How to grow alocasia bulbs

You found a bunch of bulbs in your alocasias, now what? In this blog post, I'll show you how I sprouted alocasia bulbs. All you need is New Zealand sphagnum moss, a clear take-out container, a butter knife.

Where do you find alocasia bulbs?

Your alocasias may be producing bulbs under the surface. When you're doing some repotting, check what's below the surface. I usually find a few bulbs once a year.

How to sprout alocasia bulbs:

Step 1: Scrape off the outer brown coat of each bulb

You can use a butter knife, any edge to scrape off the outer brown coat. Make sure not to remove any white flesh. If there are roots, preserve them.

Step 2: Prepare clear container & sphagnum moss

You will need a clear plastic container to plant the bulbs into. I keep the plastic containers from take-out orders, the ones for poke bowls are perfect for this!

Soak and ring out enough New Zealand sphagnum moss to fill the bottom of the container. It is very important that the moss is very humid.

Step 3: Plant the bulbs

Most important step: plant the bulbs, the right way up! The easiest way to tell which is the bottom is to find the long tail connection to the mother plant i.e., the rhizome.

Step 4: Place in warm sunny place

Close the container and place in a warm and sunny place. I kept mine on my desk in a sunny window. Make sure the moss is always moist.

Be patient! You can open the container every now and then for some fresh air, but it's imperative that the moss stay evenly moist ALWAYS!

For a timelapse of alocasia bulb growth, please check out my stories on Instagram.