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Alocasia Micholitziana ‘Frydek,’ more commonly known as the Alocasia Frydek, is a beautiful and sought-after Alocasia cultivar. In this post, you’ll learn all about Alocasia Frydek care, propagation, and more.
Where can I buy an Alocasia Frydek?
You can easily find an Alocasia Frydek for sale on Etsy. Check out this gorgeous Alocasia Frydek from one of my favorite Etsy shops!
How do you care for Frydek?
Alocasia Frydek care is similar to other Alocasias. It prefers bright, indirect light and remaining consistently moist. Maintaining a consistent moisture level is key to keeping your Frydek happy, as too wet and it could develop root rot, or too dry and it could enter dormancy.
How much light does an Alocasia Frydek need?
This Alocasia does best with bright, indirect. Do not put it in direct light or it could hurt the leaves. Too little light could lead to long, leggy stems.
A great way to increase light and make your plants happier is by using a grow light. I have nearly all my plants underneath grow lights. Below are two of my favorites!
When should you water an Alocasia Frydek?
Alocasia Frydek likes to remain somewhat moist, so water it when the top inch of the potting mix is dry.
Try not to keep it too wet or you could be putting your plant at risk of root rot. Letting it dry out too much for too long could trigger it to enter dormancy.
To minimize the risk of root rot, always stick your finger down into the potting mix to feel the moisture level before you decide to water.
What kind of potting mix does Alocasia Frydek need?
Alocasia Frydek just needs a well-draining potting mix. You can use a general indoor plant potting mix with a handful or two of perlite mixed in.
Fertilizing
Alocasias are typically heavy feeders, and the Frydek is no different. You can fertilize this plant every other week during the growing season (the spring and summer), using a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted by half.
Temperature
Alocasia Frydek prefers warmer temperatures but it will be fine in normal temperatures. Don’t let it get too cold, however. Once the temperature goes below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15.5 degrees Celcius), your Alocasia could start to enter dormancy.
So, make sure to keep it away from cold areas or drafts in the wintertime, like on a windowsill, for example.
Does Alocasia Frydek need humidity?
Alocasia Frydek is native to tropical regions, so yes, they do like humidity. You can provide your plant with humidity using a few different methods, but the easiest (and my favorite) is simply using a humidifier.
I really love the humidifier below because it can last up to 96 hours!
Repotting
You won’t need to repot you Alocasia Frydek too often. A general rule of thumb is to repot them every other year, because, while they can tolerate being a little rootbound, they won’t be happy if allowed to get extremely rootbound.
If your plant has roots coming out of the drainage holes or if the roots are all coiled around the outside of the soil when you slip the plant out of its pot, then it’s rootbound.
When repotting, use a pot the next size up that has good drainage, and try to repot during the growing season (spring and summer), if possible.
Pruning
Alocasia Frydek doesn’t require a lot of pruning. Just gently remove any dead or dying leaves. If you can’t pull them off, use clean, sharp scissors to cut them back down to the base of the stem.
Does Alocasia Frydek go dormant?
Alocasia Frydek often goes dormant during the winter. If you see some leaf drop, droopiness, or just a general unhealthy-looking plant around that time, this is normal. It will come out of dormancy once spring arrives.
While it’s dormant, you should not be watering it as much as usual. Instead, let the top two inches of the potting mix dry out before watering. Add only a little bit of water rather than saturating the soil.
If you’re not sure, then wait a little longer. Less is more during dormancy.
Foliage and Flowers
Alocasia Frydek is also known as the Alocasia Green Velvet because of its dark-green, velvet-looking leaves. White veins contrast the deep-green color.
This plant occasionally flowers in the form of a spathe and spadix, but the Frydek is grown for its foliage and not its flowers.
Problems, Pests, and Diseases
Problems
- Drooping and wilting – Alocasia Frydek stores water in its stems, so droopiness is usually caused by underwatering. Once the stems are filled with water they will perk back up. Wilting can also be caused by overwatering, so always stick your finger into the potting mix to feel for moisture and determine the cause.
- Yellow leaves – This could be a sign of either overwatering or underwatering. Again, be sure to feel the potting mix to determine the cause.
- Losing leaves – Don’t be alarmed by leaf loss. As the plant grows new leaves it will eventually lose the lower-most leaves. It will also lose some leaves as it enters dormancy.
- Brown tips – Dry conditions (either dry soil or too little humidity), or too much direct sun can cause brown, crispy tips and edges.
Pests
Although you won’t have to deal with pest problems too often, spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, scale, and thrips are all potential pests for Alocasia Frydek.
