in diameter . Overpotting may result in overwatering .
Propagating Alocasia Dragon Scale
Alocasias do not reproduce through leaf or stem cuttings ; alternatively , they produce outset and clumps that can be split and rise individually . This is substantially done when you repot your Dragon Scale Alocasia .
The feature article and characteristics of the female parent flora are reproduced in the novel Alocasia baginda . Do not grow rootage cuttings in used ground ; always utilize fresh dirt .
Alocasia Dragon Scale Care Tips
Toxicity
Unfortunately , this plant is not desirable for ducky or children . It contain Ca oxalate , which is insoluble and crystallizes into microscopical daggers that can irritate and potentially interrupt the digestive piece of land .
The groovy peril is dropsy do by the Ca oxalate reply . Alocasia Dragon Scale can also cause localize skin irritation or dermatitis .
Varieties
The Alocasia Silver Dragon is a popular and middle - enamor version of the classic green Alocasia Dragon Scale . Much of its leaf are covered in bright silvery variegation .
There ’s also an Alocasia Pink Dragon cultivar with blushful - dark stems . However , it is not a discrete version of Dragon Scale , but rather a near relative .
Pests
These toxic Alocasias may not be pest magnets , but their thick , succulent stems are . vulgar houseplant pest like aphid , scale , mealy bugs , and wanderer mites may inflict your Jewel . Spider mites , in particular , are unmanageable to decimate once established .
Most plague can be avoided by thoroughly spraying the industrial plant with warm soapy body of water once a calendar month . Prevention is the best medical specialty !
The same soapy treatment will work if your Alocasia Dragon Scale is already infested . Because insecticidal liquid ecstasy kills pests on touching , thoroughly steep the plant in the solution . treatment must typically be reduplicate .
Disease
Leaf - slur is the most common sickness , a house of several diseases . A variety of contagion , including Xanthomonas bacterium , can cause it . Excess moisture from overwatering , obscure , or soaked leaves can contribute to infection .
Isolate the works if a disease is suspected , preventing further spread . Discard contaminated leaves safely and sanitize your instruments .
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Alocasia Dragon Scale plant losing leaves?
The tenseness of transferring may do some leaf discolouration or red ink , but it should stabilize shortly with proper guardianship .
I repotted my Alocasia Dragon Scale plant, which seems to be dying. Why?
Alocasia Dragon Scale industrial plant are quite sensitive to environmental modification , and most industrial plant suffer some post - transplant daze . Keep your Dragon Scale in a room with warm temperatures for a while , control it let enough collateral light . It will settle , and you may move it incrementally to where it was before repotting .
Why are my Alocasia Dragon Scale plant leaves turning yellow?
Leaf chlorosis can signify over - watering , bacterial infection , or deficient watering . Inspect your Alocasia Dragon Scale for house of pests . Aphids , mealybugs , wanderer mites , and other pestilence will munch on your industrial plant ’s leave and petioles .
Why is my Alocasia Dragon Scale plant getting brown tips?
broken humidity is the most prevalent drive of brownish leaf crown on an Alocasia Dragon Scale . Keep an eye on the humidness levels in your home and endeavor to keep them above 60 % .
In Closing
I hope I ’ve answered all your Alocasia Dragon Scale flora caution questions . It ’s a plant that still awakens me when I gaze at the gorgeous foliage . Although expensive to buy and asseverate , growing this fantastic houseplant is well deserving the effort .
