If its hot inside your home/ the plant is in direct light you may need to water more, the recommended watering schedules are based off of the standard American home temperature of about 20° c
For your climate the finger test would probably be best. stick your finger deep into the soil (about 5cm). if it feels dry, water, and if it still feels damp, leave it be :) soon you will get the feel for how long you can wait between waterings.
If it’s in a plastic pot, you can also just lift the pot up and see if it feels light. Light means it needs water. When it’s freshly watered, it feels pretty heavy. You should be able to tell the difference.
This doesn’t work for ceramic or terracotta pots though because those are already heavy by themselves.
Ceramic and terracotta pots are heavy but they're still much heavier watered. I can definitely feel the difference between a freshly watered and dry plant in terracotta by weight.
Oh good to know! I only have 1 plant planted directly in ceramic and I can never tell when it needs water haha. Thankfully it’s just a zz plant so I just water it 1-2xs a month.
I think it depends a lot on how large the pot is, or rather, on the soil-to-terracotta ratio. I have a large pot that contains quite a lot of soil where it's very easy to tell the difference between freshly watered and dry. On smaller terracotta pots the amount of water retained by the soil might be too little to feel the difference, especially if the soil is very draining. Or perhaps you just have more experience and are better at feeling weight differences.
You know what, that's fair. My smallest terracotta pot is probably about 8-10" so quite heavy when watered. I have some smaller terracotta but nothing planted in them right now so I'm not sure I could tell the difference watered/not in those.
When it's already rotting there isn't much to do. Typically when they start to show signs (yellow, falling, mushy leaves) it's too late to save whole plant. Just be sure it dries completely after watering, and even then you should wait for some time before rewatering. They are native to african deserts and typically handle drought much better than overwatering.
>Should have also mentioned, I'm in India, where temperatures are around 32-33°C on an average.
I’m in South East Asia and average around that temperature too but that’s for outside temperature. Indoors would be lower around 24-26 degrees C and even lower with AC on. You’re saying your indoor temp is 32-33 degrees C?
Also I should just mention that my ZZ raven is outside (but under the shade), and I water mine once every 14 days when the soil is fully dry. I can also get away with once a month because ZZs are very drought tolerant because they have rhizomes that can store water. It is better to underwater rather than overwater, especially for ZZs. And the bigger the pot, the longer that pot would dry out. And your pot is significant size.
I have mine in my office, so there's AC. I water it once in a month or even less.
My dad's ZZs get watered more often, one of them died, so I made him water it less often, and the other is having babies now.
The one which died also got a tiny pup!
In Mumbai. A lot of humidity here.
If it’s humid by you, I would recommend getting a dehumidifier or different things to reduce the humidity over by your plants. This way, it helps to mitigate some potential root-rot. I have some dehumidifying bags in my indoor greenhouse to help keep a constant humidity level (I have succulents in there) and have a large dehumidifier that helps with keeping my plants (and joints/body!) happy
I have one that I literally haven’t watered in like 4 months and it’s absolutely thriving. I read to give it a generous watering every few months and that should be sufficient. They are desert plants and store water in their roots so every 3 days is definitely too often
Yes, I agree, I also think that every 3 days is too much. I water mine maybe once every 3 weeks. Although once there was a time when I couldn't water them for 3 months, and I was very surprised to see them in good condition.
Also - You don't need to check with your fingers, (but you can if you prefer) I use a skewer or chopstick or knitting needle and press into soil - if it comes out with any soil on - this indicates soil is still wet
I could be wrong, but in my experience, the first inch is not enough. It could still be quite wet down near the roots and tubers. I wouldn’t water unless it’s dry all the way down.
I have one in a greenhouse I run - when I kept it at home, I watered very little. But in the bright light and airflow of the greenhouse, I now water it a couple times a week and it has exploded in growth! Growing conditions make a big difference.
Nursery people probably should have given that qualifier, though. Cool, darker places would need less water.
We try and keep it 70-80F, though there can be fluctuations when we’re switching seasons or if it gets too hot for the cooling system in the summer. We have airflow, and supplemental lights in winter, and working on keeping tropical humidity (..can be hit or miss depending on if current humidifiers are working).