For general pest control, I really like Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control, as well as an insecticidal soap. Be sure to read the instructions on the labels first and use caution if you have pets or kids.
Diseases
- Root Rot – This is caused by consistent overwatering and a constantly wet plant. Again, you should always stick your finger down into the soil BEFORE watering your plant to determine if it even needs to be watered in the first place.
- Leaf Spot – This is rarer, but if your plant is suffering from leaf spot, use sharp, sterilized scissors to prune off the infected parts of the plant before it spreads. Quarantine this plant from others while it’s sick. Then, use a fungicide to treat the plant. Read the instructions on the label first and use caution if you have pets or kids.
- Making sure the leaves aren’t constantly wet will help to prevent leaf spot in the first place. If you accidentally get water on the leaves, just wipe it away with a cloth.
How do you propagate Alocasia Frydek?
You can propagate Alocasia Frydek by division or by digging up and replanting its corms. In order to minimize stress on the plant, both these methods are often done while you’re repotting.
Alocasia Frydek Propagation by Division
If you have an Alocasia growing multiple stems, you can separate it into sections and repot each section.
Remove your plant from its pot and identify one or more sections you want to separate. Gently untangle the roots from each other. If you need to cut them, use clean, sharp scissors or a knife, but try to keep most of the roots intact.
Pot up the different sections into appropriately sized pots with good drainage, water your new plants, and care for them how you normally would. Note that they might be in a state of shock and may need some time to adjust before starting to grow again.
Division may not be very exciting, but it’s certainly easy!
Alocasia Frydek Propagation by Corms
Another way of propagating Alocasias is by removing the corms and using them to grow new plants.
If you have a mature plant, you should definitely have some corms to work with. But note that you might not have any with a young plant.
To do this, remove your plant from its pot and gently search around the roots in the potting mix for some small, round chunks. These are the corms!
Using a pair of clean, sharp scissors or a knife, snip the corm away from the main root it’s attached to, snipping close to the corm and keeping the majority of the root attached to the main plant.
If you can, gently peel away the outer-most layer of the corm (it will be dark brown and then lighter on the inside). This will help the corm root and sprout faster.
To root the corms, you can place them into a small amount of water. Use a small container like a bottle cap or shot glass and add a few drops of water so the corm is sitting in the water but the top of the corm is not underwater.
Give them bright, indirect light and keep the humidity high by covering them with clear plastic wrap or using another humidity method of your choice. Remove the plastic wrap for a little every few days to give them some fresh air.
After one to two weeks, you should see little roots sprouting from the corms, and eventually, a new bud coming from the top! Once you have a little plant growing, you can plant it into potting mix, water it, and start caring for it like a normal plant.
In Potting Mix
Instead of water propagation, you can also try burying the corms in moist potting mix, keeping it moist but not wet, until you see little plants sprouting. However, from my personal experience and what I’ve heard from others, you’ll have better success rooting them in water.
In the above photo, you can see what the corms will look like once they’ve grown significant roots and the baby plant is forming.
These are NOT Frydeks—I’m growing seven baby Alocasia Pollys (Alocasia Amazonicas)—but they provide a good example of what growing your Alocasias from corms will look like.
Additional Information
Is Alocasia Frydek rare?
Yes, the Alocasia Frydek is considered rare. It more readily available online as opposed to at your local plant shop.
Is Alocasia Frydek an indoor plant?
Yes, Alocasia Frydek makes just as good of an indoor plant as it does an outdoor plant. Besides, it can only grow outside in warmer climates. You can also do both—grow it as a houseplant but move it outside in the summer when it’s warm.
Is Alocasia Frydek toxic?
Yes, Alocasia Frydek is toxic so keep it out of your pets’ reach!
How big does Alocasia Frydek grow?
In optimal conditions, Alocasia Frydek has the potential to grow two to three feet in height, but will most likely only grow to around two feet in height when grown as a houseplant.
Its growth rate is moderate to fast in optimal conditions.
Similar Varieties and Species
Other similar Alocasias include Alocasia longiloba and Alocasia sanderiana, but the one that people confuse the Frydek with the most the Alocasia Polly (also known as Alocasia Amazonica).
Alocasia Frydek and Alocasia Polly have a few distinct differences:
- The Polly has more defined ridges along the outline of its leaves
- The Frydek is typically larger than the Polly
- The Polly has shinier leaves while the Frydek is more matte or velvet looking
- The Frydek usually has slightly wider leaves
There is also an Alocasia Frydek variegated form. This one is extremely rare and is sought after for its dark green and light green to white variegation.
Patricia I Hazen says
Great info, I have several Alocasia and am propagating some corms now. Always nice to have a confirmation of my research.