This is my ZZ plant. 🌱 Ok, she started yellowing about mid May. She’s has just been getting worse and this is the state of her now 😩 I just repotted her today with the drain pot because I think that’s one of the reasons why she was so upset. I water her every few days now. Around beginning of May I was watering her everyday but thought that’s another reason why she was so upset so I cut back a little bit. Now I repotted and gave her water am going to also move her onto a shelf where she can get more light. What should I do? Should I also give her more dirt? I did buy new soil and I noticed it has these little beads in it. I think it could be harming her?
(First two pictures are June 10)
by peachyyy-2
15 Comments
Zz are succulent airoids. You are watering it way too much. Once a month is more than enough
hi! same thing happened to mine the first year i had it, i see in the 2nd picture there’s still new growth, so there’s still hope!
you’re watering too frequently, these guys are easily overwatered; try waiting until the soil is completely dry all the way through and water a couple days after that, for a pot that size you’re probably looking at around 2-3 weeks between watering, depending on conditions where you live
it’s good that it has drainage now, that’s really important! never want water standing at the bottom.
no need to worry about the beads in the dirt, they’re just fertilizer.
considering all the yellowing, its roots may have rotted from the previously daily waterings. when you were repotting, did you notice any roots or tubers that were black, mushy, or stinky? if so, you’ll want to cut all that ick off so it stops spreading and the plant can grow new healthy tissue
The beads are slow-release fertilizer beads. They don’t do any harm. The plant is just drowning in water.
ZZs need a soil mix of about 50% perlite/pumice/other inorganic amendments and 50% potting soil for good, fast drainage. Having a drainage hole is good. Check everything under the soil for rot and cut off any you see with a clean, sharp blade. Clean the blade again if it touches anything rotten. Leave it all out and unpotted overnight to dry out before putting it into the new mix.
Don’t water it for at least a few weeks, if not longer. Depending on what lighting you’re giving it, it could be months before it needs any. They’re full-sun plants or close to it, but they’re marketed as “low-light” because they’ll tolerate it longer than most plants before they die off or etiolate.
Looking for fully dry soil AND signs of thirst before watering is important with ZZs. The leaves will feel a bit thinner and bendier, and the stems of the plant will start to develop visible wrinkles. That’s when you fully saturate the soil and let the excess water drain out.
The pot it is in now is way too big. When you downsize, the roots should be touching the edges of the pot bc these do best when they’re nice and snug. If it’s more than one plant, I’d suggest separating them and potting them up in appropriate sized pots. The rhizomes (potato-like structures within the root system) can store a ton of water like trees, so you likely have some rotted roots like a previous comment stated! Treat the area with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol and make sure you use sterile scissors or clean hands to remove any rot so you don’t spread the bacteria.
Please stop watering her – I honestly forget to water my ZZs they probably get watered once a month, maybe every other Month and they are thriving
Too much water. Not enough light.
I have mine next to a sunny window and I water once a month, tops. It’s absolutely thriving and has grown so much since I got it last year. They are aroids and if you did a repotting then you’d have seen potato-like roots which store water. That is why they do not need to be watered every few days—yellowing leaves is the most obvious sign of overwatering. Also, pot too big, they like being in a “snug” fitting pot with loose, airy soil. If you used regular potting soil then it’s holding onto water too much (like a sponge), but you can amend this soil by buying some perlite and rebalancing the potting mix with 50% potting mix and 50% perlite. It should feel light and water should dry out quickly. If your pot didn’t have a drainage hole then all that water didn’t have a place to leave the pot and you were rotting the roots which, again, the sign is yellowing leaves.
I water my ZZ every 2-3 months and she lives on my foyer table with VERY indirect light. She’s pushing up new shoots like crazy. They love to be ignored.
watering ZZ every few days and then wondering why leafs are turning yellow 😂 bro ZZ plants are happy getting watered every 1-2 months. you saw the big nubbles at the base? they are full of water. Watering the soil doesn’t do anything now because the roots cannot take in any more water, so the water temains in the soil and rotting starts.
IMO. If she was mine, I’d take her out of this pot. Remove most of the soil. Put her into a smaller pot with drainage holes and add new dry soil. Don’t water for weeks or longer. She has more than enough water stored. She needs to dry out. Good luck 🙂
Don’t understand why pot got smaller ?
I have had my Zz plant since November and have only watered it three or four times. They don’t need that much water.
For God’s sake child, stop watering it. Please do some research when you get a new plant – had you done that, you would see that ZZ’s rarely need to be watered. Give it some sun (don’t put it outside) and let it get completely dry dry before watering again.
3 requirements for ZZ care (in order):
1. Plant in arid, quick draining and gritty substrate
2. Water very less and not too frequently
3. Too high humidity is no good, too low humidity is again no good.
4. Don’t keep completely indoors, give it good indirect sunlight, give it warmth from the sun
This feels like over watering. I water mine every couple of months and he’s doing fine. No need to do it weekly.
On top of what everyone said re. Watering which I 100% agree with, Jumping in to say your soil looks like it’s retaining water. I would air it out with more perlite and pumice/leca/ whatever else to aerate it. These plants are hard to kill but moist roots will do it. Also make sure the pot is snug they like being rootbound.