I advise choosing an African violet potting mix if you choose to utilize potting mixes. Those include adequate water-absorbing substance to maintain the soil’s moisture.
Would you rather create your own potting soil? No issue! I use a mixture that consists of 2 parts peat moss, 1 part coarse sand or perlite, and 1 part garden soil. If you choose, you can substitute coconut coir for peat. Leaf mold is also quite effective.
For optimum growth, your pH level should be in the somewhat acidic range (5.6-6.0). Avoid making your soil too acidic for this plant. You keep your soil’s pH within the proper range, make sure to test it.
Fertilizer
Zebra plants are tiny, ravenous creatures. It takes a lot of food to grow those blooms! Aim for feedings every one to two weeks during the spring and summer growing seasons.
It’s recommended to feed your aphelandra squarrosa using a water-soluble, quick-release plant food. Choose a balanced fertilizer mix and dilute it in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Winter is not the time to fertilize.
Repotting
Don’t rush the annual repotting of your zebra plant. In fact, despite being rather rootbound, it grows nicely! The majority of varieties may thrive and bloom in a 5–6 pot.
Repotting should be done in the spring, before the plant emerges from its winter hibernation, if you do chose to do so. Use a pot that is just one size larger than the current pot. Repot the plant in new potting soil after removing as much soil as you can from the roots without hurting them.
Pruning
Pay close attention to your flower bract. It’s crucial to get rid of flowers as soon as they start to fade. The lower leaves could start to droop and fall off if they are left on the plant for too long. Only stems with leaf tufts at the top will remain after this.
Once the bract has died, you can cut the stem and leaves back to a pair at the base of the plant. In the spring, this will promote a bushier growth pattern.
Propagation
Zebra plant propagation is rather easy and can be accomplished through stem cuttings or air layering.
Cuttings should be buried in a mixture of damp peat and perlite. To keep the moisture in, wrap them in plastic. These trimmings ought to be 4-6 inches long. Put them somewhere warm, between 70 and 80 degrees, and with some shade.
Choose a healthy stem and cut out the leaves in the middle of the stem to air layer. Do not forget to have a few inches of naked stem on hand. Afterward, cut a hole into the stem midway.
To keep the wound open, insert a toothpick. Next, apply rooting hormone to the wound’s surface. Sphagnum moss that has been soaked is wrapped around the wound. Wrap it with plastic to keep it in place. To stop moisture from evaporating, secure the plastic wrap’s ends to the stem with a tie.
You ought to be able to observe roots forming in the moss about a month to a month and a half. Once the plant is established, you can trim the stem and pot it again, but make sure to maintain a high humidity level.
Zebra Plant Flower Production
This kind of plant is difficult to get to bloom. When you locate a zebra plant for sale, the blossom is frequently already present. How can you make your zebra plant bloom once more?
Start by concentrating on the plant’s foliage and ensuring that it survives the winter. For two months in the winter, relocate the plant to a cooler area. Bring it back to a warmer setting with plenty of bright lighting once spring arrives.
Before your plant blooms, it needs roughly three months of bright, indirect light. Blooming is stimulated by the brightness of the light. It doesn’t really matter how long the day is!
Your plant should blossom in three months if it receives enough sunshine, fertilizer, and humidity. Once the flower bract has finished blooming, trim it back. If your timing is right, you might be able to encourage another bloom to emerge in the fall.
Your plant might not flower if the humidity, lighting, or water level are off. That might not be a problem because it looks stunning as a plant with foliage!
What kind of soil is necessary for zebra plants?
Soil. The ideal soil for zebra plants is neutral to acidic. For a zebra plant, a multipurpose potting blend is sufficient; you can add sand to the mixture to make sure it drains well.
How is a zebra plant split?
Zebra plant, Haworthiopsis attenuata, produces pups and offsets. The pups or offshoots from the mother plant should be separated in order to reproduce these plants. These techniques, in my opinion, are the simplest and fastest ways to multiply these plants.
