Is your Alocasia Polly dying? Do you have difficulties knowing what the cause is? To know how to revive your dying Alocasia, you must read to the end.
Why is my Alocasia Polly dying? The primary reason why Alocasia Polly is dying is due to overwatering, underwatering, temperature stress, and nutrient deficiency. Other causes include pests and disease, overexposure to sunlight, low humidity, etc. To revive a dying Alocasia, you need to correct these problems.
Alocasia Polly is a sensitive and complex plant to take care of, as they require you to watch them regularly. You can prevent Alocasia Polly from dying by providing an optimum environment to help the plant adapt to your home and grow properly.
A Brief About Alocasia Polly
Alocasia is a heart-shaped leaves plant with beautiful well-patterned stems and green leaves that add beauty to the scenery.
Alocasia is one plant that appears on most houseplant keepers’ bucket lists because of its esthetic addition to the home.
Alocasia Polly is a native of tropical and subtropical parts of Asia and Eastern Australia. They owe their beauty to the warmth, bright light, and wet conditions.
If Alocasia is not given suitable growing conditions, it will immediately display signs of physical stress, eventually resulting in the plant’s death.
However, the plant can adapt to different environmental conditions when the right growing conditions are provided, facilitating widespread worldwide.
Why is My Alocasia Polly Dying
As a houseplants lover, Alocasia Polly is an attention-seeking plant. It is fussy and needs more care and attention than most houseplants.
Before you go on to revive a dying Alocasia, you need to know the cause. Below are some of the reasons for Alocasia Polly’s death. Keep reading for more!
- Underwatering
- Overwatering
- Low humidity
- Overpotting
- Overexposure to Sunlight
- Lack of Nutrients
- Temperature stress
- Improper Lighting
- Pest Attack
- Diseases
- Transplant Shock
Now! Let’s deliberate on all of these problems and their possible solution.
1. Underwater
Underwatering is one of the reasons your Alocasia Polly is dying. Underwatering occurs when your plant does not receive the needed water for survival.
When your Alocasia are underwatered for an extended period, they will turn pale and eventually die due to drought.
How to Revive Alocasia Plant Dying Due to Underwatering
Here are some factors you should consider to help your plant revive from underwatering.
- Provide Shade – Try to relocate your plant to a shadier location. It helps in preventing direct sunlight contact, which causes excessive water evaporation.
- Increase Humidity– Giving your plant humidity will help it stay hydrated.
- Mulching– Use rock mulch in your pot to help the plant retain moisture.
- Check at intervals – You should regularly check alocasia soil for dryness and water appropriately.
2. Overwatering
Overwatering is a common problem that affects plants, but few people think about it. They believe that under-watering is more damaging to their plants than over-watering.
Overwatering, on the other hand, causes more severe damage to plants. Overwatering means your plant soil cannot drain properly, making the earth soggy and waterlogged for an extended period.
It causes water to occupy the airspace, preventing normal air circulation within the soil required for root survival.
Root rots can occur if Alocasia Polly is overwatered. The plants’ roots die due to a lack of oxygen caused by waterlogged soil.
At this point, the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients is compromised, resulting in Alocasia Polly dying.
Signs That Show Alocasia Polly’s Death Is Caused by Overwatering
If you suspect your Alocasia is dying from overwatering, keep an eye out for the following symptoms.
- Prolonged Wet Soil – If your Alocasia’s soil remains wet after several days of watering, your plant is at risk of overwatering, which can cause drooping and Alocasia Polly dying.
- Wet Brown Spots on the Plant – Waterlogged soil prevents the free flow of air in the ground, depriving the roots of oxygen. Because of a lack of oxygen, the roots suffer, giving room for bacterial leaf spot disease to strike, leading to Alocasia’s death.
- Root Rots – Wet soil will eventually lead to root rot unless addressed. Because of decomposing plant tissue, the decays of the Alocasia roots produce a foul odor. To dictate root rots, bring your nose closer to the base of your plant to see whether you can perceive rotten roots.
How to Fix Alocasia Dying Caused by Overwatering
- If you feel your soil isn’t draining well, re-pot your plant and use a decent Alocasia soil mix.
- Overwatering can be reduced by using soil that drains well.
- Mix perlite into your potting soil to improve aeration for your plants.
- Water the plants only as necessary, especially in the winter and autumn.
- Only water the earth when the top two inches of the soil are completely dry.