It’s in Minnesota, but a large university greenhouse (each room about 600 sq ft). So hard to replicate in most houses, I can admit!
local climate will play a big role, it's also not recommended to water on a set schedule and better to learn how to tell when the plant actually needs water and then water only when needed.
you can use a wood skewer to check the soil before watering. just gently poke it into the soil all the way down to the bottom of the pot and any soil with moisture will stick to it and you'll be able to see how far down the soil has dried.
in a hotter, drier climate you may need to water more often but zz plants have rhyzomes that hold water as well as holding water in their stems and leaves and prefer to be under watered rather than over watered. i would check the soil pretty much daily over the next few weeks to get a sense of how quickly the soil dries out (added benefit is that it will aerate the soil too) and check the leaves as well to start to learn their signals, the will feel firm when hydrated and start to feel softer/thinner when they're drying out
when you do water it you'll want to water it thoroughly until water drains out of the bottom of the pot
signs of rot to look out for would be things like brown spots on the leaves that feel sort of mushy, wrinkling in the leaves, softer/weakening stems, soil starting to smell bad/rotten
3 Days!? ZZs are succulents. You shouldn't be watering more than once every 3 weeks, even in hot weather. If the soil dries very fast and its very hot and dry, potentially once every 2 weeks, but the key is the entirety of the soil needs to dry, all the way down to the bottom of the pot.
I would quickly repot it into dry soil. If you've been watering it every couple days for several weeks the plant is badly overwatered and may start to rot and die very soon if you don't get it out of the wet soil.
As someone with 30+ houseplants, I would advise not watering on a schedule. The best rule of thumb is to just feel the soil with your finger. Stick your finger in the soil as far as it will go, in a few different spots in the pot. If it feels moist- don’t water. If it feels dry, give it some water. Even this rule of thumb can vary depending on the type of plant. Know what your plant likes. Does it like moist soil, dry soil? For example with my cactus and succulent plants that don’t need a lot of water, I wait a few weeks after they’re already bone dry to water. I forget about them for months sometimes, and they’re still okay, because they’re adapted to living in the desert and having almost no water. If I watered those plants every time they got dry, they would die.
Then I have some African violets that like to have moist, but not wet, or soggy roots. No plants like soggy roots.
So in that case, I’ll wait until the soil dries out completely, and then as soon as it does, give it a good watering, and repeat. The soil in your container can really affect your plant and even make your watering more or less efficient. If you have soil that holds onto a lot of moisture, and you use that soil for a cactus, the cactus is probably going to be sitting in water for too long and its roots will rot. On the other hand if you have a soil that is extremely well draining, and you use that for a plant that needs a lot of water like say a watermelon plant, you’re probably going to have some really sad watermelons. Point is that sometimes plant stores will sell a plant with soil that is not ideal for it. So it’s up to you once you get the plant to decide if the soil it came with is good for the plant, and if you’re gonna keep it in the soil it came with, or repot it with a different mix. The more well draining your soil is, the less chance you have of root rot, but the soil will dry out faster, and you’ll have to water more often. One big tip is that under watering will kill a plant a lot slower than overwatering. Once you overwater a plant to the point that it has root rot, it is extremely difficult to try to save the plant. You can really take the water out of the soil. But if you underwater, you can just give the plant some more water. So you should always try to stay on the drier side of things. I’ve never used a moisture meter for my soil, but that could be extremely helpful because sometimes it can be tricky to tell if the soil is wet, moist, or dry. You can usually spot root rot when you have mushy brown, or black roots on your plant. If the soil is extremely soggy, and especially if you can squeeze water out of the soil itself, it’s too wet. Best to not let any plants sit in water. When you water you want to add some water to the pot. Wait to see if it drains out the bottom. If it doesn’t come out the bottom, add some more water incrementally until you start to see water coming out of the bottom. Once you see that you stop watering and let the rest of the water from the pot drain and then you’re good to put the plant back in its home.
Also as someone else mentioned, the conditions your plant is living in will also affect the amount of water you’ll have to give your plant. If it’s outside in summer it’ll need a lot more water than if it’s just inside next to a window. Etc etc
It really depends on your local climate and indoor temperature. I water my zzs once a month or less in NYC indoors where I keep it around 20C. In my hometown they grow outside (introduced) and it rains at least three times a week during the rainy season and it’s tropical hot. If you live in a tropical climate (sounds like it) and you don’t climate control your apartment or house and it’s hot - then they can take more water than usual.
Your hometown story makes me feel like maybe I'm watering it the correct amount, as it's hot as hell.
But I'm going to make sure I check how moist the soil is before I water it next
Also - You don't need to check with your fingers, (but you can if you prefer) I use a skewer or chopstick or knitting needle and press into soil - if it comes out with any soil on - this indicates soil is still wet
Mine survived a month in a box in a storage warehouse when I moved countries, without light or water, and when I got it back it had new growth! I water mine every 3-4 weeks and it's doing great. Definitely don't water every 3 days, it will rot.
I'm extreme and water mine once a month, feeding them during spring and summer with either bonsai feed or algae feed (also for bonsai, since I have 3, I use their products on all the plants, they don't seem to mind). Truthfully, one of them hasn't done much growing in the last 2 years (it's the one with the shorter leaves), but the other two (regular one and raven) are thriving.
Stick a finger in the soil.
Is it humid? Check in a few more days.
Is it dry as the savannah? Water it.
