Big leaves, long petioles, and thirsting endlessly- our humble would-be giant alocasia are not only a crows favourite but a beloved genus amongst many folks from greenhouses to landscapers to aquarists. These greatly varied aroids are in demand of a very moisture retentive soil, and barring the heinous peat moss of the world- soil ninja created the perfect blend to keep these ever so slightly demanding botany babes ever so comfortable and ever so happy. Using a blend of: coco coir, vermiculite, bark, zeolite, worm castings, activated charcoal. This careful blend has some fantastically aligned behaviours that compliment alocasia, vermiculite becomes our best friend for storing moisture then slowly and delicately releasing it back into the mix. The addition of bark increased surface areas throughout the blend which both acts as microbial hotspots for beneficial bacteria and fungi but also makes the general ph just slightly lower, which is the goldilocks for the meaty and sensitive roots of alocasia- this heightened moisture is also coupled with activated charcoal to fend off any potential impurities which can lead to browning leaves, rotting roots and improve the immune system of the plant! Don’t have an alocasia but have another thirsty aroid? Perhaps a xanthostema? A cyrtosperma? Our alocasia mix is for you! This mixture contains a variety of moisture retaining elements. To balance the soil plenty of aerating components are present in the blend to allow for excellent oxygen supply to the roots. We have added bark to this mixture too to provide organic material for the beneficial microbes, bacteria and mycelium to feed from which in turn creates a healthy underground ecosystem for the plant to root into. What alocasia want from their soil: alocasia need moisture in their soil. If the substrate is left dry for even a relatively short amount of time, this can result in losing leaves. The majority of components in this blend are moisture retentive in nature. It is important that plenty of air is available to the roots as they will be growing through a moist substrate. The vermiculite, bark and zeolite will provide plenty of air chambers scattered throughout the pot. As with all of our premium mixes a population of positive bacteria, mycelium and microfauna is present in the substrate to create the potted ecosystem which keeps your plant healthy! Enough nutrients for the first 2 months of growth is also in every bag along with our specialist nutrient storage component, zeolite.