Read More on: Alocasia Zebrina Drooping (6 Causes and How to Fix it)
3. Low Humidity
Your Alocasia Polly prefers a higher humidity level. If the air is too dry, it will begin to wilt and eventually die.
Your room’s temperature is usually suitable for the plant in the summer. But, in the winter, the air is drier, so you’ll need to be extra cautious.
Investing in a humidifier can help to increase the humidity in the air. You can spray distilled water on the Alocasia plant from time to time to keep the leaves moist.
A room misting device keeps the air from drying out, which is helpful to both humans and plants.
If the humidity level around your plants is too low for some time, your Alocasia will droop and die.
4. Overpotting
Overpotting is a common mistake that appears to have harmed your Alocasia.
All Plants need room to thrive. Therefore, creating an appropriate space for your plant is essential.
Like a hermit crab needs a new shell when outgrown its current container, the same can be said about your plant in a pot.
On the other hand, overpotting can kill your Alocasia in the same way that overwatering would. The roots will be exposed to moist soil for an extended period, making them vulnerable to root rot and deterioration.
When re-potting, choose a pot one size larger (two or three inches larger) than the previous pot. You can prune the roots and return the plant to its original container or pot.
Overpotting is indicated by soggy soil, yellowing and wilting of leaves. You can grow your Alocasia Polly in a large pot using loose, fast-draining soil.
5. Overexposure to Sunlight
Overexposure to sunlight is one of the causes of Alocasia Polly’s death. Alocasia thrives in bright indirect sunlight. But, it suffers immense wilting when placed under direct sunlight.
Alocasia plants exposed to direct sunlight for more than 6 to 8 hours per day will begin to die. As time passes, the Alocasia leaves start dying one by one.
When growing your Alocasia Polly inside, indirect sunlight is easier to obtain. It should be placed on a shelf near a window, but not directly in the sun. Here, the plant can receive bright light but not direct sunlight.
Alocasia Polly can survive in areas with less sunlight than where there is. A room that faces east or west and receives early morning or late afternoon sun is preferable.
Alocasia planted outdoors should be kept where they will only be exposed to the sun for a portion of the day. Make sure it’s protected from the sun in the afternoon.
Your Alocasia Polly will die if exposed to too much direct sunlight. Also, remember that your Alocasia will die without sunlight, so ensure everything is done correctly.
Please maintain high humidity around the plants. You can do so by using a humidifier and pebble trays.
6. Lack of Nutrients
A lack of nutrients can cause Alocasia plants to sag, and if further neglected, they will die. A young and growing Alocasia Polly needs warm conditions and feeding to help them bloom with bigger-beautiful leaves.
Please don’t rush the feeding pattern once you suspect a drop in nutrient levels. Please take it in phases to prevent shocks that may arise.
Before using fertilizers for your plant, you must devise a feeding plan. But if you have used fertilizers, continue with your schedule but increase the quantity a little.
Monitor the leaves carefully for weeks after you have applied fertilizers. If you do not see any notable changes, go back to the former feeding plan and check other factors in this post.
If you notice an improvement, however, continue with the correct dosage. Do not keep increasing if you don’t see any improvement.
How to Revive a Dying Alocasia due to Nutrient Deficiency?
- Fertilizer is essential to all plants, even Alocasia Polly. You need to feed your plant with Liquid fertilizer that encourages growth.
- The plant needs a two-week feeding basis in the summer and is reduced to once monthly in the fall.
7. Temperature Stress
Alocasia Polly is a tropical plant native to Asia and Subtropical Australia. These plants are very fussy in low temperatures.
Alocasia Polly dying in winter, drooping, and yellowing of leaves could indicate that your plants need a warmer location. Alocasia does well in temperature ranges of 66.2°F and 84.2°F.
A temperature below 55.4 degrees Fahrenheit will cause your Alocasia to droop. A further fall in temperature can lead to the death of your plants.
Ensure you provide more heat for your plant. If your indoor temperature is so low – You can use a heating pad to heat the roots of plants to keep the roots warmer than the room temperature.
How to Fix Alocasia Polly Dying due to Temperature Stress?
- Bring Alocasia Kept outdoors inside – During the low-temperature night, you have to bring in potted plants indoors at night and take them back outside during the daytime.
- Cover your Alocasia – For Alocasia planted in the garden, cover the plants with a plastic sheet to retain heat at night.
8. Improper Lighting
Improper Lighting is another reason your Alocasia Polly is dying. An appropriate amount of light is required by Alocasia Polly to survive. When light exposure is not enough, Alocasia plants are bound to sag, have a pale-yellowish color or even die.