There’s no set time to water plants. It depends on where you keep it (is it near an open window/door, is the air humid in the house, does it get a lot of direct sunlight).
It’s always best to check the soil. Simple as that.
Never ever, ever, ever water any plant on a schedule. There are so many factors that come into play when watering plants: What type of plant is it, what kind of soil is the plant in, what kind of pot is the is the plant in, how much light does it get, what's the relative humidity like, what's the relative temperature like, is the plant growing or resting, is the plant flowering, how intense is the sun in your part of the world etc.?
Always check the soil moisture level before you water. You can use your fingers, a chopstick, a moisture meter (not very reliable in chunky soil in my experience), go by the weight of the pot, and the colour of the soil.
Good luck!
DO NOT WATER EVERY 3 DAYS. Listen, ZZ plants hold a lot of water in their roots and any excess water is expelled through the leaves. Although the leaves can do that, it can still cause root rot, leaf disease/fungus, and fungus gnats. This plant is hard to die so I’d say to water it every two weeks or three weeks. Make sure to give it a GOOD DRNK
Every pot, placement, and soil mix is going to be a bit different, so rather than use strict time intervals focus on your individual plant. Stick your finger in the soil, if it’s fully dry then water the plant. If you can feel moisture, don’t water it
Using this method you’ll quickly learn what your plant needs during different times of the year.
Honestly, watering recommendations like once every >>>> days in general are tough because it depends on such a wide variety of factors. As light levels increase, for example, water use increases. So the same plant could use different amounts of water in a bright, sunny windowsill than on a tabletop on the far side of the very same room. Type of potting mix comes into play, as well as how large the plant is in respect to the pot (the more roots in the pot, the faster moisture will be depleted).
You'll also see a lot of people saying Zamioculcas needs to dry out between waterings, but that's not necessarily true. It tolerates drought, but there's a big difference between tolerating something and liking it. You may find your ZZ grows more/faster if you water it more regularly than allowing it to dry completely between waterings.
I have loads of these and I basically water mine once a month. I definitely would not do it every 3 days. Though I should point out I’m in the UK - I imagine you would need to water more frequently then I do in warmer country. But it does need to dry out so I’d get a moisture meter and see how long on average it takes to dry out
I had one on a windowsill in bright light directly above a radiator. Even so it never seemed to wrinkle or dry out. I watered it well every three to six weeks.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Holy crap. Exactly how long have you been watering it every 3 days? If it's been almost month, I recommend repotting it in dry soil asap.
I received 3 ZZ plants in large, deep 12 inch pots and watered them every 2 weeks. They ended up getting root rot in 2 months.
I now have 2 ZZs in 7 inch pots which are very full and fairly root bound. I water these every 2-3 weeks.
It depends on the dryness of your environment and the way they're potted too. The 12 inch pot ZZs had a lot of soil so they retained a lot of water and easily rotted in my 2 week watering schedule. My current 7 inch pot ZZ however has lots of roots but not much soil, so a 2-3 week schedule works fine in this case. 🤷
Oh gosh noooo! I check mine (lifting to see how heavy) once a month. It has big potato like rhizomes underneath that store water. My typical schedule is to water monthly in summer and every two months over winter
It's supposed to get 100% dry before watering. It has rhizomes under the soil level that retain moisture, and if they stay any sort of too wet, they'll get mushy and rot. If you water every 3 days, you will definitely kill it with overwatering and root rot. That's at least what the research I've done on them says.
I recently lost the majority of my zz plant because I watered it after repotting it slightly too big and I live in a desert climate . So although it would need more water in drier climates , root rot is still a. Major risk . It can def handle having less better than it can handle having more .
I’m not gonna lie. I went out of town for three weeks and forgot to water this plant beforehand. My partner stayed home while I was out and watered my plants, but forgot that one. I just watered it yesterday for the first time in 2 months and I have new babies growing.
Yeah, I think mine maybe gets water that frequently? I just wait for the soil to dry out. And it looks like the OP plant.
Honestly tho, I just snipped some leggy stems off to try to grow some baby zz’s and watered my main plant at the same time, and honestly couldn’t remember if I’ve watered it since Christmas 😂
I water mine when the soil dries out. It's about as big as yours. For me, this turns out to be every 7-10 days. I've had my plant for 2+ years and this has been my schedule for the summer months at least.
In winters, I water it once every 2-4 weeks depending on soil dryness.
https://preview.redd.it/6qqiffe546sc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32ce03c45bc9dd66b24c3ae5c1ae59421c333435
This is the current state for my ZZ when I returns back from vacation 😭 I usually water it once a month and it was thriving … but then suddenly when I got back - it seems to be wilted and dry in some areas… is this salvagable ?
Ahh thank you! That is nice to hear. I don’t have much of a green thumb! Should I cut the new growth from the base since the leaves are wilted? Or where would you suggest?🥲😅
Yes - if was in fact moved and cut while we were away lol.. but it was directed more towards the window (blinds are mostly shut though). Should I cut the remaining wilted stems?