Naturally, you would need to wait till your plant started producing pups or offshoots, which they do easily. They can also be grown from leaf cuttings, according to what I’ve read, although this will undoubtedly take the most time. Although I have never successfully grown Haworthiopsis Attenuata from leaves, it appears that others have. It will undoubtedly take a lot more effort and endurance.
Find pups that seem big enough to be taken out in step one. When removing the pup, try to grab some roots. Although you can remove pups without roots, your chances of success are substantially higher if you do so.
Although pups without roots eventually establish themselves, those that already have roots have a better chance of surviving on their own. Similar to adults, larger puppies are stronger and more likely to survive on their own than smaller ones.
Remove the pup in step two. It’s simpler to get rid of certain pups than others. The pup can occasionally be gently twisted away from the mother plant to separate them. To inspect the roots, it is preferable to take the entire plant out of the pot before separating the pup.
Use a fresh knife in step three. Other times, removing the pup requires using a sharp instrument, such a knife. By putting the knife blade between the mother plant and the offshoot, using a clean or sanitized knife, delicately detach the baby plant from its mother plant. Sever the root that connects the pup to the parent plant before carefully pulling the two apart.
Insert the knife blade into the soil between the mother plant and the offshoot if you want to remove the pup while it’s still in the ground. To cut the connecting roots, slide the blade through the dirt. Then, using the sharp end of a small shovel, dig a few inches along the radial parameter after creating a 2-inch radius in the dirt around the base of the branch. By angling the spade underneath the offshoot, you can delicately pry it out of the ground to remove it.
Step 4: Allow the dog to dry for at least a day to ensure that any open or cut areas have been properly sealed or calloused. Keep away from direct sunlight in a dry place.
Optional Step 5: Before planting, dip the pup in rooting hormone. This process can be sped up with the aid of rooting hormones, especially in pups without roots.
Plant the pup in step six. The pup can be planted on its own once it has dried. Plant the pup into an appropriate potting mixture that drains well. As soon as the plant is secure, lightly pack the earth around it.
Step 7: Occasionally drink water. More moisture is required for puppies than for adult plants. Spray the soil with a spray bottle sparingly once every few days or whenever it seems dry. When the plant is more firmly planted and established, stop misting it and give it deeper waterings. Watering can be cut back to once a week or less.
Step 8: Shield yourself from the sun. When first planted in their own pot, shield young plants from direct sunshine to avoid sun damage. As a plant matures, gradually increase sunshine and sun exposure in accordance with the needs of the plant.
Haworthiopsis Attenuata also sprouts offshoots or tiny plants in the same manner as it sprouts blossoms in addition to pups. Anywhere from the plant’s base, the offshoots will sprout from what looks to be a slender bloom stalk. Cutting them off will allow you to get rid of them.
In order to ensure their life, it is preferable to wait until they are large enough to be severed. I cut a couple offshoots from the mother plant, and they are doing well growing on their own. (One is already giving birth to its own pup; they mature so quickly sniff sniff; see illustration below.)
Step 1 is to simply prune the branches. Scissors are an option. To make sure there are no open sores and the plant has calloused over, let the branch dry for about a day. Avoid the sun’s direct rays.
Optional Step 3: Dip the cuttings in rooting hormone prior to planting. The process can be accelerated by dipping in rooting hormone, particularly if the offshoots haven’t yet developed roots.
Step 4: Occasionally drink water. More moisture is required for puppies than for adult plants. Spray the soil with a spray bottle sparingly once every few days or whenever it seems dry. When the plant is more firmly planted and established, stop misting it and give it deeper waterings. Watering can be cut back to once a week or less.
Step 5: Shield yourself from the sun. When first planted in its own container, shield young plants from direct sunshine to avoid sun damage. As the plant matures, gradually increase the amount of sunshine and sun exposure.
(I haven’t tried growing these plants from leaf cuttings myself, but I’ve seen others do it.)
Step 1: Carefully remove a leaf, making sure to extract the leaf’s base as well. The leaf should readily come off the plant if you just gently twist it. Look for a leaf that is lovely and fat and seems healthy. Having more than one leaf is advantageous simply because not every leaf will survive to the very end.
Step 2: Applied rooting hormone to the cut ends is optional. When developing from leaves, rooting hormone might expedite the propagation process.
