This plant is loved by many flower lovers for its ease of care and impressive size. Indeed, Zamioculcas, or "dollar tree", as it is also called, does not require much time and special knowledge from the owner. At the same time, the plant will decorate the living room in the house, the reception desk in the hotel or the reception area in the office with a spectacular appearance. Therefore, when the decorative look begins to change, it immediately catches the eye. In the article, we will analyze how to properly care for the plant and what to do if the leaves of Zamioculcas turn yellow.
Description of the plant
The homeland of the Zamioculcas plant is the African country of Kenya. The climate of this region is characterized by changing tropical rains and dry periods. The plant has adapted to accumulate moisture in order to survive during drought. This may explain why the flower will not suffer much if it is not watered.on time.
Fleshy stems grow from a large thick root, covered with leaves with a wax coating of dark green, almost emerald color. It is rarely possible to see a flowering indoor dollar tree. A cream-colored cob with a future flower is located at the base of the leaves and is covered with a greenish blanket. It is barely noticeable, and the Zamioculcas flowers are inconspicuous. A flower grows up to 1 meter in height.
Containment conditions
The appearance of the plant depends on ensuring the correct conditions of detention. Often there is a situation when the leaves of Zamiokulkas turn yellow and dry. So that the flower does not suffer this trouble, check if suitable conditions are provided for it:
- Maintain the temperature regime from +20 to +25 °C. This is the optimal range, but it can be wider. The main thing is to prevent cooling below +12 ° C in winter and ensure a rest mode (+16 … +18 ° C).
- It is important to avoid sudden and frequent changes in temperature. This is one of the reasons why Zamioculcas leaves turn yellow.
- Humidity is not that important. Frequent spraying is also not needed. It is good to give the flower a warm shower from time to time and remove dust with a damp cloth, being careful not to damage the plant.
- Light plays an important role. The direct rays of the sun have a bad effect on the decorative appearance of a flower that needs diffused light. The plant will adapt to the shade, but will grow less intensively.
- The place for the flower should be free of drafts, which are very harmful to the plant and contribute to the development of diseases, withwhich the leaves of Zamioculcas turn yellow.
General care rules
Zamioculcas, although it is considered unpretentious, it does not hurt to know some of the features of care. When choosing soil, give preference to loose and light soils with neutral acidity. If the soil mixture contains mostly sand with good permeable qualities, the flower can be watered more often.
Irrigation
When watering a flower, it is important not to allow excess moisture, but it is also impossible to bring it to dryness. Still, it's better to underfill than overfill. In the first case, when watering is resumed, the flower will come to life and will grow further, which cannot be said about the second option. When the roots rot, it will be problematic to save the plant. For irrigation, water that has been settled for at least 12 hours is suitable. Water from the pan must be poured out. The next watering should be done after the soil is completely dry. A flower in a large pot is watered less often than in a small pot. The amount of watering depends on the season. In warm weather, water more often, and in cold weather - less often.
Feeding
Zamioculcas at home is important to fertilize regularly. Suitable for general purpose fertilizers. The dose of drugs is halved - the dollar tree does not tolerate excess nutrients. The plant responds well to foliar spraying several times a month, alternating with watering. For leaf dressing, a solution of urea and complex fertilizer is used.
Why do leaves turn yellow and what to do?
Often flower growers are faced witha problem when the leaves of Zamioculcas turn yellow. Home care is easy to provide to the plant. The flower is undemanding to temperature and humidity, the illumination is standard. Then why, with simple rules of care, do the leaves of Zamiokulkas turn yellow? Consider the main reasons:
- Excessive soil moisture in a pot leads to yellowing of the leaves. Zamioculcas is drought-resistant, in its natural habitat the plant does without moisture for a long time, consuming the reserves accumulated in the trunk, roots and leaves. Abundant and frequent watering will lead to decay of the root system, and in appearance it will be reflected in a problem when the leaves of the Zamioculcas flower turn yellow. Often this occurs during the cold season, when the plant is at rest.
- Violation of the top dressing regime is another reason for the yellowing of the aerial parts. Adding more nutrients to the soil than the flower needs will cause the root system to rot, and the leaves will turn light green.
- If the leaves of zamiokulkas turn yellow suddenly, most likely, the lighting rules are violated. Perhaps the plant is under direct sunlight, which causes a burn of the leaves and the entire aerial part. If the flower is on a window on the south side, you need to take care of shelter from the sun at noon.
- Violation of the temperature regime is the fourth reason. The leaves of Zamioculcas turn yellow if the flower stands in a draft or the temperature changes sharply and often. We need average temperatures at all stages of development.
