Causes of poor growth of Zamioculcas - description of the main treatment methods

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Kira Stoletova

Zamioculcas is often bred at home. The dollar tree is attractive for growing on your own due to its unpretentiousness and spectacular appearance. However, due to improper care and errors during transplantation, the flower does not grow or turns yellow. Let's look at how to avoid this, and what to do if the problem has already arisen?

Zamioculcas grows slowly

Features of the plant

Zamioculcas, or Dollar Tree, belongs to the Araceae family, and among its fellows is the only succulent. In nature, it is found in Madagascar and Africa, preferring dry sandy soils.

With prolonged drought, the flower stops growing, turns yellow and drops its leaves. Amateur gardeners often mistake these signs for death, although when watering is resumed, it acquires foliage again.

In fact, without water, this plant dies only when the underground tubers completely dry out. Evaporation of moisture from them occurs extremely slowly.

At home, only one species of Zamioculcas is grown - Zamioculcas Zamiifolia. It is distinguished by dark dense leaves, slow growth and inexpressive flowers that appear very rarely.

For decorative purposes, flower stalks are cut off immediately when they appear, since they are of no value.

3. Varieties and types:

3.1.Black Zamioculcas “Raven” - Zamioculcas Black “Raven”

A variety of indoor plant with glossy, very dark, purple-black leaves. The variety appeared quite recently - just a couple of years ago, but has already gained its fans and in 2022 won first place as the best new product at the International Tropical Plant Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale (USA, Florida). These plants need good lighting, since when grown in partial shade, the leaf color becomes standard - green.

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Causes of stunted growth and how to solve them

Zamioculcas is unpretentious. In most cases, a stop in the development of stems, if they previously grew normally, is due to improper care in general.

How Zamioculcas grows photo

Incorrectly selected container

If the pot is too large, Zamioculcas stops developing stems, completely focusing on growing roots and nodules. At the same time, it looks good in appearance: there is no yellowing or drying out. In this case, only time will help: in order for the plant to grow further, it is necessary to allow the roots to develop.

If the volume of the pot is insufficient, the tubers begin to press on each other, which causes the growth of arrows and leaves to stop. Here you cannot do without a transplant, otherwise the flower will begin to fade.

It is optimal if the diameter of the container is 3-5 cm greater than the width of the plant tubers. In this case, Zamioculcas will develop and grow normally.

Unsuitable soil

Zamioculcas prefers dry sandy soil with stones of different sizes. Such conditions make it possible to avoid the accumulation of moisture, which is detrimental to the plant tubers.

Poor soil requires infrequent application of fertilizers, especially those rich in nitrogen. It is necessary for the Dollar Tree stems to grow and develop normally.

Please note that the soil must be permeable to air. There should be drainage and holes at the bottom to drain excess liquid.

Under no circumstances should water accumulate in the pan, otherwise the flower will quickly get sick.

Incorrect watering frequency

Zamioculcas, like other succulents, does not need frequent watering or spraying. With excess moisture, it begins to rot and becomes easy prey for rot and parasites.

Zamioculcas does not grow reasons

The optimal frequency of watering is once every 12-15 days. Gardeners advise letting the soil dry completely and leaving it that way for 2-3 days. Such conditions are as close as possible to natural conditions for the Dollar Tree.

Over-drying a flower is undesirable, but not dangerous: in this case, it begins to wither, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. If you resume watering, new leaves will soon grow.

Moisture accumulates in underground tubers, so Zamioculcas can easily withstand long periods of time without water.

Wrong location

Zamioculcas prefers a well-lit place without drafts and wind, with low air humidity. If the position is incorrect, the following happens:

1. The bush no longer grows, the stems become thin and elongated. The reason is poor lighting, lack of sun. It is recommended to move the flower to the eastern windowsill or purchase a special lamp that imitates natural light. Ordinary incandescent light bulbs will not work; their lighting is not enough.
2. The bush stops growing, the leaves turn yellow, and yellow spots appear on the stem. The cause is sunburn. Most often it appears due to the refraction of light through drops of water that remain after spraying.
3. The growth of the bush slows down, the stems wrinkle. The reason is cold wind and drafts or damage to the root tuber due to parasites.
4. Drops form on the surface and the flower “cries”. The reason is high air humidity and poorly selected fertilizers.

Damage to the root system

Injury to the tuber during transplantation negatively affects its appearance: Zamioculcas stops growing, withers, leaves and stems turn yellow and wrinkle. Rot and parasites may appear due to the weakened immunity of the flower.

If you have any suspicions about the integrity of the root system, then it is better to play it safe and pull the nodules out of the ground.

Procedure for various types of damage:

1. When roots and nodules rot. Use a sharp knife to cut out any rotten areas to prevent the spread of the disease. Damaged roots should be cut off completely. Next, the root system is treated with a weak solution of manganese or a fungicide and left to dry for 2-3 days. The roots sprinkled with ash are transplanted into a new pot and fertilized with Kornevin. The old soil must be thrown away and the container must be disinfected.
2. If there is rot not only on the rhizome, but also on the stems, it is necessary to disinfect the entire plant. To do this, it is dipped in a fungicide solution for 20 minutes.
3. When the tubers dry out. Water if it has not been done for a long time. Replant if the root system is damaged due to the pot being too small.
4. If the tubers crack, they need to be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, allowed to dry briefly and moved to new soil. Fertilize with Kornevin and water.