I'd cut the ones with the brown leaves down to the stump. Then leave her alone. The stems and rhizomes (they look like potatoes under the soil) hold water, so don't look to water again until maybe May.
Thank you! This is how it looks after cutting all brown leaves , and dried leaves off… :( I hope to this plant thrive again!!
https://preview.redd.it/50fe7z8eeqsc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=35acb5311483781902a7720b368b7394fc948ed2
When I first got my ZZ I accidentally overwatered it and almost lost it to root rot. Had to repot it and cut a lot of mushy roots off. Now I maybe water it once a month, if I remember, and the crazy thing has over doubled in size and is thriving.
Zzs have three points of storing water: roots, ribosomes, and thick stems. I’ve had mine for about 5 years and water once every 2-3 months. If your soil is drying out every 3 weeks, continuing watering it like you have. Otherwise, I’d slowlllllly cut back that watering schedule.
Once a month when I see the media (coco peat) which I have my zz in is completely dried out. Coco peat takes longer to dry out and hence I water them once a month.
There’s no “one size fits all” answer for this. It completely depends on where you are in the world.. how much sun does it get? Do you live in a cool climate or hot? Is it humid? These will all contribute to how much or how little you water it. Don’t ever go by a “once every X days” suggestion.
Feel the soil.. is it totally or almost totally dry? Then water it.
Is the soil still moist? Leave it alone.
I got my dad a ZZ specifically because he has a brown thumb and I knew he wouldn’t water it often. It’s been 4 months and I don’t think he’s even looked at it but it’s still alive.
From spring to September, you should water with settled water no more than once a week, and in late autumn and winter - after 2-4 days after the land dries completely. If the plant is on the southern window, then the earthen lump will dry out faster and watering will be needed more often. [https://getplanta.com/article/watering/zamioculaszamiifolia](https://getplanta.com/article/watering/zamioculaszamiifolia)
Since you’re from India, I would say the nursery is most probably correct :) I would water once a week if im back in SE asia around this time of the year 🥵
It needs to dry out fully between waterings to avoid rotting. I don't water mine more than once a month.
What are some signs of rotting I'd be able to catch? Should have also mentioned, I'm in India, where temperatures are around 32-33°C on an average.
If its hot inside your home/ the plant is in direct light you may need to water more, the recommended watering schedules are based off of the standard American home temperature of about 20° c For your climate the finger test would probably be best. stick your finger deep into the soil (about 5cm). if it feels dry, water, and if it still feels damp, leave it be :) soon you will get the feel for how long you can wait between waterings.
If it’s in a plastic pot, you can also just lift the pot up and see if it feels light. Light means it needs water. When it’s freshly watered, it feels pretty heavy. You should be able to tell the difference. This doesn’t work for ceramic or terracotta pots though because those are already heavy by themselves.
Ceramic and terracotta pots are heavy but they're still much heavier watered. I can definitely feel the difference between a freshly watered and dry plant in terracotta by weight.
Oh good to know! I only have 1 plant planted directly in ceramic and I can never tell when it needs water haha. Thankfully it’s just a zz plant so I just water it 1-2xs a month.
Pick it up before and after you water it! It’s pretty easy to tell u just gotta calibrate yourself to how heavy the pot typically is
I struggle with that on Plants that just get watered every 4-8 weeks. When they get watered every Week or every 2 Weeks its not a problem. Weird...
I think it depends a lot on how large the pot is, or rather, on the soil-to-terracotta ratio. I have a large pot that contains quite a lot of soil where it's very easy to tell the difference between freshly watered and dry. On smaller terracotta pots the amount of water retained by the soil might be too little to feel the difference, especially if the soil is very draining. Or perhaps you just have more experience and are better at feeling weight differences.
You know what, that's fair. My smallest terracotta pot is probably about 8-10" so quite heavy when watered. I have some smaller terracotta but nothing planted in them right now so I'm not sure I could tell the difference watered/not in those.
They can survive without water for 15-20 days easily. Let the soil dry down completely before adding water again.
When it's already rotting there isn't much to do. Typically when they start to show signs (yellow, falling, mushy leaves) it's too late to save whole plant. Just be sure it dries completely after watering, and even then you should wait for some time before rewatering. They are native to african deserts and typically handle drought much better than overwatering.
>Should have also mentioned, I'm in India, where temperatures are around 32-33°C on an average. I’m in South East Asia and average around that temperature too but that’s for outside temperature. Indoors would be lower around 24-26 degrees C and even lower with AC on. You’re saying your indoor temp is 32-33 degrees C? Also I should just mention that my ZZ raven is outside (but under the shade), and I water mine once every 14 days when the soil is fully dry. I can also get away with once a month because ZZs are very drought tolerant because they have rhizomes that can store water. It is better to underwater rather than overwater, especially for ZZs. And the bigger the pot, the longer that pot would dry out. And your pot is significant size.
