What are the propagation methods for the ZZ plant?
The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), also known as Zanzibar gem, is a perennial herbaceous plant with very high ornamental value. It can be found almost everywhere, and the ZZ plant has a very strong air-purifying effect that can improve air quality. Nowadays, the planting area of the ZZ plant is becoming wider and wider, so how should we propagate it when growing ZZ plants? Below, the editor has brought you the propagation methods for the ZZ plant. Let's take a look!
1. Leaf cutting propagation
The tubers of the ZZ plant are very large. During growth, the tubers often produce new small tubers, forming compound leaves. The lifespan of a compound leaf can reach about 2 years, and it can continuously renew itself. Therefore, we can propagate through the small plantlets newly grown from the mother stem. A compound leaf has about 20 leaflets. First, cut off the small leaflets at different growth stages, select leaflets of different shapes, and insert them vertically and flatly into a sand bed. After cutting, water promptly to ensure sufficient moisture content. After about two months, the petiole gradually swells and new roots grow. Although leaf cutting propagation has a high rooting rate, the number produced by the mother plant each year is not high, so the propagation speed is relatively slow.
2. Cutting propagation
Cutting propagation mainly uses a single leaf or leaf axis for propagation. The cutting medium can be fine sand, soil, etc. When cutting, insert the cutting about half its depth into the medium, leaving the leaf outside. After cutting, water thoroughly and then maintain a certain degree of shade. Keep the temperature at around 26 degrees, and according to the moisture content of the medium, spray water appropriately to keep the medium moist. But do not overwater, to prevent waterlogging from causing the cuttings to rot and affecting the survival rate of the cuttings. About half a month after cutting, a corm can form at the base of the leaf, and after about 3 months of careful management, it becomes an independent plant. Although cutting propagation has a high rooting rate, the seedling formation rate is relatively low.
3. Division propagation
First, dig out a robustly growing ZZ plant completely, then shake off the soil from the roots. Observe the distribution of the tubers, break off the softer parts, then apply some sulfur powder and the like to the wounds mainly to promote wound healing. Then plant the divided plants separately. When planting, pay attention to the depth, which should not be too deep; keeping it at about two cm is sufficient. In addition, the tubers of the ZZ plant have latent buds, so we can also divide the tubers into small pieces with latent buds. Promote wound healing, then bury them in fine sand, manage them carefully, and when they take root and grow normally, they become an independent plant.
The above is a brief introduction to the propagation methods of the ZZ plant. There are many propagation methods for the ZZ plant, but division is mainly used. Although the other two have fast rooting speeds, they are both unfavorable for large-scale propagation, so everyone must pay more attention. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.