Not all flower growers know that there are natural causes whenzamiokulkas leaves turn yellow, and what to do in this case, nothing needs to be done. This is the physiological process of aging of an adult plant. When more than 15 leaves grow on a stem, the old foliage turns yellow, dries up and falls off.
Why do leaves wither and dry?
We have already found out why the leaves of Zamioculcas turn yellow and what to do, but this is not the only trouble that happens to the plant. Florists often face a problem when the leaves wither or dry. If only the lower foliage dries up and falls off, this indicates the physiological process of aging of the indoor flower. If the leaves wither and fall off on the whole plant, the reason here is in the wrong watering or lighting. Damage to the plant by mechanical action is also possible.
If wilting is accompanied by dark spots, zamiokulkas roots may rot, which appeared as a result of erroneously selected soil. And also for a tropical plant, the presence of a drainage layer is important. It would be wrong to grow a dollar tree in a hydrogel or use a substrate with pieces of foam and sawdust.
Why is the stem part changing?
The stem of the plant must be resilient. The soft branches of the plant should make the grower pay attention to some aspects:
- It is necessary to check whether the flower is sufficiently lit, and if necessary, move the pot to another place.
- If the roots of Zamioculcas, the trunk and the wholethe above-ground part will be soft. This often leads to overflow of the plant. In this case, a transplant is indispensable. The plant is taken out, the roots are freed from the ground, the damaged areas are removed and dried well. Slices are sprinkled with activated charcoal, powdered. After that, the flower is planted in a new soil with a large amount of coarse sand.
Slowdown or cessation of growth and development of the aerial part is the result of improperly selected soil mixture or pot size. Feeding the plant with fertilizers containing potassium, nitrogen and magnesium will help. If the plant is crowded, transplant it into a larger pot.
How to save zamiokulkas?
The dollar tree is designed to bring prosperity to the house, but if it gets sick, wilts, or the leaves turn yellow at the zamiokulkas, it will be difficult to believe that the plant will help in a financial matter. If you experience any of the following symptoms, act immediately:
- Repot the plant, cutting off rotten roots if overwatering or overfeeding is the cause. Treat the root system with a fungicide.
- If the zamiokulkas is dry, transplant by treating the roots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- If pests are found, first wash the plant with a mild soapy solution, and then apply insect repellants.
Diseases and pests
Excessive watering is the root cause of many Zamioculcas problems. In this case, the root system rots, the nutrition of the plant is disturbed and, as a result,there are changes in appearance. Normalization of the watering regime, and in advanced cases, transplantation will solve this problem.
As for pests, scale insects, aphids and mites often start on Zamioculcas:
- Scutellum can be found on the aerial part in the form of dark tubercles. Adults sit motionless in one place, and the larvae move through the plant. Spraying with a solution of soap and tobacco is used to remove insects, and adults are removed with a damp cotton swab.
- Aphid is a small insect that is black, gray or green in color. It is nourished by the juice of the flower, which causes the leaves to curl and dry out. Lives on the inside of the leaf. It is recommended to treat aphids with ready-made store preparations or prepare a solution of sulfate with nicotine, taken in the proportion of 1 g of nicotine per 1 liter of soapy water.
- The spider mite is a small red insect. Covers the underside of the leaves with a white cobweb. For destruction, the leaves are sprayed with a weak infusion of tobacco or just water, systemic insecticides are used.
After any treatment, a day later, the zamiokulkas are washed well, covering the soil with plastic wrap, and repeat the treatment if necessary.
Reproduction
The flower reproduces only vegetatively. When obtaining planting material, it is important to ensure that small children or pets do not eat any part of the plant that is poisonous. For propagation use leaves, cuttings orjust divide the root of an adult plant.
Choose small leaves or part of a leaf. The cut point is treated with crushed wood or activated charcoal and allowed to dry for 6-9 hours. After that, the prepared leaf is planted in a soil mixture consisting of sand and vermiculite, or a special soil for succulents is used. The container is chosen small, and a layer of drainage must be poured on the bottom.
For amateur flower growers, the propagation option using cuttings is suitable. To do this, cut off a part of the stem a little above ground level and cut it into pieces so that each cutting has a leaf with a bud. The cut points should dry for about an hour, then the stalk is deepened into vermiculite and watered. The shoot will take root in 2-4 weeks.
If you follow the simple rules of care, the dollar tree will please the owners with a spectacular appearance for more than one year. Many believe in the properties of a flower to attract we alth and prosperity to the house where it grows. The more magnificent the crown and the thicker the trunk, the more stable the financial position of the family or company will be. And if a situation arises that the leaves of Zamiokulkas turn yellow, our article will tell you what to do.
