ZZ Plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are a popular houseplant that is easy to cultivate and may reach heights of more than three feet with adequate care. However, because these plants may grow so huge, many ZZ owners wonder if they can be divided into two or more smaller plants.
Is it possible to divide ZZ Plants? Owners of ZZs rejoice! These hardy plants can be separated into two or three distinct Zamioculcas zamiifolia plants with ease. Because of the plants’ unique root system, this separation and repotting is achievable on plants of all sizes.
Are you unsure if you’re capable of dividing your ZZ? It’s not as difficult as you may assume. While using a knife on a plant might be uncomfortable at any time, keep reading to discover more about what to do and when to do it.
When should I divide my ZZ Plant?
ZZs can grow to be quite large as they mature. Despite their slow growth rate, they may eventually outgrow their current planters or begin to crowd one another for space.
How can you tell if the pot is filling up? You may want to divide your ZZ Plant once it has grown within a half-inch of the planter’s edge, or if exposed rhizomes appear above the soil. While you can repot the entire ZZ into a larger planter, dividing the ZZ allows you to make two or three plants from the original.
However, dividing a ZZ isn’t just for the sake of making more space. Plant division is a fun and inexpensive way for some plant owners to expand their collections. These plants can then be scattered throughout your home or office for enhanced beauty, whatever your motive.
How do you separate a ZZ Plant?
Water and nutrients are stored along the underground rhizome by these plants’ tuber-like roots. Several tubers will have emerged after a few years of growth. For Zamioculcas, this is known as crown division or separating the root clump.
- Threading the roots out without injuring them, separate a tuber from which both roots and stems are sprouting.
- It may be necessary to slice with a clean blade. Cure the plant for a few hours if it has been injured (let it dry in open air in the shade).
- Each plant should be placed in a clean pot with a drainage layer at the bottom and light, well-draining soil.
This is the quickest method of propagation. It has the advantage of quickly growing a large number of new leafy plants.
Here’s a video that demonstrates how it can be done with extreme caution. It’s also feasible to cut through the bunch with a sharp knife, although this will result in more wounds that must heal.
Do ZZ Plants like to be crowded?
The underground activity of ZZ Plants sets them apart from many of our other favorite houseplants: rhizomes. ZZ rhizomes are spherical, white, and grow just beneath the earth, and are not to be mistaken with bulbs or tubers. The water and nutrients that ZZs require are stored in them.
As the plant ages and flourishes, the rhizomes under your ZZ extend out underground and require more space to grow. In reality, when new growth occurs in the shape of a new upshoot stem, a rhizome beneath the soil at the base of this new growth should already be present.
Your ZZ Plant will be more prone to root rot if there are too many rhizomes in the container. These rhizomes require space to spread, and the more airy the soil, the less probable rot will occur.
These plants require a lot of space in their containers since they take up so much space underneath. However, because ZZ plants are sluggish growth, you should only have to repotte them every two years.
How do you thin a ZZ Plant?
How to Take Care of a ZZ Plant
- Remove yellowing leaves as they appear on the ZZ plant throughout the year. Pick up a fading leaf and take it from the tree.
- If you think the stems of the ZZ plant are too long, cut them back using clean, sharp scissors.
Can you start a ZZ Plant from a cutting?
A ZZ plant is commonly found in an office setting with little light and no fresh air. Zamioculcus zamiifolia, the uncomplaining plant, is also known as eternity plant, chubby boy, aroid palm, and a variety of other names. It comes from Africa’s southeast coast and has long been a popular houseplant in the business. The rhizomes of ZZ plants are huge and dense. It’s as simple as separating them to propagate ZZ plants, or you can attempt rooting leaf cuttings.
ZZ plants can only be propagated by division once in a while. This is due to the fact that the plant generates new rhizomes at a slow rate, and removing them regularly can harm the parent plant. Because rhizomes are sluggish, leaf cuttings are the best source of material for propagation.
Cuttings with just a single leaf and no stem will not root or grow well, but cuttings with two leaves and a piece of stem will root and grow faster than those with just a single leaf and no stem. Professional gardeners use ZZ plant leaf cuttings, which can produce new rhizomes in as little as four weeks when grown in temperatures approaching 80 degrees F (26 degrees C). However, because most of us do not have access to greenhouses, the procedure could take nine months or longer.
Can you cut ZZ Plant?
A stem cutting of a ZZ Plant will produce faster propagation results. How to propagate a ZZ Plant cutting is as follows:
Make a straight cut with a sanitized knife at the base of your plant to remove a stalk.
Replace the water every 3-4 weeks after placing the cut stem in it. It’s fine if you forget, as long as mold doesn’t grow.
Keep the cutting near a window so it gets plenty of indirect light. The best way to encourage your ZZ cutting to grow is to expose it to sunlight.
It’s time to repot your cutting once it has developed a rhizome and at least one inch of new roots.
Should ZZ rhizomes be exposed?
Due to dirt being washed away from regular watering, the root bulb or rhizome of a ZZ plant might become exposed over time. If your ZZ plant becomes root-bound over time, the roots may become exposed. An exposed rhizome/root bulb isn’t always indicative of a sick plant.
If you water your ZZ plant from the top, the roots may become exposed. When you water your plant, some soil is carried away from the soil surface. You can avoid this by watering your plant from the bottom or adding a little water at a time.
It’s also a symptom that your plant has become rootbound and has to be repotted if the roots become exposed. Slide your plant out of the pot gently and look at the roots to determine if they are securely curled around the pot’s inside. If necessary, repot to promote healthy development.
Fill the pot to the level of the base of the stalks when planting your ZZ plant, just covering the rhizome with soil. Avoid potting too deeply it’s best to leave a little root bulb visible than to bury the stems, which can lead to stem rot.
Should I water my ZZ Plant after repotting?
Despite the fact that my ZZ Plant roots were well hydrated, I irrigated all of my cuttings and divisions.
I believe it is beneficial for the plant to settle into its new soil and pot, as well as for the soil to settle.
Even if you don’t think your ZZ Plant requires water, don’t omit this step.
All the excess water will run out anyhow if you planted your ZZ Plant in a draining pot!
How do you propagate ZZ Plant rhizomes?
For the ZZ plant, this is also a simple method of propagation. It does, however, come with hazards. ZZ is sensitive to root rot because it is technically a succulent. This procedure takes a long time as well. ZZ will eventually form a new rhizome and roots in water. If it doesn’t decay, that is.
- When the rhizome and roots have grown to about an inch in length, it’s time to pot them in succulent soil in a drainage-friendly container.
How do you make a ZZ plant bushy?
The easiest technique to make a ZZ plant bushy is to give it plenty of light and take care of it properly. By producing a large number of new stems, your ZZ plant will become bushy, and if the conditions are right, the number and size of these stems will be maximized.
Another reason why good care is important if you want to grow a full and healthy ZZ plant is that a stressed or unhappy ZZ plant can drop leaves, making it appear less bushy.