Are you wondering if ZZ plants like to be root bound? Or you want to know how to prevent ZZ plants from being root-bound. In this article, we cover all the queries about the ZZ plant.
Zamioculcas zamiifolia goes by the name of the ZZ plant. They are easy to maintain as these plants accept low light conditions and are also easily adaptable. These ZZ plants look attractive, and it is an easy plant to place in the home or office.
Generally, this plant grows from two feet to four feet tall and wide. One important fact about this ZZ plant is, it does not like to be root bound. It usually affects the growth of the plant.
Before getting to the solution, we need to know what is rootbound and why ZZ plants do not like to be rootbound.
Let’s get started.
What is Rootbound?
When the roots of a plant stop growing correctly, then that condition is known as Rootbound. A rootbound situation leads to many problems for a plant. Most importantly, it ceases their healthy growth.
The reason why rootbound occurs is due to the increase in the size of roots inside a pot. As a result, the roots do not grow anymore inside the pot. In simple words, rootbound happens when any barrier bounds the roots of the plant.
This barrier can be a small area like a small pot, or it can also take place to the plants which grow outside, e.g., between walls, pipes, etc. This rootbound is evident in many plants as it also happens when the soil quality is not good.
If you need to survive in a 5″ x5″ room where your height is 6″, you have to struggle for more space. The same happens to a root-bound plant.
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What Happens When a Plant gets Root Bound?
When root bound happens, the roots need a way to escape from the drain holes. So this will reduce the space inside the pot as roots get entangled in a circular form.
It makes very little room for soil to hold water inside the pot, and it can cause root death.
Rootbound is a condition for a plant’s demise. In some cases, Rootbound is why some pots broke and why the shape of some pots changes.
The consequences which take place when a plant gets Rootbound are:
- The bad states of a root inside a pot make it more susceptible to pests.
- Rootbound results in rotting roots because the overgrown roots block the drainage system of holes inside the pot.
- When roots grow, they displace the soil inside the pot, which provides more space to roots than soil.
- Rootbound also makes the soil dry.
The best method to avoid rootbound is that you must change the pots in a year or more. Root bounded plants become hard to save. They always try to get out of their container or pots.
How to prevent ZZ Plant from Rootbound
To prevent the ZZ plant from root bound, we need to follow some significant steps as:
Bigger Pot:
Always choose a pot at least two times larger in diameter than the previous pot size in which your ZZ plant was residing.
So the advantage of choosing a big size pot is that it will provide additional space to grow properly.
Proper Drainage System:
Make sure to choose the pot that has proper holes for better drainage, or it must contain a drainage hole at the bottom of the pot and result in excess water flow, which provides benefit to the ZZ plant.
Suitable Soil:
Soil also plays a significant role in protecting the ZZ plant from rootbound. You must have to choose suitable soil for your plant.
So the best-suited soil for the ZZ plant is the mixture of half regular potting soil with half cactus soil in a 1:1 ratio.
This combination of soil is best for your ZZ plant as it maintains the draining balance. In short, the roots of the ZZ plant grow fast, which generally needs a lot of space inside the pot.
But when the roots expand, the fungus starts increasing, resulting in the rotting of roots. So to solve this problem you need to change the pot every one to two years.
ZZ plants need space to grow as they also have large rhizomes, which act as storage reservoirs for water and minerals. You can easily transplant your ZZ plant to prevent it from Rootbound by following the steps mentioned above.
Among all the indoor houseplants, the ZZ plant is one of the most popular plants. Even people with a brown thumb can grow a healthy ZZ plant very quickly.
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How to care for a ZZ Plant Indoors
Taking care of the ZZ plant is very simple. It can thrive with easy care.
Indirect Sunlight:
ZZ plant needs less indirect sunlight and can easily survive in low light conditions. It is the reason why these plants are so much popular for indoor spaces.
Just make sure that the ZZ plant does not receive any direct sunlight as harmful to the plant. The leaves can burn under direct sunlight.
Soil:
Always allow the soil to dry in between the regular watering. Make sure that your plant does not sink in water.
ZZ plants can survive up to months without water but don’t like soggy soil. If you do not water the plant for a long time, then it will affect its growth.
So make sure to water the plant when the upper one-inch layer of the soil is dry. You can feel it with your fingers.
Pot:
You can pick a plastic or mud pot for planting the ZZ plant. The post should include drainage holes.
Also, repotting of the ZZ plant is very necessary. It would help if you had to change the plant pot every two years to prevent rootbound.
It results in excellent and proper plant growth as it provides better space to roots with a sound drainage system.
Temperature and Humidity:
The temperature you should prefer for your ZZ plant must lie between the range of 65°F-75°F. ZZ plant thrives best in humid conditions. Keep misting the plant once a week to maintain the humidity in dry weather.
Water-soluble Fertilizer:
Feed your ZZ plant in the spring and summer season with the help of dilute fertilizers like 20-20-20. Use a balanced fertilizer including nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in 2:2:2 once a month.
So basically, ZZ plant care is not challenging; you do not have to take care of the plant as it can survive well if you don’t water it for months or provide any light to the plant. Follow the steps mentioned above to take care of your ZZ plant wisely.
Things to remember while planting a ZZ plant in your garden:
- Wear gloves when you want to remove yellow leaves and cut overgrown stems once a year.
- Wash hands after touching this plant as it is toxic to some extent.
- Keep your pet or child away from this plant.
- Do not keep the plant under direct sunlight or near a window during heavy wind.
Advantages of the ZZ Plant:
- ZZ plant purifies the indoor air by removing Toluene and Xylene from the air. It also helps to increase the oxygen level.
- People believe that this plant brings good luck.
- It can improve your home decor or brighten up your office room.
- ZZ plant is easy to maintain even for beginners in gardening.
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Conclusion
ZZ plant is an excellent plant to place in homes, offices as it does not need much care and can grow well. You need to take care of some preliminary things like a proper potting mix soil, the right size of the pot, etc.
ZZ plant is attractive, and it can quickly provide you with a warm feeling. ZZ plant is one of the best-suited indoor plants, which makes your atmosphere excellent and clean.
In this article, you can find why ZZ plants don’t like to be root bound, the effects of root-bound on ZZ plant, and how you can prevent this. I hope this article will help you to get a clear idea about the ZZ plant.