Zamioculcas: All The Nuances Of Caring For A Dollar Tree At Home + Photos And Videos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Zamioculcas: how to grow a "dollar tree"

Zamioculcas is a very nice decorative leafy plant, with which many superstitions are associated. Due to its extreme unpretentiousness and undemanding care, even novice florists can grow it at home in order to check if there is some truth in folk omens. Be that as it may, he will decorate the windowsill.

Content

• 1 What does zamioculcas look like and where does it come from?

  • 1.1 Plant video
  • 1.2 Signs and superstitions
  • 1.3 Optimal conditions for growing a flower - table

• 2 Features of planting and transfer

  2.1 Zamiokulkas transplant - video

• 3 Caring for a flower at home

  • 3.1 Watering
  • 3.2 Top dressing
  • 3.3 Rest period
  • 3.4 Typical problems when growing a dollar tree - table

• 4 Diseases and pests

  • 4.1 Disease and Insect Pest Control - Table

    4.1.1 Diseases and pests of the dollar tree in the photo

• 5 Reproduction

  • 5.1 Rooting of leaf cuttings

    5.1.1 Rooting dollar tree cuttings - video

  • 5.2 Dividing the tuber

    5.2.1 Video about flower propagation by dividing a tuber

• 6 Reviews of florists

What does zamioculcas look like and where does it come from?

In nature, zamioculcas leaves grow up to 1 m in length, at home the parameters are a little more modest

The genus Zamioculcas (Zamioculcas) belongs to the Aroid family (Araceae). Different sources distinguish from 1 to 4 representatives in it, but the most common opinion is that zamiifolia, aka loddigesii, is one of a kind.

The homeland of Zamiokulkas is the eastern and southeastern African mountain plateaus with a tropical climate, therefore, unlike other Aroids, it is a succulent. It is a short herb with a tuber-like rhizome, from which thick worm-like roots extend. Zamioculcas tuber is very powerful. It may even break the pot, preventing it from growing further.

In the tubers of zamiokulkas - its emergency reserve in case of a sudden drought

Petioles and central vein (rachis) of leaves are also juicy, dense, covered with ink-colored spots. In all its parts, the plant stores moisture and essential nutrients. Interestingly, during a severe drought, zamiokulkas can throw off the leaf plate itself, thus reducing the surface from which valuable moisture evaporates, and leave the thick fleshy petiole and rachis.

Young leaves of zamioculcas are rolled up into something resembling a tube

The plant blooms very rarely, even in nature, only if it grows well enough and gets stronger. The inflorescence, however, is rather inconspicuous - a thick yellowish or creamy ear, enveloped in a pale green petal-bedspread. The peduncle is low, formed at the base of one of the leaves. Seeds "in captivity" are not set, even under the condition of artificial pollination. In nature, after flowering, berries ripen (each has only one seed). Experienced flower growers note that flowering often means the end of the life of a given specimen.

Zamiokulkas bloom is not the most attractive sight

Basically, the plant is appreciated for the decorative effect of the leaves. They really look very elegant - dark green, leathery, shiny, large (in nature - about a meter, at home - half as much), regular shape. In addition, which is practically not found in the Aroids, the leaf blade is not continuous, it is dissected into 8–12 separate "feathers". The leaves are densely arranged on a thick, short underground stem, giving the illusion of a rosette. Zamioculcas grows slowly, it sheds old leaves faster than new ones appear.

Like all Aroids, Zamioculcas is poisonous. Its leaves contain sap, which, when it gets on the skin (especially sensitive) and mucous membranes, can cause allergic reactions, serious burns, stomach and intestinal disorders. Therefore, all work with the flower should be carried out only with gloves, at the end, wash your hands thoroughly, and remove the pot where small children and pets cannot reach it.

Plant video

Signs and superstitions

Zamioculcas among indoor plants will be among the leaders in terms of the number of signs associated with it and superstitions. But just a few decades ago no one knew about the flower, with the exception of specialists of the corresponding profile. That all changed in the mid-90s, when one of the Dutch flower companies "threw" the plant itself and its smaller breeding hybrid onto the market. The novelty was quickly appreciated by amateur flower growers, florists, and designers, who began to widely use it for landscaping offices and industrial premises. As a result, Zamiokulkas took first place in sales.