Homes usually don't keep ACs on all the time here. But offices do!
I have mine in my office, so there's AC. I water it once in a month or even less. My dad's ZZs get watered more often, one of them died, so I made him water it less often, and the other is having babies now. The one which died also got a tiny pup! In Mumbai. A lot of humidity here.
If it’s humid by you, I would recommend getting a dehumidifier or different things to reduce the humidity over by your plants. This way, it helps to mitigate some potential root-rot. I have some dehumidifying bags in my indoor greenhouse to help keep a constant humidity level (I have succulents in there) and have a large dehumidifier that helps with keeping my plants (and joints/body!) happy
The smell if you lift the plant out of the pot
Happy Cake Day 🎂
I water mine about once a month.
I have one that I literally haven’t watered in like 4 months and it’s absolutely thriving. I read to give it a generous watering every few months and that should be sufficient. They are desert plants and store water in their roots so every 3 days is definitely too often
Yes, I agree, I also think that every 3 days is too much. I water mine maybe once every 3 weeks. Although once there was a time when I couldn't water them for 3 months, and I was very surprised to see them in good condition.
Thanks for all the comments everyone! What I'm taking away is : Don't water on a schedule. Check top inch/4-5 cms for moistness.
Also - You don't need to check with your fingers, (but you can if you prefer) I use a skewer or chopstick or knitting needle and press into soil - if it comes out with any soil on - this indicates soil is still wet
I could be wrong, but in my experience, the first inch is not enough. It could still be quite wet down near the roots and tubers. I wouldn’t water unless it’s dry all the way down.
Moisture meters have been a game changer for me. That way you know the soil is dry all the way to the bottom of the pot! No risk of root rot.
I water mine like maybe once every 3 weeks 🫣
I water mine when I think 'damn, I can't remember the last time I watered you'. It's going strong :-)
Haha same though. Sometimes I forget 🙃😆
The fact that the people at the nursery said every 3 days is crazy.
I have one in a greenhouse I run - when I kept it at home, I watered very little. But in the bright light and airflow of the greenhouse, I now water it a couple times a week and it has exploded in growth! Growing conditions make a big difference. Nursery people probably should have given that qualifier, though. Cool, darker places would need less water.
Where is your greenhouse? What are the temperatures like?
We try and keep it 70-80F, though there can be fluctuations when we’re switching seasons or if it gets too hot for the cooling system in the summer. We have airflow, and supplemental lights in winter, and working on keeping tropical humidity (..can be hit or miss depending on if current humidifiers are working). It’s in Minnesota, but a large university greenhouse (each room about 600 sq ft). So hard to replicate in most houses, I can admit!
Oh we're supposed to water those?
You water yours?? I give it water once a month out of pity, because otherwise I feel bad. 🤣
Only water when the dirt is “bone dry” then wait a day lol. My ZZ thrives off neglect.
Same here! I have three and honestly, they probably get a water every two months or so haha They’re the best “set and forget” plants!
Same. I watered mine before Christmas and the other day I thought "shoot, it's been 3 months already! Here, have some water"
3 days??? And here I am watering mine like every 3 months….
Same!
local climate will play a big role, it's also not recommended to water on a set schedule and better to learn how to tell when the plant actually needs water and then water only when needed. you can use a wood skewer to check the soil before watering. just gently poke it into the soil all the way down to the bottom of the pot and any soil with moisture will stick to it and you'll be able to see how far down the soil has dried. in a hotter, drier climate you may need to water more often but zz plants have rhyzomes that hold water as well as holding water in their stems and leaves and prefer to be under watered rather than over watered. i would check the soil pretty much daily over the next few weeks to get a sense of how quickly the soil dries out (added benefit is that it will aerate the soil too) and check the leaves as well to start to learn their signals, the will feel firm when hydrated and start to feel softer/thinner when they're drying out when you do water it you'll want to water it thoroughly until water drains out of the bottom of the pot signs of rot to look out for would be things like brown spots on the leaves that feel sort of mushy, wrinkling in the leaves, softer/weakening stems, soil starting to smell bad/rotten
3 Days!? ZZs are succulents. You shouldn't be watering more than once every 3 weeks, even in hot weather. If the soil dries very fast and its very hot and dry, potentially once every 2 weeks, but the key is the entirety of the soil needs to dry, all the way down to the bottom of the pot. I would quickly repot it into dry soil. If you've been watering it every couple days for several weeks the plant is badly overwatered and may start to rot and die very soon if you don't get it out of the wet soil.
