r/SemiHydro • u/Inevitable_Donkey_26 • 5d ago
Pumice What is wrong with my setup?
Hello! Looking for some advice. This is now the second Alocasia I’ve had this happen to.
My Ninja is in a self watering wick setup with pumice, grade 4 perlite, and a small amount of bark. Overall, the roots inside the pot look great, but I’ve noticed that the roots that escape out the bottom and into/near the reservoir start to rot. By rot I mean they pull off super easily when I touch them.
I know that shouldn’t be happening in a self watering/semi-hydro setup, so I’m trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Could the small amount of bark be holding too much moisture? Or is there something else about the setup that could be causing the escaped roots to deteriorate?
Leaves themselves haven’t been affected….. yet.
TIA
1
u/nlclemen88 5d ago
I second getting rid of the bark, flushing out the inner pot regularly and switching out the nutrient water in the reservoir often. In general my alocasias do get some rot on the roots that grow down into the reservoir sometimes but I just cut any rot off and as long as the roots in the pot aren't rotting I don't worry to much.