New leaves will grow quickly: how to properly care for and feed zamioculcas

Zamioculcas, or the dollar tree, is called one of the most unpretentious houseplants. It feels good in a wide range of temperatures, tolerates low light and missed watering, and grows well and quickly. But even such a resilient plant can be neglected. But what to do if the zamioculcas starts to lose its leaves?

Indoor gardening experts recommend adjusting the plant's care first. And also to prepare a special organic fertilizer for it, which will give the flower all the necessary nutrition.

Watering

The most common mistake in caring for zamioculcas is overwatering, not lack of moisture. The plant accumulates everything it needs in the nodules of its root system and begins to rot from excess water. If you see that the leaves have begun to turn yellow or brown, remove the plant from the pot, shake off its roots, carefully remove all affected parts, and spray the healthy ones with a mixture of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide in a 2:1 ratio. Then repot the plant in fresh soil and reduce the frequency of watering. Water the pot no more than once every 7-14 days.

Drainage

Zamioculcas does not like oily and nutritious soil that retains moisture well. It is an African plant that needs good drainage rather than dense soil to thrive. So make sure your plant is living in the right conditions - it should be a succulent soil mix, ideally enriched with perlite or vermiculite for better aeration and with a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot. And the pot itself must have holes in the bottom to drain excess water.

Pot size

The root tubers of zamioculcas grow very quickly under good conditions, so the flower needs to be transplanted regularly into a larger pot. If you are sure that you have provided your plant with all the necessary conditions, but it still does not look too vigorous, transplant it into a larger container. The new pot should be 3-5 cm larger than the previous one in diameter, which will be enough. Usually, zamioculcas are transplanted every 2-3 years.

Lighting

The dollar tree is known for growing well even under artificial lighting and in semi-dark rooms. But if your flower starts to grow slowly, pay attention to whether it is standing in direct sunlight. Such conditions are not comfortable for zamioculcas. Try to move it to a place where the light is just as intense, but the plant will not stand directly in the sun.

Fertilizing

To restore its leaf mass, zamioculcas needs to enrich the soil with nitrogen. You can purchase a fertilizer for succulents and use it according to the instructions or in slightly smaller doses. Or you can prepare a nutritious watering yourself. To do this, take 100 grams of ordinary beans and cover them with 1 liter of water. After two hours, the infusion can be drained and used. It will not be too concentrated and saturated, but it will contain iron and potassium, which are necessary for zamioculcas, in addition to nitrogen. If you want to make the fertilizer more nutritious, add a tablespoon of coffee grounds to the infusion, mix well, and strain. Water the plant with the resulting liquid once every two weeks. This feeding will help restore the condition of even the zamioculcas that has begun to lose leaves.

Recall that OBOZ.UA has included zamioculcas in the top 10 plants that will make any interior more comfortable without any extra effort.

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