My ZZ plant did not put out a single new stem for more than a year. It was not dying, it just sat there looking dusty. I had read about coffee mixes and charcoal tricks, but the honest fix was simpler: more light, less water and one small spoon of the right fertilizer in a jug of water during the growing season. ZZ plants grow from thick underground rhizomes that store water and food, so they can wait a long time before they do anything. Give them a reason to grow and they will.
What you need
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml), or half the label dose balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer
- 4 cups (1 liter) room-temperature water
- 1 damp soft cloth
- 1 pot one size larger with drainage holes, if needed
How to do it
- Start with light. A ZZ plant tolerates dim corners, but it barely grows there. Move it to bright, indirect light, a few feet from an east or west window. A plant living in shade uses almost no water and has no energy to spare for new shoots.
- Water far less than you think. Push a finger into the soil; only water when the mix is dry at least 2 inches (5 cm) down, which is often every two to three weeks in summer and once a month in winter. The rhizomes rot quickly if the soil stays wet, and yellowing stems at the base are usually the warning sign.
- Make the feeding water. In spring and summer, stir about 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of balanced liquid fertilizer into 4 cups (1 liter) of room-temperature water, or simply use half the dose written on your bottle. That is the one spoon. Water with it once a month, and only when the soil is already dry.
- Pour the mixture slowly until a little runs out of the drainage holes, then empty the saucer after 15 minutes. Skip feeding completely from late autumn to late winter, when the plant is resting.
- Wipe the leaves with a damp soft cloth every few weeks. Indoor dust forms a fine film that cuts the light reaching the leaves, and the glossy leaves of a ZZ show it quickly.
- Check whether it is root-bound. If the plastic pot is bulging or roots and rhizomes are pushing out of the holes, move it in spring to a pot only 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) wider, using a fast-draining mix such as cactus soil with a handful of perlite.
Good to know
- New ZZ shoots come up from the soil as a tight spear and unfurl over several weeks, so do not worry if they look odd at first.
- ZZ plants are toxic if chewed, so keep them out of reach of pets and small children and wash your hands after repotting.
- Coffee grounds or charcoal on the soil will not wake up a ZZ. Grounds can even grow mold on the surface. Light and correct watering do the real work.
Mine pushed up three new stems by midsummer once it had light and a monthly feed. Be patient with it, the ZZ is a slow plant, but it is a faithful one.
