Alocasia cuprea red secret care, propagation – All you need to know

Do you have the proper guideline regarding Red Secret, one of the rarest species of Alocasia cuprea? If the answer is no, then this article is for you.

Though Alocasia cuprea red secret is a low-maintenance plant, several dangerous conditions can kill this plant. Alocasia cuprea requires well-aerated soil with average watering to flourish. Special attention should be given while using fertilizer and its placement inside your house.

For your ease, we have provided all of the necessary information in this article. Therefore, go through the article and find what you were looking for.

Alocasia Cuprea Red Secret overview

Scientific name	Alocasia Cuprea
Family	Araceae
Origin	tropical Borneo and Malaysia
Common name	mirror plant and jewel plant
Plant height	12 to 18 inches
Plant type	Lowland tropical plant
Leaf	leaves are vivid coppery green in color with purple undersides, have a rigid, plastic-like look, grow from 8 inches to 3 feet
Propagation	Root division
Sunlight	Bright indirect light
Watering	On average, once in every two weeks
Humidity	80% to 95%.
Temperature	During daytime: 50F (10C) to 85F (29C)During the night: 54F (12C) to 65F (18C)
Growth zone	In USDA Zones 3 to 11

Where to buy Alocasia cuprea red secret? 

Alocasia cuprea red secret is a rare houseplant, so you won’t find it everywhere. You may search in the local nurseries around your region. Otherwise, you may purchase it from online plant shops or websites. For your convenience, you can buy from ETSY.

Alocasia cuprea red secret care

Alocasia cuprea plants are easy plants to care for. You don’t have to do anything special to keep your plant thriving. To make your life easy with alocasia cuprea we have provided some guidelines below:

Light requirement for Alocasia cuprea red secret 

Alocasia cuprea Red Secret thrives well in indirect light. The leaves may scorch or turn yellow if they receive direct sunlight. And in some cases, the leaves may die. The best way to get sufficient light for your alocasia cuprea is to place it in an east or north-facing window.

Watering guide for Alocasia cuprea red secret

Alocasia cuprea requires average watering. It should be taken care that the soil is always moist but not wet otherwise it can cause root rot. Watering every two weeks during the growing season is recommended.

Over-watering and under-watering are very dangerous for your plant. One of the biggest causes for concern from over-watering is root rot. As oxygen can’t get through under waterlogging conditions. 

Best soil for Alocasia cuprea red secret

Soil is the medium for root anchorage and food. Therefore, well-drained healthy rooting media should be used for your alocasia cuprea to get beautiful foliage. You can use lightweight ingredient coir fiber and perlite as potting media which can hold three times its’ weight in water. You can also use sphagnum peat moss as rooting media, but the former is more suitable. 

Ideal temperature for Alocasia cuprea red secret 

During the day, your Alocasia cuprea plant needs a temperature range of 50F (10C) to 85F (29C). At night, the plant needs a temperature range of 54F (12C) to 65F (18C).

Keep them also away from radiators and heating systems because they can also dry out.

Optimum humidity for Alocasia cuprea red secret

For Alocasia cuprea red secret, it’s best to keep the humidity between 80% and 95%.

To maintain suitable humid conditions, the pebble tray method can be used. First, fill a tray halfway with pebbles. Then, pour water. The water should not be able to pass through the pebbles. As the water evaporates, humidity is created for your plant.

Best fertilizer for Alocasia cuprea red secret

The Alocasia cuprea plants are super heavy feeders. It is recommended to use Liquid fertilizers every two weeks during the growing season. all-purpose houseplant fertilizer can be used, but one this should be kept in mind is that you need to dilute the fertilizer to its half-strength.

Alocasia cuprea red secret propagation

You can propagate your beautiful Alocasia cuprea through either stem cutting or root division. But root division is the ideal method for its propagation.

Propagation through root division

Removal of mother plant: Remove the mother plant from the pot with care so as not to damage the root system.

