Leucocasia gigantea 'Laosy Giant'

This Alocasia prefers soft water and should therefore be watered with distilled water, rainwater, or water from an osmosis system. If watered with (hard) tap water, regular flushing with soft water approximately every 3 months helps prevent limescale buildup in the substrate.

It should never completely dry out, but how moist it likes to be heavily depends on the (substrate) temperature. In summer and above 25°C, it can be kept consistently moist to wet. If it is kept as a houseplant (especially on a windowsill), it should be watered sparingly in winter, as the combination of colder temperatures and moisture can weaken it and lead to rot. We recommend placing it on a heating mat in winter, then it can continue to be watered normally.

This is a rather slow-growing species that doesn't need too much fertilizer. As a houseplant, it can be fertilized during the growing season from approximately April to October with a good complete fertilizer (N-P-K + trace elements) for houseplants, such as Wuxal Universal Fertilizer about every 2 weeks. We recommend halving the dosage indicated by the manufacturer. This corresponds to about 500 µS/cm conductivity of fertilizer. The conductivity can be determined with a TDS meter.

In the autumn and winter months, fertilization should be reduced, as the plants do not get enough light to utilize the nutrients. Here, a very weak fertilization of about 100 – 200 µS/cm monthly is sufficient.

When caring for them under grow lights, they can be fertilized with about 500 µS/cm every 2 weeks throughout the year.

If they are only watered with soft water (e.g., when cared for in a terrarium), an additional calcium and magnesium fertilizer (so-called CalMag fertilizer) should be used.

Regular foliar fertilization with an iron fertilizer ensures even better leaf coloration, especially when the plants receive a lot of light.