How to Propagate a ZZ Plant? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Propagation Methods
The ZZ plant is a herbaceous plant native to tropical Africa and belonging to the Araceae family. It grows in a tropical savanna climate and thrives in environments with plenty of sunlight and higher temperatures. Its propagation methods share similarities with those of other flowers and plants, mainly including division propagation and cutting propagation.
Division Propagation of the ZZ Plant
In April, when the outdoor temperature reaches above 18°C, take the large ZZ plant out of its pot, shake off most of the old soil, pull it apart at the weak points where the tubers join, apply sulfur powder or plant ash to the wounds, and repot the divisions separately. Be careful not to plant them too deep; simply bury the top of the tuber 1.5-2 cm below the soil surface.
In addition, because ZZ plant tubers have dormant buds, you can cut a large single tuber into small pieces each bearing 2-3 dormant buds. After the wounds have dried and healed, bury them first in slightly moist fine sand, and once the cut tuber pieces have grown into independent plants, pot them up and plant them.
Cutting Propagation of the ZZ Plant
Cuttings can be made from a single small leaflet, a section of leaf rachis with 2 leaves attached, or a bare section of leaf rachis. In terms of rooting results, cuttings made from a leaf rachis with leaves attached root faster, have a higher sprouting rate, and more easily form larger tubers. Insert a single leaf as a cutting into a mixed substrate of river sand and vermiculite; after 10-14 days, a small rooted bulb-like stem will form at the base of the leaf, and after 2-3 months of cultivation it can grow into a small plant, but under normal circumstances the survival rate of the resulting plants is not high.
If a leaf rachis or a leaf rachis with leaves is used as the cutting, the substrate can be ordinary fine sand, or a mix prepared from peat soil, perlite and river sand in a 3:1:1 ratio. Insert the cutting to a depth of 1/3-1/2 of its length, leaving only the leaves above the substrate. After spraying thoroughly with water, place it in a shaded spot, maintain an ambient temperature of 25°C-27°C, and mist the leaf surface 1-2 times a day depending on how dry or moist the substrate is, keeping the substrate slightly moist; it must never be excessively wet, otherwise the cutting will rot and the propagation will fail.
When the cutting has formed a certain root system, the middle of the root gradually swells to form a small bulbous tuber, and the tuber gradually enlarges. Some of the more tender cutting leaves, after being potted, will turn yellow and die due to high temperatures or poor water management, but the tuber can still survive; older mature leaves and cuttings with a whole leaf stalk can also stay green and vigorous. A small number of tubers can sprout and grow new leaves in the same year, but their growth is weak and slow; the following year the tuber will produce sturdy new shoots and grow normally.