Red Spider Mite - Alocasia v. Colocasia

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ourarka1
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:54 pm
Location: Hastings, East Sussex

Red Spider Mite - Alocasia v. Colocasia

Post by ourarka1 »

I’ve generally been a Colocasia man but, they always do horrendously in the conservatory as they’re a Red Spider Mite magnet. I use neem oil to good effect, but the leaves still end up a write off. The ones outside are fine, but indoors (it over winter) I struggle.

Anyway, I’m not looking for tips but have acquired a few Alocasias over the last 12 months and am really liking them. They seem a lot less susceptible to Red Spider Mite (not immune, just less susceptible!) Do others share this opinion?

And how do people find them growing outside, compared to collies? What are the disadvantages, other than the lack of variety that you get with collies?
GREVILLEAJ
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:38 pm
Location: London

Red Spider Mite - Alocasia v. Colocasia

Post by GREVILLEAJ »

My Alocasia fare better inside than Colocasia, too. I used to keep them inside till August to try and maximise growth but the little red devils kept cancelling out that potential advantage. Always worse on Colocasia. I did secure some prevention by fine spraying with a hose both sides of all the leaves twice a month. Now I keep the hardier kinds inside till May while abroad for the winter.

I usually trim and tidy them while dry during a January visit then my son starts them off around mid March by filling the receptacles with water and keeping them moist till I come back in May. They then stay outside, pots plunged in a shallow pond till November. The collies do so much better this way and I'm usually in the UK to enjoy them at their best mid July to mid September. They did brilliantly this summer and wirh all the heat, moisture and humidity while 'pond-plunged' the tender heat loving 'black magic' was the star performer.
GREVILLEAJ
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:38 pm
Location: London

Red Spider Mite - Alocasia v. Colocasia

Post by GREVILLEAJ »

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I'll be back in the UK in November to lift all of these and return them to the greenhouse. My son will take out the Black magic a month before and dry it off earlier.
GREVILLEAJ
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:38 pm
Location: London

Red Spider Mite - Alocasia v. Colocasia

Post by GREVILLEAJ »

Alocasia macrorrhiza no longer stays in the greenhouse but lives in a hot centrally heated classroom all winter. Usually in a large south facing window it grows actively all winter and goes down not just with spider mite but woolly aphid as well. I always have ro treat and wash it when back in the UK and it comes out of the school in May and stays on my sunny patio.

I just returned it to the school last week before coming back to the Canaries where the poor thing will eventually be attacked by the little blighters once again.
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