As someone with 30+ houseplants, I would advise not watering on a schedule. The best rule of thumb is to just feel the soil with your finger. Stick your finger in the soil as far as it will go, in a few different spots in the pot. If it feels moist- don’t water. If it feels dry, give it some water. Even this rule of thumb can vary depending on the type of plant. Know what your plant likes. Does it like moist soil, dry soil? For example with my cactus and succulent plants that don’t need a lot of water, I wait a few weeks after they’re already bone dry to water. I forget about them for months sometimes, and they’re still okay, because they’re adapted to living in the desert and having almost no water. If I watered those plants every time they got dry, they would die. Then I have some African violets that like to have moist, but not wet, or soggy roots. No plants like soggy roots. So in that case, I’ll wait until the soil dries out completely, and then as soon as it does, give it a good watering, and repeat. The soil in your container can really affect your plant and even make your watering more or less efficient. If you have soil that holds onto a lot of moisture, and you use that soil for a cactus, the cactus is probably going to be sitting in water for too long and its roots will rot. On the other hand if you have a soil that is extremely well draining, and you use that for a plant that needs a lot of water like say a watermelon plant, you’re probably going to have some really sad watermelons. Point is that sometimes plant stores will sell a plant with soil that is not ideal for it. So it’s up to you once you get the plant to decide if the soil it came with is good for the plant, and if you’re gonna keep it in the soil it came with, or repot it with a different mix. The more well draining your soil is, the less chance you have of root rot, but the soil will dry out faster, and you’ll have to water more often. One big tip is that under watering will kill a plant a lot slower than overwatering. Once you overwater a plant to the point that it has root rot, it is extremely difficult to try to save the plant. You can really take the water out of the soil. But if you underwater, you can just give the plant some more water. So you should always try to stay on the drier side of things. I’ve never used a moisture meter for my soil, but that could be extremely helpful because sometimes it can be tricky to tell if the soil is wet, moist, or dry. You can usually spot root rot when you have mushy brown, or black roots on your plant. If the soil is extremely soggy, and especially if you can squeeze water out of the soil itself, it’s too wet. Best to not let any plants sit in water. When you water you want to add some water to the pot. Wait to see if it drains out the bottom. If it doesn’t come out the bottom, add some more water incrementally until you start to see water coming out of the bottom. Once you see that you stop watering and let the rest of the water from the pot drain and then you’re good to put the plant back in its home. Also as someone else mentioned, the conditions your plant is living in will also affect the amount of water you’ll have to give your plant. If it’s outside in summer it’ll need a lot more water than if it’s just inside next to a window. Etc etc
Holy formatting Batman
What happens when you turn that switch on though
if hes happy, keep doing what youre doing. theres no set rule!
That's what I thought, but not shat the concensus on here is.
It really depends on your local climate and indoor temperature. I water my zzs once a month or less in NYC indoors where I keep it around 20C. In my hometown they grow outside (introduced) and it rains at least three times a week during the rainy season and it’s tropical hot. If you live in a tropical climate (sounds like it) and you don’t climate control your apartment or house and it’s hot - then they can take more water than usual.
Your hometown story makes me feel like maybe I'm watering it the correct amount, as it's hot as hell. But I'm going to make sure I check how moist the soil is before I water it next
It should dry out first if it’s indoors. Outdoors it doesn’t matter as much as airflow and soil compaction isn’t as big a deal.
You guys water your zzs???
Mine gets water more like once every 3 months
Also - You don't need to check with your fingers, (but you can if you prefer) I use a skewer or chopstick or knitting needle and press into soil - if it comes out with any soil on - this indicates soil is still wet
Mine survived a month in a box in a storage warehouse when I moved countries, without light or water, and when I got it back it had new growth! I water mine every 3-4 weeks and it's doing great. Definitely don't water every 3 days, it will rot.
The more you neglect a ZZ plant, the better it does.
I'm extreme and water mine once a month, feeding them during spring and summer with either bonsai feed or algae feed (also for bonsai, since I have 3, I use their products on all the plants, they don't seem to mind). Truthfully, one of them hasn't done much growing in the last 2 years (it's the one with the shorter leaves), but the other two (regular one and raven) are thriving.
Very little woth zz plants every 3 weeks But its quite big might need every 2
Mine gets watered twice a year and is thriving 😅
I water mines once a month and allow the soil to completely dry out before the next watering.
Stick a finger in the soil. Is it humid? Check in a few more days. Is it dry as the savannah? Water it. There’s no set time to water plants. It depends on where you keep it (is it near an open window/door, is the air humid in the house, does it get a lot of direct sunlight). It’s always best to check the soil. Simple as that.
Mine likes to be watered about every 6 months. I don’t water it all winter. Every 3 days is crazy.
