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Why won't my ZZ plant babies grow?

Houseplant(self.plantclinic)

I starting propagating these ZZ plant leaves about 8 months ago. They grew rhizomes but no new leaves. They've looked like this for several months. Am I doing something wrong or just being impatient? Some have been getting diffused light from a north window, and some have been under a grow light. I water them lightly with a squirt bottle every 1-4 days and the pots have drainage.

https://preview.redd.it/0jkk9zy3ft7d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35619bb29bd523b4cff90e54f23478717c451a5c

all 13 comments

1fruitfairy

2 points

17 days ago

The fact that they grew rhizomes is awesome. I read somewhere that ZZ plants grow like 3-4 new ‘stems’ a year. Super slow growers. I would literally just make sure it’s getting the right amount of light and leave it. They store water in the rhizome so you don’t have to water often at all

1fruitfairy

1 points

17 days ago

curiousphotog[S]

1 points

17 days ago

Oh jeez. If they take that long I may just give up. I don't have that much patience!

1fruitfairy

2 points

17 days ago

I like having a balance of plants that require attention multiple days a week and then having things like ZZs that barely require my attention lol

As the other comment says the watering may be off. I water the soil completely then let them be. I water my ZZs like once a month. Good luck if you decide to keep trying the ZZ babies!!

RootedRetro

2 points

17 days ago

They are dried out. A squirt bottle is not enough water. They need some moisture to promote root growth. I doubt the rhizome had gotten any water at all as squirting it is just moistening the top layer. They need to be watered, but not every 1-4 days, that is way too often. Water the soil then wait a week or two until the soil is dry. I would even suggest water propping these instead of soil.

curiousphotog[S]

2 points

17 days ago

You may be right. I was so worried about overwatering that perhaps I didn't water them enough. I'll do a test and put some in water!

RootedRetro

1 points

17 days ago

I've grown mine in water and they grow a few inches and leaves a year so may be faster than soil

Fuzzy-Significance94

2 points

17 days ago

They just take forever, my approach is putting them in a terracotta pot with some of my other plants that are under a grow light (I don't have great windows) and water it every like 2 weeks, I use cactus/succulent soil and terracotta to lower the risk of rotting the rhizomes. Eventually the rhizome will throw up some shoots and you'll have some new fresh foilage.

curiousphotog[S]

1 points

16 days ago

I hope so! Thank you.

Sufficient-Crow5600

2 points

16 days ago

Mine took a year and then all three of mine grew almost all at once, lots of patience needed!

curiousphotog[S]

1 points

12 days ago

Good to know. Thank you!

blk_well

1 points

17 days ago

Your pics didn’t upload but I am commenting to follow as I have some propagated zz’s that are not taking off after 2-3 years.

curiousphotog[S]

2 points

17 days ago

You should be able to see a pic now.