Growing Variegated Alocasia Corms
- Yen Tran
- Jan 1
- 4 min read
What are corms and where do they come from?
I will not go into the biological details and keep this section very brief. Corms are how Alocasia reproduce; think of corms as "eggs". A mature mother plant will start producing corms through her rhizome, very similar to how roots are grown. Corms are usually buried inside the root ball, some are visible closer to the surface.
What to note:
Having an egg does not guarantee a chick, same principle for these corms. They need the right conditions and level care to "hatch". Variegated corms are more unpredictable as they do not always carry the "variegated" gene from the mother plant. Most of them do, but not all.
A healthy corm:
This is the first important step to maximize your chance of success. At Plantopia, we only harvest corms that have met certain size requirements. A healthy corm should be fresh and firm with visible eye (buds) where the new growth will emerge from.
Variegation Source
Know where your corm comes from! Although a corm-grown baby plant will not look exactly like its mother, but you want a general idea of what to expect. For example, a corm that came from an Aurea (yellow) variegated mother will not produce Albo (white) variegation. At Plantopia, we always include pictures of Mother plant so our buyers can refer to.
Planting a corm
Once harvested, a corm should be throughly cleaned and inspected for any damage.
Cleaning
Run the corm under fresh water to flush away any dirt/debris. Peel off the outer layer of the corm, this is something we do to encourage faster rooting. See before and after cleaning here https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCa_XWRxOh4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
A common advice is to dry out your corm before planting. I'd say it is not necessary to do so. Our corms are cleaned and planted immediately after harvest and our success rate is nothing short of impressive.
Choose your growing medium
Many different medias have been used for corms out there with great success; the world is your oyster. We recommend these 3 mediums: fresh sphagnum moss, perlite, fluval. These can be used on their own or as a mixture.
At Plantopia, we mainly use fluval stratum mix with perlite 50/50. This has proven to be the best setup for corm hatching so far.
Choose your pot
We always recommend using clear plastic pot for visibility of what's going on under the surface. Corms are small, they do not need a lot of room as of yet. Save your plastic to-go sauce/condiments container, they are perfect for corms. We have a whole complete guide to "Pots" here. https://www.plantopia-store.com/post/yes-the-pot-matters
Why buy our corms?
Getting a corm from Plantopia, we have handled all the steps above for you. Your corm arrives cleaned and potted in the best possible media as well as the most appropriate size pot, setting you up for the highest chance of success.
Providing the Optimal growing conditions for your corms
Once corms have been planted, the next step is to provide them with the best environment for "hatching" or shall we say, "spouting". These conditions need to be consistent, avoid fluctuations!
Light
Believe it or not, unsprouted corms do not need light. They can be placed in a shady area with consistent temperature and humidity. As soon as the corm has sprouted, abundant light is much needed. Place them under a grow light for best result.
Temperature
We find that corms are less sensitive to temperature compared to plants. We had corms sprouting at various different temperatures. However, the optimum temperature should be between 19-24 degree Celcius.
Humidity
We have learned that corms tend to take up roots and sprout faster in more humid conditions. The ideal humidity level is 65% or higher. Clear plastic containers with lids work wonders, you can also place one container up side down on top of another and make them a nice cozy home. Whatever setup you might choose, leave a small gap for air.
The Wait...
That Golden question we all ask - how long does it take corms to sprout?
Once your corm is planted and placed in an ideal environment, your work is pretty much over for now. The wait begins...
Time to sprouting depends on many factors. Other than the controllable elements of growing conditions, there are the genetic/physical properties that are beyond our control. We have corms that sprout within days of being planted. Some take longer, weeks or even months. Most of them eventually take to their nature's call - to geminate, grow and thrive. Once in while, there will be an odd one that never sprout. Just like how eggs that are laid by the same Hen, incubated and cared for equally by mother Hen, most of them will hatch, but not all.
Other Common Questions
Variegated Alocasia plants require bright, indirect light to maintain their leaf patterns and overall health:
Does corm need fertilizer to grow?
The answer is No. You do not need to fertilize your corm while it's rooting and sprouting. Once there is the 1st leaf (the plant is photosynthesizing), you can start to feed.
I see a layer of mold around my corm, does it mean the corm is rotten and no longer viable?
No it does not mean your corm is no longer viable. Simple clean, wash, and peel off the outer layer. Give it a gentle squeeze, as long as your corm is still firm to the touch, it's still a healthy corm.
Do variegations always reflect on the 1st leaf?
Your first baby leaf from a variegation corm does not always have variegations. Don't give up yet and wait for the 2nd leaf, or even the 3rd.
Once my corm have grown leaves, when should I transfer my baby plant to a bigger pot?
Your baby plant will be happy in its small pot for a while. Leave it be, let it grow more root and establish itself. We recommend transplanting when the root had taken over around 80% of the pot.
We hope you find this article useful. All the best of luck with your corm-venture :)
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