Separating the baby clumps: Dust off any remaining soil on the plant’s roots and examine it. There will be a few different clumps of roots. Shake some of these baby offsets or roots apart. You can cut root clumps from the parent by using a disinfected knife.

Preparation of rooting media: Prepare the soil and the pot. The bottom of the container should have drainage holes.

Transferring and placement of the baby clumps: Transfer both bulbs into the already prepared new pot. Place the pot beside an east-facing window to get enough sunlight. Treat the plant in the same way that you would a mature plant. Then, you will see the plant thriving in a few weeks.

Repotting of Alocasia Cuprea red secret

Alocasia ‘Red Secret’ is repotted at certain intervals as the plants get matured and turn too big for their original pot and the roots also need to stretch out. It should be done after two years.

And spring is the best time to repot.

Pruning of Alocasia Cuprea red secret

Pruning is done to maintain the alocasia cuprea in good shape. it would be best if you pruned any leaves that are old, discolored, damaged or withering. At the beginning of each growing season, take out your pruning shears, disinfect them and prune the damaged foliage of your Alocasia, which will make your plant healthier.

Why is the Alocasia Cuprea red secret root rotting?

Alocasia cuprea red secret is prone to overwatering and root rot therefore well aerated soil is required otherwise roots will not be able to breathe. Gradually the roots will start rotting. And if root rot isn’t treated right away, all the roots become rotted. Consequently, your Alocasia Cuprea would die.

Why are my Alocasia Cuprea red secret leaves yellowing?

The stunning leaves on this plant are prone to yellow from sitting in direct light for a long time. Another reason for Alocasia cuprea leaves to turn yellow is over-watering your plant. If the water is too saturated leaves may turn yellow.

So, water your Alocasia when 25-50% of the soil volume is dry!

Why are my Alocasia Cuprea red secret leaves burning?

Sometimes liquid fertilizer is used because the plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil. But it is advisable not to fertilize your plant during the winter season because salt from the fertilizer will build up on the leaves of your Alocasia cuprea. The build-up of salt burns the leaves of your plant.

Alocasia Cuprea red secret vs Alocasia Nebula

Red Secret is a stunning Alocasia with coppery-green color leaves. As the leaves mature, they turn a darker color and almost look metallic. On the other hand, Alocasia Nebula has fascinating silvery gray or deep blue leaves with two lines of patterning. It has thick and exquisite type of leaves.

Alocasia Cuprea red secret vs Alocasia ‘dragon scale’?

Alocasia ‘dragon scale’ looks great next to your Alocasia cuprea. Alocasia cuprea has coppery green colored leaves with purple undersides on the other hand dragon scale is a lovely evergreen plant with an oval shape and large silver-green foliage. A darker vein can be found near the top of the leaf in case of dragon scale.

FAQ

Are Alocasia cuprea plants toxic to animals?

Alocasia cuprea plants are toxic to humans and pets as they have a lot of calcium oxalate crystals. Ingestion causes difficulty swallowing, drooling, and vomiting. The crystals can also cause irritate one’s skin if he/she is not careful.

How can I make Alocasia cuprea grow additional leaves?

Alocasia cuprea needs good light and humidity to thrive. You’ll need to mist the leaves frequently without leaving the leaves wet. For larger leaves, ensure you find an optimal location where your plant can get constant access to indirect sunlight as this will help boost foilage size.

Final thoughts

The Alocasia Cuprea Red Secret is a highly decorative and rare tropical plant. But at the same time, these plants are easy to care for and you don’t have to do anything special to keep your plant thriving. But you must be concerned regarding the following points:

• Maintain well-drained, aerated rooting media
• High humid condition
• Average watering to prevent root rot
• Optimum fertilizer application 

We have discussed all the information in detail, other than this, we have mentioned the propagation method so that you can get more of it and enjoy gardening by sharing it with your family and friends.

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