Care Guide for ZZ plant

Care Guide

MY NEW PLANT ARRIVED - Thank you for trusting Eureka Farms with your recent purchase, our main objective is to ensure a great customer experience and deliver great quality plants for your enjoyment. Plants shipped online are in complete darkness for several days, is normal for plants to stress during this process, do not repot for 4 weeks, we recommend dropping the plant in its existing pot as is in a deco planter of your choice, allow your new arrival to gradually climatize to their new environment, humidity levels, lighting and temperatures.

WATER MANAGEMENT FOR ZZ PLANTS - ZZ plants are known to be drought tolerant, It is a must to let these plants dry substantially between watering, ZZ are able to store water in their root system, Too much water will cause a rot where stems meet the soil. Frequency of watering will depend on the size of the plant, humidity levels and rate of growth. One of the most common mistakes in the care of indoor plants is overwatering, indoor plants are far more tolerant to underwatering than overwatering. It is recommended to monitor your houseplants and water them when they need it, rather than on a schedule. When watering plants the objective is to maintain the soil moist but never soggy, a moisture meter is a great tool to utilize to reduce the guesswork, We recommend to sample the top soil an inch deep every 3-4 days, if you notice is still moist hold off on watering until it dries further, since most plants water needs may be different this is a good way to determine each individual plant water requirements.
Water Recommendations base on pot size, we suggest to utilize a soil probe initially to determine humidity levels and when to water.
6 inch Pot plants, every 7-10 Days, 10-12 inch Pot plants, every 10-14 days

LIGHTING INSTRUCTIONS - ZZ Plants can tolerate low light, However as an indoor plant it should be placed near a window where the plant can receive the brightest available light, east, south, and west facing windows are the best options, we recommend to rotate the plant occasionally, this will allow the plant to receive bright light from different angles, it can minimize leaf drops from within the canopy and allow the plant to maintain even healthy growth all year round.

HUMIDITY - The Benefits of Misting, Many of our houseplants come from the tropics, where humidity is very high, generally the air in our homes is dry. Misting houseplants is a very simple and effective way to boost humidity, an easy solution to the risk of overwatering your plants, pay attention to the color and texture of the leaves on your plant. Generally Plants with brown or dry leaf tips will benefit from regular misting, preferably in the mornings to allow the foliage to completely dry out during the day.

PLACEMENT AND TEMPERATURE - Selecting the right location for your plant indoors or outdoors is very important, micro climates can affect the health of the plant, make sure the plant does not receive air draft from AC/Heating vents, or warm air from close by freezers, the foliage will dehydrate faster than it can hydrate from moisture in the air, eventually turning brown and dropping, when plants are properly watered and care for and still display signs of wilting or seem sad it may help to relocate the plant to a different area for brighter indirect light. Please note most tropical plants are from the tropics, proper moisture is required for their health and survival, we highly recommend to bring your tropical plants indoors when temperatures are expected below 45s during winter months or above 90 during summer months, extreme weather can severely damage the plant.

REPOTTING - When repotting is due planting between spring and fall is recommended, use a potting mix with good drainage, cactus mixes are recommended, now is a good time to integrate a slow release fertilizer in the soil, apply it base on label instructions, Most general all purpose fertilizer can work well. Select a pot 2-3 inches wider than your current pot, it should have drain holes if all possible, Do not remove all the soil from the root ball, this procedure can severely stress or may damage the plant, you may remove about an inch of the outer layer of soil as this can stimulate growth, avoid planting too deep in the new pot, the top of the root ball should be level to the top of the soil in the new pot.

FERTILIZING – No need to fertilize right away, We fertilize our plants during the production phase with slow release fertilizer which can last an additional 2-3 months supplying residual nutrients to the plant. Once you do decide to fertilize You may use a fertilizer formulated for interior plants, preferably a slow release fertilizer 180 days duration, fertilize during spring or fall base on label instructions.

CLEANING, REGULAR MAINTENANCE - Since ZZ plant leaves are small in size it can be a bit more time consuming, Simply add a few drops of dish soap to a cup of water, wet a soft cloth and manually wipe off dust off the leaves, is a simple solution that is inexpensive and works well without damaging the plant.

HOW TO PROPAGATE ZZ PLANTS - There are multiple ways you can propagate the ZZ, separation of stems or planting the leaves, the ZZ plants will grow roots from almost any part of the plant. Large older leaves can be carefully removed from the stem and planted in soil, You can place about one third of the leave in the soil and keep slightly moist. The process is slow, but eventually a bulb will form at the base of the leaf and new shoots will grow from the bulb. The second option is to separate Portions of a full plant into halves or quarters and each one given a new pot with new soil and add the appropriate 6 months slow release fertilizer, new plants will develop into full plants within months.

PRUNING - Pruning is not necessary, Pruning should be done first If you notice any diseased leaves, be sure to trim those off immediately, using a clean knife or shears, right about where a leaf attaches to a stem, You may need to prune from time to time to control the plant size and shape.
Before pruning be sure to identify the areas where cuts will be made, especially if you’re pruning to shape your plant, you may cut off sections of the stem as close as possible to the base of the plant.

INSECTS OR DESEASES - Here’s another plus, ZZ plants are not regularly affected by pests, in the event that scale, mealy bugs, or mites are found to affect the plant, they can be controlled by wiping the infested area with a soapy solution, add a few drops of dish soap in a cup of water and wipe off the affected areas with a soft cloth, It can take several intermittent cleanings to rid the plant of the pests. You may also consider a systemic insecticide, it can be applied as a drench or on the foliage, if pesticide is not an option Horticultural oils can be sprayed directly onto the insects, A second and third treatment, if using oils, will be necessary. Space out the sprays at 3 week intervals to break up the mealybug life cycle. Both of these treatments together will be very effective.