Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Colocasia Pharaoh's Mask (Colocasia esculenta 'Pharaoh's Mask')— schedule & NPK
Also called Pharaoh's Mask taro.
More about colocasia pharaoh's mask
About Colocasia Pharaoh's Mask
Colocasia esculenta 'Pharaoh's Mask' · also called Pharaoh's Mask taro · tropical
Colocasia 'Pharaoh's Mask' is a dramatic elephant ear with deeply quilted, near-black leaves veined in metallic purple, held upright on dark stems. It demands warmth, strong light and constantly moist, rich soil, reaching 0.9-1.5 m. A bog-loving aroid, it overwinters as a dormant tuber in cooler climates.
Growth habit: Clumping, upright tropical perennial from a corm, forming a bold vase-shaped rosette of heavily quilted dark leaves on dark petioles.
What fertiliser colocasia pharaoh's mask actually wants — and why
Colocasia Pharaoh's Mask is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for colocasia pharaoh's mask: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed colocasia pharaoh's mask, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For colocasia pharaoh's mask:
Heavy feeder. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks in spring and summer, or a slow-release granular at planting. Stop feeding in autumn and through the dormant period. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 2 weeks — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when colocasia pharaoh's mask is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for colocasia pharaoh's mask
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for colocasia pharaoh's mask: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water colocasia pharaoh's mask first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the colocasia pharaoh's mask watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding colocasia pharaoh's mask
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for colocasia pharaoh's mask:
- Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering.
- A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge.
- Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed.
- Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself.
Signs you are under-feeding colocasia pharaoh's mask
- New leaves coming in noticeably smaller than older ones.
- Pale, yellow-green older leaves and slow growth through peak summer.
- A general loss of vigour and gloss in a plant that should be racing away.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full colocasia pharaoh's mask care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of colocasia pharaoh's mask with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for colocasia pharaoh's mask
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or fish-and-seaweed feed plus a yearly top-dress of worm castings supports fast growth without burn risk. UK: Westland seaweed or Baby Bio Organic; US: Neptune's Harvest or Espoma Indoor!.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced houseplant liquid at half strength applied frequently — UK: Baby Bio, Phostrogen or Westland Houseplant Feed; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro for steady leafy growth.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising colocasia pharaoh's mask — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does colocasia pharaoh's mask need?
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula. Colocasia Pharaoh's Mask is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
How often should I feed colocasia pharaoh's mask?
Heavy feeder. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks in spring and summer, or a slow-release granular at planting. Stop feeding in autumn and through the dormant period. Heavy feeder. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks in spring and summer, or a slow-release granular at planting. Stop feeding in autumn and through the dormant period. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 2 weeks — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
What strength of feed for colocasia pharaoh's mask?
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for colocasia pharaoh's mask: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
What does over-feeding colocasia pharaoh's mask look like?
Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering. A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge. Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed. Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself. The mistake here is the opposite of most houseplants: under-feeding a fast tropical in peak season starves it, leaving small, pale new leaves and slow growth — but full-strength doses still burn it, so feed often and weak, not occasionally and strong.
Should I flush the soil of colocasia pharaoh's mask?
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of colocasia pharaoh's mask with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Keep reading
- Colocasia Pharaoh's Mask care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water colocasia pharaoh's mask — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise monstera
- How to fertilise pothos
- How to fertilise fiddle leaf fig
- All 2464 fertilising guides in the Growli library