The Elephant Ear plant is a shade-loving plant, and it won’t be wise to leave them under the midday sun without shade.
When kept as indoor plants, you should place them close to a bright window and protect them from intense direct sunlight.
A Change in seasons could be a factor in why Alocasia droops. An Alocasia plant that usually blooms near a bright window could have issues as the autumn light dwindles. If you notice pale or color changes in your plants, you should move them to a sunnier spot.
9. Pest Attack
Alocasia plant is sometimes affected by common pests like aphids, spider mites, and scales. The big, juicy, soft leaves make attracting pests easier, so you must check your plant regularly.
When a pest infests plants, you see the symptoms on the leaves. The leaves may droop, turn yellow or die as the pest suck out life from them.
If you see tiny white spots or small webs gathered close to the dormant veins of the leaves, they could be signs that the plant has gotten infested.
When you see a few bugs around the leaves, use a dab of isopropyl to kill the bugs. Insecticidal soap could come in handy as it is generally potent.
Solutions to Alocasia Pest and Disease Attack
- Separate and quarantine affected Alocasia from the rest of your plants.
- Examine the nearby plants to help stop any spread of disease.
- If the whole plant is not affected by the infection, cut out the healthy parts and re-pot in a new sterile pot using a new potting soil.
- Spray fungicides on the affected plant to kill all contaminants before disposal.
10. Disease
Fungal diseases like rust and powdery mildew thrive in high humidity, heat, and overwatering.
Prune-infected leaves having white or grey powdery patches, using sterile pruning shears to stop the spread.
Then, Spray the other leaves once weekly for up to 3 weeks with a sulfur-based organic fungicide (Get discount Price here), and improve airflow around your Alocasia Polly with a small.
11. Transplant Shock
If you’ve purchased an Alocasia Polly plant and it’s behaving strangely, it could be due to its new surroundings.
Alocasia Plant roots are susceptible to disturbance and, therefore, will show you signs of stress through wilting, leaves dropping, or the leaves turning yellow shortly after being re-potted.
Solution:
- Don’t make extreme changes to the potting mix you’ve used; gently handle the base when changing pots.
- Carefully brush the old soil medium off the roots by hand.
- Place gently into the new mix.
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Related Questions:
Alocasia Polly Dormancy
Alocasia dormancy is a natural cycle where the plant undergoes overgrowth, defoliation, and inactivity.
These occurrences are expected, and there is no need for panic because the plant will recover its growth after the period has passed. Dormancy can last anywhere from a few weeks to six months.
Dormancy is generally caused by low light and temperatures, and most Alocasia planted indoors will go through it at some point. In the winter, you will see more Alocasia dormancy.
You can avoid dormancy in indoor plants by maintaining consistent temperatures and lighting around the clock.
However, if your Alocasia Polly appears dormant, reduce watering and provide adequate light and warmth until new growth appears.
Should I Cut Off Dying Alocasia Leaves?
Suppose your Alocasia Polly has an infestation. Firstly, you must separate and quarantine the affected Alocasia from the rest of your plants.
Then, cut off the dying Alocasia leaves or any other affected part of the plant. Take the healthy parts and re-pot in a new sterile pot using a new potting soil.
Lastly, Examine the nearby plants to help stop any spread of disease. Spray fungicides on the affected plant to kill all contaminants before disposal.
Why is My Alocasia Drooping?
Overwatering or underwatering is the most common cause of drooping Alocasia. Other causes could include temperature stress, poor Lighting, low humidity, a lack of nutrients, pests, etc. Correcting these issues usually results in your plant recovering from drooping.
How to Revive a Dying Alocasia
To revive a dying Alocasia Polly plant, you must first identify the issue that is killing your plant. You can start by analyzing the points discussed above.
Underwatering, overwatering, temperature stress, and nutrient deficiency are some of the reasons why your Alocasia is dying. Therefore, to revive your dying Alocasia, you need to look for ways to solve your plant’s problems and difficulties.
You can use the point analyzed in this point to help revive a dying Alocasia and watch how your plant recovers in no time.
Final Thought on Why is my Alocasia Polly Dying?
Alocasia Polly is a sensitive and fussy plant when its needs aren’t met. But, if you could take your time to get fundamentals – Providing constant observation and good growing conditions.
Then, you will witness Alocasia Polly plant blossom and add beauty to your home.
Have a pleasant Gardening Experience!
For More Read: Why is My Alocasia Polly Turning Yellow