Step 3: Give the leaves approximately a day or two to dry. Keep away from direct sunlight in a dry place.
Step 4: Make a potting mix that drains nicely. Lay the dried leaves flat on the ground or bury the cut ends in the dirt.
Step 5: In around two weeks, the leaves should begin producing roots. You will see a new young plant emerge in a few more weeks. The entire process can take a few weeks to many months.
These are the three ways that a Haworthiopsis Attenuata “Zebra Plant” can be multiplied.
These are developed from the mother plant’s offspring. It produced a little pup on the side, as you can see. To better illustrate it, I circled it in red.
These are likewise developed from the same mother plant’s offspring. They were too small to be potted separately in an ideal situation, but I had to transfer them in their own pot because they were becoming sunburned where they were growing. They have recovered from their sunburn and are currently doing much better.
Can a zebra plant grow roots in liquid?
After allowing the leaves to dry for a few days, treat the cut ends with a rooting hormone. Cut a hole in a piece of plastic wrap just big enough to fit the leaf; then, insert the leaf through the hole, and set it in a jar of water. As a result, the leaf is kept from falling into the water and only the stem can grow.
What is a zebra leggy plant used for?
Zebra Plant is grown for its exotic, emerald-green leaves with beautiful, dramatic white veins.
Fall-blooming plumes of golden-yellow flowers that emerge from the bracts are another draw. While the bracts will remain for roughly six weeks, the flowers will only last a few days.
After the bracts have deteriorated, cut them off. When given ample light, Aphelandra squarrosa frequently blooms a second time during the year.
Zebra Plants are frequently forced to bloom in the winter and are then sold as they are blooming. They do, however, typically blossom in the spring and fall. These tropical plants bloom depending more on the brightness of the light than on the length of the day, in contrast to some flowering plants.
Keep your plant away from direct sunlight to prevent its leaves from curling or wrinkling. Place your plant in a bright area.
Zebra Plant Pruning, Potting and Potential Problems
Retrim it back. Zebra plants will eventually sag. Cut back flower-producing plants in the spring. Leave the lower two leaves on the main stem after cutting it.
Zebra plants flourish in the rain forest’s high humidity and regular downpours in the wild. As long as its requirement for high humidity is satisfied, it will also grow inside. The best approach to add moisture to the air is using a cool mist room humidifier. Or, to increase the humidity around the plant, you can stand the pot on a tray of moist stones.
Take your time reporting. Aphelandra squarrosa flowers best when it is slightly pot-bound, where it prefers to remain. Keep it in a modest-sized pot. When necessary, repot in the spring to aerate the soil. Put a plain nursery pot in a cachepot, a beautiful planter without drainage holes, to conceal it. To keep the interior pot above the drainage water, I placed small river rocks at the bottom of cachepots.
Buying Tip
There are several varieties available. The tallest, “Louisae,” blooms frequently and grows to a height of 2 feet. The most typical, shortest, and most compact is “Dania.”
The “Apollo” variety has more noticeable white veins, while the “Red Apollo” variety has a red tinge on the stems and undersides of its leaves.
Should my zebra plant be misted?
This time, Aphelandra squarrosa is the focus. These “zebra plants” are part of a big Brazilian family, and in the humid, tropical heat of their native rain forests, they develop into large, tall bushes that blossom lavishly.
The widespread name “zebra houseplant” refers to the plant’s huge, lustrous leaves and its dark green foliage, which has white or yellow veins that resemble zebra stripes. A treasured display is created by their bracts and blossoms, which are vividly colored. At the time of purchase, they are typically quite little, and many indoor gardeners view them as a passing acquaintance. Your Aphelandra squarrosa will only provide you with a few years of enjoyment even with exceptional zebra plant care, but don’t give up hope.
Propagation is a necessary component of zebra plant maintenance. Cuttings of 4- to 6-inch (10-15 cm) stems can be used to readily establish new plants. Take off the bottom leaves, then bury the stem cuttings in potting soil or a glass of water until new roots begin to grow. Your original plant can endure for many years in this method.