Rest period

Under normal development and favorable conditions, the Dollar Tree may stop its growth due to falling asleep. The dormant period usually occurs in late autumn and winter.

Zamioculcas does not grow and does not die

In this case, you don’t need to do anything; the flower itself will wake up from hibernation closer to the warm season. It is worth caring for Zamioculcas less carefully: reduce watering, stop feeding.

Adaptation period

The adaptation period for the Dollar Tree begins if:

• you recently had a transplant;
• you just bought a new flower and brought it home;
• Zamioculcas was only cured of diseases or parasites were removed;
• the conditions of detention have changed, especially attention should be paid to air humidity and temperature.

During the adaptation period, the growth of stems and leaves stops; Zamioculcas needs time to resume development. Usually everything returns to normal within a week or two.

Why doesn't my succulent produce new shoots?

The most common reasons why a dollar tree has stopped producing new shoots in a bush include:

• The soil does not meet the requirements of Zamioculcas. All succulents prefer rocky-sandy soil; excess humus can cause problems in the development of the plant. In no case should you use heavy soil from a summer cottage or a purchased universal substrate in its pure form - they must be mixed with coarse river sand before planting. Does not tolerate succulents and soil with high acidity.
• Violations in planting technology. Zamioculcas will gain green mass most quickly if it was propagated by dividing the rhizome. However, when the roots are separated, they often become injured or become infected with pathogenic microorganisms. The plant's reaction is natural: it will not grow properly, and there is a high probability of its complete death.
• Unsuitable flowerpot. The container in which zamioculcas is grown must grow with it. There is no need to plant a young bush in a large container. It will take a very long time for the succulent to take over the entire space of the earthen clod, only after that it will begin to grow green mass. As the root system grows, one pot needs to be replaced with another, adhering to the “2 centimeters” rule: the diameter and height of the new container should be only 2 cm larger than that of the old pot.
• Lack of nutrients in the soil. Although succulents do not require excessive fertilization, they still need a basic complex of beneficial vitamins and minerals. Nitrogen is important for the rapid growth of the aboveground part of the plant; without it, shoots develop very slowly, and the leaves become weak and yellow.
• Incorrect watering. Even though succulents can hold enough water to sustain themselves, they still need to be watered. A lack of moisture causes the plant to “freeze” in growth, and its excess is fraught with rotting of the roots, which leads to a high risk of flower death.

Attention! Between October and March, Zamioculcas literally hibernates, and the lack of growth is a completely normal physiological phenomenon. This situation does not require any special action on the part of the grower.

Zamioculcas does not grow after transplantation

The dollar tree is unpretentious to care, but is sensitive to mistakes during transplantation. In order for it to grow normally after moving it to a new pot, you need to make sure that you do not make the most common mistakes. Among them:

1. Excessive deepening of root nodules. They should not be visible on the surface, but when palpated they should be felt well. If you have poured too much soil on top, you should carefully remove the top layer of soil.
2. Choosing a pot that is too deep. Zamioculcas will not grow if the container for it is too high. Choose squat pots. There should be no more than 5 cm between the root system and the drainage layer.
3. Replanting in wet soil. It is better to move it to a new pot at a time when the soil in the old one is dry. After transplantation, Zamioculcas is watered and fertilized for better rooting.

Don't be too partial with replanting your Dollar Tree. Flower growers recommend doing this no more than once a year for specimens under 5 years old and approximately once every 2 years for those older.

How to make a flower grow

Growth rate depends on age:

How does Zamioculcas grow in nature?

1. It’s normal for a freshly planted leaf if it doesn’t change in appearance in a year. At this time, the root system is being formed and the tuber is growing. Therefore, it is not recommended to root cuttings in large pots - this way you can wait two or three years for growth.
2. After the formation of the arrow, the development of the tuber continues with a supply of moisture and nutrients. You can expect new leaves to grow on the stem itself.
3. From three years old, the appearance of one or two stems per year is normal.
4. After 7 years, one stem is formed per year (provided that the plant has not previously been transplanted into a larger container).

To speed things up, stimulant fertilizers are used. At the same time, gardeners recommend not to get carried away with such means: The dollar tree is a slow-growing tree, and artificial acceleration may be unsafe for the plant itself.

The main period of development and increase in size begins in spring and lasts until September. It is at this time that all stimulant feedings will have the most noticeable effect.

Shock therapy is used to stimulate growth. To do this you need:

1. Stop watering for 2-3 weeks.
2. Move the plant to a cool room. The air temperature should not fall below 15 degrees; the optimal range is considered to be from 17 to 20.
3. After three weeks, Zamioculcas is returned to normal conditions and watered. It is allowed to apply fertilizers, preferably with a high nitrogen content.

It is worth remembering that even such shock therapy is only a stimulus for the growth of tubers, and not the upper part of the plant. Therefore, there may not be visible results at first. Then, when the nodules grow, you will experience the rapid appearance of one or two stems and the accelerated development of leaves on old arrows.

Moving towards the light

You can place Zamioculcas in an apartment or office on the windowsill or next to it. If the window faces south, it is better to place the pot away from it. Diffused lighting is enough for the flower.

On a northern windowsill, the plant may not receive enough sunlight. Western and eastern windows are considered ideal.

If the location for the container is chosen correctly, the shoots will be strong, not elongated, with healthy leaves often planted. Lack of light is expressed in the faded color of the above-ground parts.