Zamioculcas is widely used in the design of office premises, lobbies, foyers, offices

Why is it considered that zamioculcas brings good luck in matters related to finances, "attracting" the American currency to its owner? Probably the fact is that it is very rare to find a bank office where this flower is absent. To some, its beautiful dark green shiny leaves probably resembled dollar bills. Another possible explanation is that the first copies that appeared on sale were quite expensive, so they were most often purchased for dollars. This is how the flower got its main unofficial name - the dollar tree, or the dollar palm tree.

And when the plant begins to ache and wither, you will undoubtedly face a personal financial crisis. Therefore, the flower needs to be treated urgently. If all the measures taken do not give a result, you need to get a new copy and put it next to the old one that has not yet died, so that the "newbie" will take over from him positive energy and the right attitude. The catch is that it is prohibited to acquire zamioculcas. You need to either steal it or receive it as a gift.

To attract money to the house with the help of zamiokulkas, a whole ritual has been developed

Another unofficial name for zamiokulkas is the flower of celibacy. It is believed that a girl who wants to get married is strictly prohibited from growing this flower. He not only does not allow to establish existing relations, but also "discourages" future gentlemen from her, helping to ensure that men do not stay in the house. Perhaps such an ill fame promising lifelong loneliness to the owner of a flower is due to the external resemblance of its flowers to spathiphyllum, which is stubbornly considered one of the most powerful "muzhegons". Therefore, its "mystical" properties were simply transferred to zamioculcas.

Optimal conditions for growing a flower - table

Factor	Recommendations
Location	Zamioculcas tolerates direct sunlight well, so the sill of a window facing south is quite suitable. But in the hottest hours in summer (11: 00-14: 00), especially when there is a lack of fresh air, the flower should be shaded. The ideal place is near a window that faces southeast or southwest. Provide good ventilation (the plant is not afraid of drafts). In summer, it is useful to take the flower out into the open air, protecting it from precipitation.
Lighting	Bright light for zamiokulkas is vital. This can be either direct sunlight or diffused lighting. If you have just purchased a plant or it has run out of dormancy, adapt it to new conditions gradually over 10-14 days.
Temperature	The optimum temperature in the phase of active growth is 22–27 ºС. In winter, it is reduced to 15–17 ºС. The flower is very negative about sudden changes.
Air humidity	An insignificant factor. Zamioculcas may well exist in an apartment where humidity rarely rises above 40-50%. But in summer, in order to increase the decorative effect and wash away the dust, the leaves can be sprayed or wiped with a damp sponge every 2-3 weeks.
Support presence	An adult zamiokulkas reaches a height of about 1 m, so it may well fall to one side. To prevent this from happening, at the same time with the next transplant, stick a support made of wood or plastic with rings into the ground.

Features of landing and transplantation

Zamioculcas that have not reached the age of 5 years are transplanted annually, adult plants - as needed (every 2–4 years), since they grow slowly. It is necessary that the roots completely fill the old pot. The only time suitable for transplanting is early spring, as soon as the rest period ends.

If there is not enough space for the zamiokulkas, the plant will simply break the pot

The pot is selected not too wide, but high so that there is enough room for the roots. A ceramic container is desirable - it is heavier and more stable. There is less danger that the high zamioculcas will turn over. In terms of size, the new pot should be 3 to 4 cm larger in diameter. If you acquire a capacity "for growth", and so slowly growing flower will practically stop in development. Roots need time to master a new space. Only after that leaves begin to form. A large drainage hole and drainage are required, filling about a quarter of the pot's volume.

It is clearly time to transplant such a zamioculcas

Zamioculcas prefers light, neutral soils. You can simply buy special soil for cacti and succulents in the store. But experienced flower growers prefer to prepare the substrate in person. It might look like this:

• Coarse river sand, fertile soddy, leafy soil, powder clay in a ratio of 2.5: 1: 1: 1 with the addition of sifted wood ash (a glass for every 2 liters of soil).
• Sod, leafy soil, dry peat and sand in equal proportions and a glass of crushed sphagnum moss for each liter of substrate.
• Universal soil for decorative leafy indoor plants and vermiculite (100 g per 2 l).
• Black earth, peat and sand in equal proportions.

Zamioculcas are transplanted only by the transfer method, placing an earthen lump extracted from an old pot on a layer of moistened substrate in a new one. When adding soil, be constantly careful not to cover the tuber. It should be located as close to the surface as possible. After transplanting, the flower is not watered for 5-7 days.

Zamiokulkas transplant - video

Flower care at home

Watering

Watering zamiokulkas requires quite moderate. Excess moisture for this plant is a much more serious problem than lack of moisture. In the phase of active growth, starting in April, the plant is watered every 3-4 days. The earth lump should dry about half. If the weather outside is cloudy and cool, the intervals between watering are increased.

