How to care for a ZZ plant? These care tips you need to master
The care of the ZZ plant is simple if you call it complex, as it is drought-tolerant and tough, and can go one or two weeks without watering; yet if you call it simple, it is also quite complex, since it has quite a few requirements in various aspects.
1. It prefers a warm, hot and slightly dry, semi-shady environment with little annual average climate change. It is relatively drought-tolerant, but afraid of cold, and avoids strong direct sunlight, and is afraid of heavy clay soil and water accumulation in the pot. Its optimal growth temperature is 20-32°C, and whether potted or planted in the ground, it requires little annual average temperature variation. It requires loose, fertile soil that drains well, is rich in organic matter, and is acidic to slightly acidic. The soil is best as peat, coconut coir, and perlite in a ratio of 4:1:0.5, among which the coconut coir and perlite need to be soaked in water to remove harmful substances, and after mixing the medium soil, disinfect it with 1000 times diluted thiophanate-methyl. Watering should follow the principle of watering again only when dry, alternating dry and wet; in winter water about once every half a month, in spring and autumn once a week, and in summer spray once every 3 days.
2. The ZZ plant likes light and also has strong shade tolerance, so it should be provided with an environment that has good sunlight but also a certain degree of shade. It avoids strong direct light, and especially should avoid the scorching sun exposure after long rain and first clearing in late spring and early summer, and the 5-6 hours of unobstructed strong light baking around noon in summer, otherwise the newly sprouted tender leaves are very easily burned. It also relatively likes fertilizer; besides adding an appropriate amount of decomposed cake fertilizer or compound fertilizer to the growing soil, during the growing season you can apply 2-3 times a month a mixed solution of 02.% urea plus 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate. When the temperature drops below 15°C, all forms of topdressing should be stopped, so as to avoid fertilizer damage to the roots under low-temperature conditions.
3. Usually the ZZ plant is propagated by separating the small offsets with small bulbs produced on the mother tuber; a large plant can produce only 2-5 offsets per year, so the propagation coefficient is low and the speed is slow. ZZ plant leaf cuttings root easily in the substrate and can be used for propagation. Each mature compound leaf has 15-25 leaflets, and if used for propagation this can greatly increase the propagation rate. The ZZ plant has a huge tuber, which sprouts numerous buds and forms many small tubers; the compound leaves have a lifespan of more than 2-3 years and are constantly renewed by new leaves.
As long as you are attentive, the ZZ plant can thrive under your care. Friends who like it must not be lazy.
Is the ZZ plant easy to grow? ZZ plant care tips
The ZZ plant, just hearing its name carries a very auspicious meaning, and everyone likes it very much. Quite a few flower lovers want to grow it, but worry about whether the ZZ plant is easy to grow. Actually, the editor tells everyone that as long as you master the care tips for the ZZ plant, it is not difficult to grow.
Is the ZZ plant easy to grow?
To know whether the ZZ plant is easy to grow, you must understand its growth habits.
The ZZ plant likes a warm, hot and slightly dry, semi-shady environment with little annual average temperature change. It is relatively drought-tolerant, but afraid of cold, and avoids strong direct sunlight. It has relatively high soil requirements and should be grown in loose, fertile, well-draining soil rich in organic matter that is acidic to slightly acidic.
ZZ plant care tips
1. It prefers a warm, hot and slightly dry, semi-shady environment with little annual average climate change. It is relatively drought-tolerant, but afraid of cold, and avoids strong direct sunlight, and is afraid of heavy clay soil and water accumulation in the pot. Its optimal growth temperature is 20-32°C, and whether potted or planted in the ground, it requires little annual average temperature variation. It requires loose, fertile soil that drains well, is rich in organic matter, and is acidic to slightly acidic. The soil is best as peat, coconut coir, and perlite in a ratio of 4:1:0.5, among which the coconut coir and perlite need to be soaked in water to remove harmful substances, and after mixing the medium soil, disinfect it with 1000 times diluted thiophanate-methyl. Watering should follow the principle of watering again only when dry, alternating dry and wet; in winter water about once every half a month, in spring and autumn once a week, and in summer spray once every 3 days.
2. The ZZ plant likes light and also has strong shade tolerance, so it should be provided with an environment that has good sunlight but also a certain degree of shade. It avoids strong direct light, and especially should avoid the scorching sun exposure after long rain and first clearing in late spring and early summer, and the 5-6 hours of unobstructed strong light baking around noon in summer, otherwise the newly sprouted tender leaves are very easily burned. It also relatively likes fertilizer; besides adding an appropriate amount of decomposed cake fertilizer or compound fertilizer to the growing soil, during the growing season you can apply 2-3 times a month a mixed solution of 02.% urea plus 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate. When the temperature drops below 15°C, all forms of topdressing should be stopped, so as to avoid fertilizer damage to the roots under low-temperature conditions.
3. Usually the ZZ plant is propagated by separating the small offsets with small bulbs produced on the mother tuber; a large plant can produce only 2-5 offsets per year, so the propagation coefficient is low and the speed is slow. ZZ plant leaf cuttings root easily in the substrate and can be used for propagation. Each mature compound leaf has 15-25 leaflets, and if used for propagation this can greatly increase the propagation rate. The ZZ plant has a huge tuber, which sprouts numerous buds and forms many small tubers; the compound leaves have a lifespan of more than 2-3 years and are constantly renewed by new leaves.
Potted ZZ plant care tips
The ZZ plant is a foliage plant. Because its name implies "money", many people like to keep one at home; it can purify the air, decorate the home, and also carries a very good omen, achieving three things at once. Today the editor will talk about potted care of the ZZ plant.
Light
The ZZ plant likes light and also has strong shade tolerance, so you should create for it an environment with good sunlight but also slight shade. The ZZ plant cannot be exposed to too strong sunlight and is not suitable for growing under strong light; it avoids strong direct light. It is best placed beside a window where there is a shade object, so that it can fully receive sunlight without the leaves being burned by scorching sun. The shading effect of the shade object should best reach 60%; excessive darkness will cause the leaves to turn yellow.
Watering
The ZZ plant likes an environment that is both moist and slightly dry. When the temperature reaches above 33°C, you should spray the plant with water once a day. Keep the potting soil slightly moist and on the dry side. In winter, pay attention to spraying water on the leaf surface and the surrounding environment; it is best to keep the relative air humidity above 50%.
Soil
It has strong drought resistance and needs soil with good permeability. You can mix peat, coarse sand or rinsed coal cinders with a small amount of garden soil, and adjust its pH to between 6-6.5, in a slightly acidic state.
Pest and disease control
Pest damage: in poorly ventilated and poorly lit environments, ZZ plant leaves are prone to piercing and sucking damage by scale insects. For a small number grown at home, you can use transparent tape to stick off the pests, or use a wet cloth to wipe off the live pests. For commercial cultivation, during the peak hatching period of the nymphs, spray 1000 times diluted 20% buprofezin wettable powder, which gives good insecticidal results.