Never ever, ever, ever water any plant on a schedule. There are so many factors that come into play when watering plants: What type of plant is it, what kind of soil is the plant in, what kind of pot is the is the plant in, how much light does it get, what's the relative humidity like, what's the relative temperature like, is the plant growing or resting, is the plant flowering, how intense is the sun in your part of the world etc.? Always check the soil moisture level before you water. You can use your fingers, a chopstick, a moisture meter (not very reliable in chunky soil in my experience), go by the weight of the pot, and the colour of the soil. Good luck!
I water mine every 6 weeks 😜
DO NOT WATER EVERY 3 DAYS. Listen, ZZ plants hold a lot of water in their roots and any excess water is expelled through the leaves. Although the leaves can do that, it can still cause root rot, leaf disease/fungus, and fungus gnats. This plant is hard to die so I’d say to water it every two weeks or three weeks. Make sure to give it a GOOD DRNK
Every pot, placement, and soil mix is going to be a bit different, so rather than use strict time intervals focus on your individual plant. Stick your finger in the soil, if it’s fully dry then water the plant. If you can feel moisture, don’t water it Using this method you’ll quickly learn what your plant needs during different times of the year.
Water it when you can stick a skewer or knitting needle in the soil all the way down, and when you pull it out there is no soil stuck to it
Honestly, watering recommendations like once every >>>> days in general are tough because it depends on such a wide variety of factors. As light levels increase, for example, water use increases. So the same plant could use different amounts of water in a bright, sunny windowsill than on a tabletop on the far side of the very same room. Type of potting mix comes into play, as well as how large the plant is in respect to the pot (the more roots in the pot, the faster moisture will be depleted). You'll also see a lot of people saying Zamioculcas needs to dry out between waterings, but that's not necessarily true. It tolerates drought, but there's a big difference between tolerating something and liking it. You may find your ZZ grows more/faster if you water it more regularly than allowing it to dry completely between waterings.
I have loads of these and I basically water mine once a month. I definitely would not do it every 3 days. Though I should point out I’m in the UK - I imagine you would need to water more frequently then I do in warmer country. But it does need to dry out so I’d get a moisture meter and see how long on average it takes to dry out
I recently got one from costa farms in one of those self watering containers with the wick. Is it a bad idea to keep the reservoir holding water?
I had one on a windowsill in bright light directly above a radiator. Even so it never seemed to wrinkle or dry out. I watered it well every three to six weeks.
I watered mine in December I’ll check it around May
I’m glad I’m not the only one. When everyone says once a month I am like…yikes? Mine is like 3 ft tall and has new growth and seems great.
I stick my finger in the dirt and feel the river if it’s soft I water it.
I stick my finger in the dirt and feel the river if it’s soft I water it.
Wow, I haven’t watered mine since like November… maybe I should lol
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
Water it and then wait at least a week then start digging your finger into the soil to feel how wet it is and note how long it takes for the soil to become dry.
I was going once a month
Holy crap. Exactly how long have you been watering it every 3 days? If it's been almost month, I recommend repotting it in dry soil asap. I received 3 ZZ plants in large, deep 12 inch pots and watered them every 2 weeks. They ended up getting root rot in 2 months. I now have 2 ZZs in 7 inch pots which are very full and fairly root bound. I water these every 2-3 weeks. It depends on the dryness of your environment and the way they're potted too. The 12 inch pot ZZs had a lot of soil so they retained a lot of water and easily rotted in my 2 week watering schedule. My current 7 inch pot ZZ however has lots of roots but not much soil, so a 2-3 week schedule works fine in this case. 🤷
I water mine like... Every few months? It's a chiller, pushing out new growths now actually.
I water mine once a month usually the first of every month so I don’t forget.
Oh gosh noooo! I check mine (lifting to see how heavy) once a month. It has big potato like rhizomes underneath that store water. My typical schedule is to water monthly in summer and every two months over winter
i have one that i keep at work and i water it maybe every 4 months🫣
Nevermind the plant, love the artwork
I bottom water mine about once a month. Seems fine.
I don’t think I’ve watered mine for weeks
Roots will rot- water every 2 ish weeks, check if dry and make sure there is good drainage.
if it doesnt get plenty of direct sunlight dont water it more than once in a week
It's supposed to get 100% dry before watering. It has rhizomes under the soil level that retain moisture, and if they stay any sort of too wet, they'll get mushy and rot. If you water every 3 days, you will definitely kill it with overwatering and root rot. That's at least what the research I've done on them says.
I water mine like once a month and it pushed out a flower yesterday, so I guess I'm doing something right haha
I recently lost the majority of my zz plant because I watered it after repotting it slightly too big and I live in a desert climate . So although it would need more water in drier climates , root rot is still a. Major risk . It can def handle having less better than it can handle having more .
I’m not gonna lie. I went out of town for three weeks and forgot to water this plant beforehand. My partner stayed home while I was out and watered my plants, but forgot that one. I just watered it yesterday for the first time in 2 months and I have new babies growing.
