Zamioculcas are said to be off-road plants since they are capable of withstanding practically anything. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t get sick. Sometimes, having a sick zamioculcas is common and detecting the symptoms as early as possible can make a difference between saving her or having to say goodbye to her.
Therefore, if you have zamioculcas or want to have one and you are worried that it will get sick easily, here we are going to give you the keys to detect if your plant is fine or if something is wrong with it. And, in addition, we will also try to help you get ahead and have it for many years. Go for it?
Quick guide on the care of the Zamioculcas
Before talking about a sick zamioculcas, it is important to know what the minimum care that you should provide is, since these can help to discover the reason why it has become ill and by changing them you could easily save it.
And what are these? The following:
- Location: It needs a bright place but it does not have to be directly exposed to the sun. Of course, it needs a lot of light to be able to grow.
- Temperature: It can withstand from 12 to 35ºC, but it must be taken into account that it will be better at an ideal of 18 to 28 degrees more or less.
- Irrigation: The irrigation must be regular but without going overboard. It is better to water it two or more times a week than to drown it with a single watering. In addition, you can stop watering in winter and if it is very cold, it will lose its leaves but later in spring it will sprout.
Problems that generate sick zamioculcas
Once you know some of the basic care of the zamioculcas, it is time to attack the problems that cause it to get sick. Here we leave you some of the most important that you should take into account.
Yellow sheets
If you have ever seen your zamioculcas with yellow leaves, you should be alert. As you know, the leaves of this plant are green, darker or less depending on the species, but in general, they are that color. So, when these turn yellow, the first thing you should do is completely stop irrigation. And it is one of the most common problems.
Normally, appears first on the lowest and oldest leavesand they may even have brown tips, which can indicate a problem of excess light. But it’s not like that.
If you see that it has yellow leaves, that the stems are drooping, that the leaves are wrinkled, that it does not grow, and that you feel as if it is losing strength and leaves, then it will almost always be because you have overdone the watering.
In that case, our advice is to take it out of the pot, remove as much soil as possible (you will notice that it is compact, soft, moist, even that water comes out when you squeeze it). Then check the roots and cut off any that appear dead or drowned. That will help you recover. Finally, plant it in another pot and with new soil and do not water it for several days. If you have caught her in time, she will be able to resurrect in a few months.
Other motives for which it may have yellow leaves it may be due to a plague, excess light, stress (for example, because you just brought it from the store or because there is a strong temperature change in your house), or to acclimatize to their new home. In these cases, treating the pest, locating it in another area or being patient are going to be the keys that you must take into account.
stems fall off
Another problem that makes zamioculcas sick is when you notice the stems of the plant falling off. If that happens to you, and taking into account that they must be rigid and vertical, what tells you is that you have overdone the irrigation. When this happens, the stems soften and also rot inside, which is why they fall and ultimately lose them.
It can also happen that they have fallen stems but are still rigid. Why? Ask yourself what light it receives. And it is that, when they don’t have enough, they tend to look around for it and the plant tends to grow towards the side where it receives more light in order to be able to nourish itself. If that happens, change it to another place and you will see how the stems, very little by little, can get well.
curved blades
Have you passed by the side of your zamioculcas and have you seen that its leaves are rolled up on themselves? Be careful, because that means that it does not have water and that the plant is suffering, and a lot, due to that time of drought. That’s why, The best thing you can do is water it, but we advise you not to do it with a lot of water, but it is better to do it little by little so as not to drown it too much.
Root rot
La root rot it is one of the most common problems of the ZZ plant, as it is often called. And also one of the most complicated to save. This problem is characterized by yellow leaves, leaf blisters, brown tips, or wrinkling of stems or leaves. If you lift the pot and bring it closer you can smell rotten. If so, you must act quickly. First, remove the soil to see the roots. If they are brown, black, soft, brittle, or smell bad, cut them off.
Wash off any remaining roots and use new, well-draining soil to keep the soil from caking and allow the roots to breathe. In this way, the zamioculcas will have a better chance of going from sick to healthy.
The bulb or rhizome has appeared
When it is watered, unless you always do it from below, the soil moves and exposes the roots or even the bulb of the plant since it makes a hole. The problem is that, when a bulb or rhizome breaks the surface it can be a sign that something is wrong.
On the one hand, it might tell you that needs a transplantbecause the pot has outgrown it and the roots are strangling each other.
On the other hand, it may happen that that part is rotten, or sick, and it is a sign to get down to work. Yes indeed, do not go to fill the pot with soil to cover it. If you do, the only thing you will achieve is that the stem rots.
As you can see, a sick zamioculcas can occur. They are very resistant, but when they are not given the care they need, problems appear. Therefore, if you have one and you notice it strange, it is best to get down to work to check if it is really sick or if there is a need that has not been covered yet. You have doubts? Ask us without problem.
