https://growing-joy.simplecast.com/episodes/alocasia-propagation-tutorial-how-to-propagate-an-alocasia-corm

 

Plant friends, if you’ve hung around the plant community for any amount of time, you know some sub-groups go deep, and one of the most passionate is the Alocasia lovers/enthusiasts. These people are ferocious about their alocasias, and one of their most controversial topics is corm propagation.

If you’ve never heard of it, I hadn’t either until Instagram kept showing me those little plant “nuggets.” So I called in backup: my friend Lindsay Sisti, aka the Alocasia Queen behind All The Plant Babies and the author of the book The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation. She’s been here before in our Fluval Stratum episode. She breeds both Alocasias and Anthuriums and has made it her life's work to create new species and perfect propagation techniques. Let's dive in!

 

In this episode, we learn:

• [02:30] Meet Lindsay Sisti, aka the “Alocasia Queen”!
• [04:15] What are some facts about Alocasia?
• [06:02] Why is Alocasia popular?
• [08:41] Plant anatomy 101: leaves, stems, rhizomes, roots, stolons, and corms!
• [15:18] Try Manukora's premium New Zealand Manuka honey for natural energy and the perfect coffee enhancer!
• [16:55] Do corms ever appear above the soil? Leaf-litter vs. pots
• [21:58] When is the right time to go “corm spelunking”?
• [26:52] Step-by-step: how to harvest Alocasia corms safely
• [30:09] Snapping corms, clean hands, and why scissors are optional
• [34:20] Should you peel corms before planting? (The “onion layer” trick)
• [37:33] Which medium works best (perlite, sphagnum, fluval stratum, or water?)
• [40:41] How deep should you plant the corms in the media? 
• [41:26] How long does it take for corms to sprout?
• [43:09] The “puddle method” in water
• [44:20] Do you need to “burp” containers? Why set-and-forget works better
• [45:38] Hardening off: acclimating cormlings from 100% humidity to real-world conditions
• [49:41] Common mistakes: overwatering, planting upside down, unhealthy corms
• [55:17] Can a rootless Alocasia be revived?
• [56:20] Where to find Lindsay, her book, and her propagation resources

 

 

 

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What is a Corm?

Alocasias are not like pothos or philodendrons where you just snip and root a node. Below that soil, they’ve got a whole underground world going on: rhizomes (underground stems), roots, stolons (little spindly stems), and then corms.

Corms look like tiny nuggets, almost like Hershey Kisses or teardrops, growing off those stolons. They’re basically storage organs packed with energy, and if you take care of them right, they’ll grow into entirely new plants. And who doesn't love free plants? Which, considering how pricey some Alocasia varieties can be, feels like you’ve hit the jackpot.

 

 

The Corm Debate

This is where people get into fights online. Some say never disturb your plant, others say go for it. But it depends.

Lindsay once took a mature Silver Dragon that hadn't been touched for two years and harvested 20-30 corms from it. The mother plant was NOT happy. It went into shock, got droopy, and she had to cut off most of its leaves. It survived, but barely.

The corms, though, all grew into beautiful plants. Lindsay had so many that she was giving them away for months.

If your plant is in something like Lechuza Pon with consistent moisture, it barely notices when you take corms. Soil plants are more likely to get stressed.

 

 

How to Go Corm Hunting

Step 1: Wash your hands or spray them with rubbing alcohol because you don't want to introduce any nasty stuff to your plant. Then gently remove your Alocasia from its pot.

Step 2: Look inside the root ball for those little nuggets. They're usually hanging out in the center. Wrinkly = dried out. Mushy = rotting. Healthy corms should feel like little rocks.

Step 3: You don’t need scissors. Just snap them off with your fingers, like pulling a raspberry from the bush.

Tip: Go for corms that are about thumbnail-size for most species. Bigger corms have been “cooking” longer on the mother plant and will sprout faster.

 

 

Should You Peel Corms or Not?

Corms have an onion-like outer shell, and people also debate whether you should peel it or not. For Lindsay, she does it because she said that peeling speeds things up. This lets the roots push out faster instead of having to break through that layer.

You don't have to do this if it makes you nervous, but if you want faster results, try it.

 

 

Choosing Your Corm Propagation Medium

So what do you actually plant these corms in? Turns out that most methods can work. It’s less about the medium and more about keeping conditions right. The only thing you have to remember is consistent moisture. Don’t let the corm dry out even once.

Options include:

• The “puddle method” (just water): high-maintenance
• Sphagnum moss: great if you keep it like a damp sponge, not soggy
• Fluval Stratum: Lindsay’s fave
• Perlite: airy and reliable
• Or her signature mix: 50/50 Fluval Stratum + perlite.

Lindsay tucks the corms two-thirds of the way into the medium, leaves the tips peeking out, sprays everything down so it’s evenly moist, and then covers the container to create a 100% humidity mini-greenhouse. Set it and kind of forget it (because you still need to take a peek sometimes.)

 

 

Waiting for Your Corm

This is not a fast process. Lindsay admits she's “time blind” because she's always got 50 species going at once, but here's the general timeline:

• 2 weeks: Roots start (you might not see them)
• 2-4 weeks: First sprout appears
• 1-2 months more: First real leaf shows up

Once you have one good leaf, you can transplant.

 

 

Hardening Off Your Baby Alocasia

Your corm has sprouted, grown its first leaf or two, and is pressing against the plastic dome. Now it’s time to graduate it into real plant life.

If you’ve been propagating in solid medium (moss, perlite, Fluval), the transition to soil or semi-hydro is smoother. Pot it up, but remember: it’s been living in with 100% humidity. If your home is more like 40%, ease the plant into it. Take the lid off your container for a week or two, slowly lowering the humidity before letting it live in open air.

Alocasia polly will probably adjust fine. More delicate species like azlanii or chaii will always want higher humidity, so plan accordingly.

 

 

Common Mistakes to Avoid for Corms

• Letting corms dry out
• Too much water, especially with moss
• Planting upside down
• Starting with bad corms, so always check for firmness before you plant.

 

 

You Should Try Corm Propagation for Your Alocasia!

Corm propagation isn't rocket science, but it does require patience and consistency. If you can keep things moist and humid for a couple months, you'll probably succeed.

Don’t worry because alocasias are surprisingly forgiving once you understand what they need. Plus, a single mature plant can give you dozens of corms.

 

 

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Growing Joy Episode 289: How to Propagate Plants in Fluval Stratum with Lindsay Sisti
• Book: The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation
• Why Did My Alocasia Corm* Die?
• Alocasia Enthusiasts | Facebook
• LECHUZA-PON Plant Substrate 12 liter

 

 

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

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Go to manukora.com/bloom to get 25% off the starter kit that includes their 850+ Manukora honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook.

 

 

 

 

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