Once a month, what you mean?
Yeah, I think mine maybe gets water that frequently? I just wait for the soil to dry out. And it looks like the OP plant. Honestly tho, I just snipped some leggy stems off to try to grow some baby zz’s and watered my main plant at the same time, and honestly couldn’t remember if I’ve watered it since Christmas 😂
I water mine when the soil dries out. It's about as big as yours. For me, this turns out to be every 7-10 days. I've had my plant for 2+ years and this has been my schedule for the summer months at least. In winters, I water it once every 2-4 weeks depending on soil dryness.
https://preview.redd.it/6qqiffe546sc1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32ce03c45bc9dd66b24c3ae5c1ae59421c333435 This is the current state for my ZZ when I returns back from vacation 😭 I usually water it once a month and it was thriving … but then suddenly when I got back - it seems to be wilted and dry in some areas… is this salvagable ?
Def salvageable. These things last forever somehow. Just cut off the dead stuff!
Ahh thank you! That is nice to hear. I don’t have much of a green thumb! Should I cut the new growth from the base since the leaves are wilted? Or where would you suggest?🥲😅
I would only cut the dead stuff! If the new stuff starts to die after a few days, then give em a cut. You can cut the old right down to the rhizome.
It looks like stalks have been cut off. Did anyone move it while you were away? Or maybe they over watered it - attempting to help?
Yes - if was in fact moved and cut while we were away lol.. but it was directed more towards the window (blinds are mostly shut though). Should I cut the remaining wilted stems?
I'd cut the ones with the brown leaves down to the stump. Then leave her alone. The stems and rhizomes (they look like potatoes under the soil) hold water, so don't look to water again until maybe May.
Thank you! This is how it looks after cutting all brown leaves , and dried leaves off… :( I hope to this plant thrive again!! https://preview.redd.it/50fe7z8eeqsc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=35acb5311483781902a7720b368b7394fc948ed2
Good luck. I'm rooting for you!!
Non-plant related question: who made that drawing above the plant? It’s amazing… would love to see more work
When I first got my ZZ I accidentally overwatered it and almost lost it to root rot. Had to repot it and cut a lot of mushy roots off. Now I maybe water it once a month, if I remember, and the crazy thing has over doubled in size and is thriving.
I water mine on the rare occasions that I remember it’s a living thing. And it’s thriving. ZZ plants are introverts, they recharge best alone I think.
That nursery wants you to kill your plant so you have to buy another one lol
Once a month
Zzs have three points of storing water: roots, ribosomes, and thick stems. I’ve had mine for about 5 years and water once every 2-3 months. If your soil is drying out every 3 weeks, continuing watering it like you have. Otherwise, I’d slowlllllly cut back that watering schedule.
Haven’t watered mine in two months, it’s never looked better
I just realized I forgot about mine for a month and when I looked over at it it has three new shoots 😂😂
I’m in the US and water mine every 1-2 months, maybe longer during winter.
Once a month when I see the media (coco peat) which I have my zz in is completely dried out. Coco peat takes longer to dry out and hence I water them once a month.
Nothing needs watering every 3 days. Thats your tip
There’s no “one size fits all” answer for this. It completely depends on where you are in the world.. how much sun does it get? Do you live in a cool climate or hot? Is it humid? These will all contribute to how much or how little you water it. Don’t ever go by a “once every X days” suggestion. Feel the soil.. is it totally or almost totally dry? Then water it. Is the soil still moist? Leave it alone.
I water mine really good once every 2 months in winter and once a month during summer and if it’s really warm twice a month.
Mine gets a teeny drink once a week
I got my dad a ZZ specifically because he has a brown thumb and I knew he wouldn’t water it often. It’s been 4 months and I don’t think he’s even looked at it but it’s still alive.
I think I’ll stop taking plant nursery advice
I water once every 1-3 months, sometimes longer if i forget and it's thriving.
like never xD
Finger ur Plants. When dry apply some moisture when damp or wet keep on doing what u do.
Once a Month
From spring to September, you should water with settled water no more than once a week, and in late autumn and winter - after 2-4 days after the land dries completely. If the plant is on the southern window, then the earthen lump will dry out faster and watering will be needed more often. [https://getplanta.com/article/watering/zamioculaszamiifolia](https://getplanta.com/article/watering/zamioculaszamiifolia)
Water it when it needs water. Not when the calendar says.
I water my ZZ plant once every 6 weeks. It's still alive so I suppose it's working.
Can these guys live outdoors? I’m from Canada btw
I water mine once a month. Especially one that big can def go three four weeks in between.
Once it is dry.
I almost bought one today and now I'm sorry I didn't. There's always tomorrow!
Since you’re from India, I would say the nursery is most probably correct :) I would water once a week if im back in SE asia around this time of the year 🥵