Since dust is very clearly visible on zamiokulkas, about once a month he can have a warm shower. Cover the ground with plastic wrap beforehand so that as little moisture as possible gets on it. Spraying and rubbing the leaves with a damp sponge is also helpful.

After each watering, wait 15–20 minutes and drain any excess water that has entered the pan. The plant categorically does not tolerate stagnation of moisture.

Top dressing

You can feed zamioculcas only during the active growing season - this should be done every 15–20 days. For optimal development of zamiokulkas, complex liquid mineral fertilizers for cacti and succulents alternate (the recommended concentration is halved) and natural organic matter.

Infusion of fresh cow dung or poultry droppings can be prepared at their summer cottage on their own. To do this, fill a third of the container with raw materials, add warm water, close it tightly and wait for a characteristic odor to appear. After 3-4 days, the contents are mixed, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20 or 1:25 (for manure and droppings, respectively) and water the plant.

Dormant period

Like all Aroids, zamioculcas has a fairly long dormant period (from mid-autumn to the end of winter). At this time, the flower is removed to a bright place, where a constant temperature of 16-18 ° C is maintained, feeding is stopped and watering is reduced. Enough once every 20-25 days.

Typical problems when growing a dollar tree - table

Description of the problem	Most likely cause
The leaves stretch, lose their color, turn yellow, shrink, the tips dry.	There is not enough light for Zamioculcas. Move it to a more suitable location. If this is not possible, supplement the illumination with fluorescent lamps.
The plant sheds its leaves.	If the leaves fall from the bottom, this is a natural process for mature plants. Zamioculcas, shedding the uppermost leaves, which are pre-dried, signals rare or too moderate watering.
Dark spots on the leaves.	Insufficiently high temperature in the active growing season, especially in combination with high air humidity and cold, sharp drafts. Another possible reason is too much watering.
Leaves at the base, tuber and roots turn black, soften.	Too wet soil combined with low temperatures. Measures must be taken immediately. It is very difficult to save any plant from rot.

Diseases and pests

The poisonous juice of the Aroids is an insurmountable obstacle for most pests. But there are those who do not stop it. Also, with excessive watering, rot develops very quickly on the zamioculcas.

Disease and Insect Pest Control - Table

Disease or pest	Symptoms	Prevention and control methods
Shield	On the leaves (mainly on the underside and at the base), small dull brown plaques appear. These are the shells of pests that suck juice from the plant.	The affected plant must be immediately isolated, inspect the nearby pots for similar damage, wipe the corresponding section of the windowsill with alcohol. Then, a thick foam of household or green potash soap is applied to the flower, simultaneously removing visible pests with a cotton pad. Another option is to wipe the leaves with alcohol or calendula alcohol tincture. After 25-30 minutes, the plant is washed under the shower and dried for at least 15-20 hours. After this period, the flower is sprayed with an insecticide solution, phytonaceous, hermetically closed on top with a plastic bag and left for 2-3 hours. Then they are washed again and dried. Of the insecticides against the scabbard, Aktellik, Fitoverm, Metaphos, Aktara, Fosbecid are effective. As folk remedies used infusion of garlic and onion arrows, hot pepper pods, dry citrus peels. To prepare the infusion, 50 g of raw materials are crushed, poured over with warm water and left for a day. Filter the liquid before use. To finally defeat the scabbard, you need at least 2-3 treatments with a frequency of 7-10 days.
Spider mite	The pest gnaws the skin of the leaves from below and sucks out the juice. From the outside, it looks like a lot of small pale spots. At the same time, he entangles the leaves with thin, almost transparent threads, like a spider web.	For prevention, always sterilize pots and soil, quarantine newly acquired plants for 2-3 weeks. The fight against spider mites begins with the destruction of visible parasites. The flower is well sprayed, a thick soapy foam is applied, hermetically sealed with a bag and left for 2-3 days. If you have a quartz lamp, you can simply irradiate the zamioculcas, paying special attention to the underside of the leaves. Ticks don't like ultraviolet light very much. If there is no effect, apply acaricides - Fitoverm, Aktofit, Apollo, Omite, Neoron, Vermitic, spraying them on the plant, soil, pot and pallet. It will take not one, but 3-4 treatments. The frequency (4–10 days) depends on the temperature outside - the hotter, the faster the pests multiply. Folk remedy - spraying cyclamen tubers with decoction. They are cut into large pieces, poured with water, the composition is boiled for 45 minutes,cooled to room temperature.
Aphid	Pests in whole colonies settle on the underside of the leaf plate, sucking juice from the leaves. At the same time, a transparent sticky discharge appears. Affected leaves wither, curl, dry and fall off.	Collect all visible pests by hand. Aphids are easy to identify, including at an early stage, so most often folk remedies are enough. She really doesn’t like strong smells. Spray the plants with infusions of home-grown tobacco leaves, garlic arrows, celandine, wormwood, marigolds, tomato tops, dried citrus peels, hot pepper pods, nettle, pine needles. Prepare them as described above. It will take 3-4 treatments every 7-10 days. If there is no effect, use insecticides - Akarin, Inta-Vir, Iskra-Bio, Karbofos, Kinmiks, Aktara.
Rot	The bases of the leaves, tubers and roots turn black and soften. The leaves are easily detached from the base. The spots grow quickly. Later, their surface is covered with a thick gray "pile" with black dots.	The best prevention of rot is observing the frequency of watering and drying the soil in the intervals between them. If rot is noticed on time, you can try to do with spraying the flower and soil with a solution of Topsin-M, Fundazol, Topaz, Oxykhom, Skor, Champion once every 10-14 days. They also need to be added to the water when watering (2 ml per 1 liter). You can try to save a badly damaged zamioculcas. In any case, you have nothing to lose. If you do not take action, the plant will die. The earthen lump is carefully removed from the pot and placed for an hour in a 1% solution of any fungicide - Bordeaux liquid, copper oxychloride (HOM), copper sulfate, Kuprozan, Abiga-Peak. The remains of the soil from the pot are thrown away, the container and the pan are sterilized in boiling water or a saturated purple solution of potassium permanganate. New soil is also necessarily sterilized. The remains of the soil are washed off the roots and carefully examined. Those on which the slightest traces of blackness are noticeable are cut off with a sharply sharpened disinfected knife. The same is done with leaves. Sections are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon or sulfur. The flower is transplanted.

