Alocasia Amazonia Polly Care Guide
POLLY THE ALOCASIA POLLY (Alocasia Amazonica or African Mask Plant)
Also known as the elephant ear plant. The Alocasia Polly is native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia.
LIGHTING 
Polly prefers filtered or bright indirect sunlight. Polly is very sensitive to bright light and should be placed at least one metre away from a south facing window. Use Sasha (Strelizia Nicolas) and Carlos (Cactus) as a barrier to break up the intensity of light.
WATERING 
Polly is not drought tolerant and prefers regular watering. Check the first two inches of soil and only water when the soil is dry. A good indication that Polly is ready for a drink will be that her nursery pot is very light to pick up indicating she absorbed a lot of the moisture in her pot. The amount of water used will depend on how much light she gets. Her watering schedule should be reduced in the winter months when she goes into dormancy.
HUMIDITY 
Polly should be placed in a humid room. Place her by a humidifier or in a bathroom. Find out how you can increase humidity here.
TEMPERATURE 
Polly is not a hardy plant and will drop her foliage if placed in a cold room. Keep the room between 18-25ºC and keep Polly away from open windows and radiators.
FERTILISER 
Polly can be fertilised once a month in the growing season from March-September. Do not fertilise her in the winter months.
REPOTTING 
Polly can stay in her nursery pot for 1-2 years at a time. Polly doesn’t mind being a little root bound - in fact for species like these, this is a good sign of a healthy root system. The best way to tell if Polly needs repotting is by checking the bottom of her nursery pot and only repotting if plenty of roots are pushing through the holes.
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR ALOCASIA POLLY
Brown/crispy edges - Crispy or dry edges could be a sign of two things.
- Lack of humidity. If Polly is placed in a dry room she will turn brown, go into survival mode and drop some of his foliage.
- Occasionally Polly’s leaves will turn brown/yellow if they have been scorched from the sun. Keep Polly away from any direct sunlight and at least 1 metre away from the window.
Drooping leaves - Very often Polly will droop her foliage when she is ready for a drink. Check the first inch or two of her soil and only water when it is dry.
Yellow leaves - Some yellowing is normal but if this is a continuous problem then it might be a sign to reduce her watering schedule. Any wet or soggy soil will cause Polly’s foliage to yellow or brown.
Leaning or uneven growth - If Polly is in low/medium light she may start to lean towards her light source. Move her closer to a window where she can get more light.
OUR TOP 3 CARE TIPS 
Top tip 1: When Polly is growing new leaves it’s important to water her more frequently as she will be using more energy.
Top tip 2: It’s really common for Polly to lose a few leaves while she gets used to her new home. Avoid moving her around too much as this will prevent her from settling in and cause further leaf loss.
Top tip 3: Polly has a fast leaf turnover and will drop a few stems when she is making room for new growth.