Diseases and pests of the dollar tree in the photo

It is very difficult to save a plant affected by root rot, but it is worth trying

Aphids are easy to identify, so folk remedies are often enough for effective control.

If you do not take measures against spider mites, individual almost imperceptible "cobwebs" will quickly turn into a solid whitish mass

Not every insecticide can cope with a durable shield shell

Reproduction

Zamiokulkas seeds cannot be obtained at home, therefore the plant is propagated by dividing the tubers or rooting cuttings.

Rooting leaf cuttings

Whole leaves or their separate parts are used as planting material. The larger the “piece”, the faster a new plant will form. Selected adult leaves should be healthy, uniform in color, symmetrical, without the slightest traces of pests and pathogenic fungi.

Rooting leaves or their parts is the most convenient way to propagate zamiokulkas

The leaves are cut with a sharp, sterile knife at an angle of approximately 45º and the slices are left in the open air for a day to dry well. Then they are sprinkled with powder from a mixture of activated carbon and Kornevin and rooted in a wet substrate of coarse sand and dry peat (1: 1). Parts of the leaves are laid out on the surface, the petioles are stuck in about a third.

Kornevin stimulates root formation

The plantings are covered with glass caps, jars, plastic wrap and provide bright, but diffused light and a constant temperature of about 22 ° C. The soil is sprayed as it dries, the "greenhouse" is aired daily.

After 2-3 months, the leaves will dry out, but small tubers will appear. They will give new shoots in about six months. Plants are planted in individual pots and looked after as adults.

Rooting cuttings of the dollar tree - video

Tuber division

Dividing a tuber is a more risky way. You can lose an existing flower and not get a new one.

A tuber with one leaf bud is not suitable for division

You need to cut off all the leaves from the plant, remove the tuber from the pot and peel. Then it is divided into several parts so that each has at least one leaf bud. Slices are immersed in a 2% fungicide solution for several minutes, then sprinkled with activated carbon powder. After a day, pieces of the tuber are planted in the soil for adult plants and looked after, eliminating any additional feeding and replacing watering with spraying. The first time the fertilizer is applied only after 1.5–2 months.

Video about flower reproduction by dividing a tuber

Florist reviews

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To believe in omens or not is everyone's personal business. But it cannot be denied that the zamioculcas looks very decorative and elegant, and in order to ruin the plant, even a novice florist needs to try hard. If suddenly, as superstitions promise, he will attract good luck in money matters - this is an additional plus.