Zamioculcas, or as it is also called the dollar tree, is considered an unpretentious plant, which is easy to care for at home. The only weakness in the cultivation is watering Zamioculcas. This plant is a succulent, therefore it tolerates a lack of moisture better than its overabundance, which often provokes various fungal diseases and decay of the flower.
How to water Zamioculcas at home, every owner of a glossy bush with shining emerald leaves of a complex-feathery appearance should know.
How to water Zamioculcas
Zamioculcas loves soft water, similar in composition to rainwater. Of course, at home you have to use tap water, which must be defended for at least 24 hours.
When watering, you should take into account the temperature of the water - it should not be too warm or too cold, ideally - the ambient temperature or 1-2 degrees higher. It is especially important to know how to water Zamioculcas in winter - watering with cold water in a cool room is dangerous for the plant.
The best option would be to take into account the microclimate in the room and adjust the irrigation mode when it changes.
Spring and summer
Watering Zamioculcas in the warm season is carried out more often than in winter, because the ambient temperature is higher and humidity is low. In this case, the soil in the pot should dry at least half. If the room is cool, then watering is carried out when the soil is completely dry.
If watering is not done on time, then a lack of moisture will affect primarily the apical leaves - they will gradually begin to dry out. But after watering, the plant will again take on a healthy look.
It is not necessary to spray and moisten the leaves of zamioculcas even on the hottest days, you only need to occasionally remove dust from the leaves to maintain their glossy appearance.
In summer, a dollar tree can be taken out to a balcony or an open terrace, but not put in direct sunlight so that burns do not appear on the leaves.
Autumn-winter period
In winter, the plant is in a dormant period; it has been preparing for it since autumn. Zamioculcas even in the warm season grows very slowly, and in winter its processes slow down even more. Therefore, it is rarely recommended to water Zamioculcas in winter - when the soil dries completely. The root system of a dollar tree is small, so it is watered about 1 time every 3-4 weeks at a room temperature of 12-15 degrees.
If the room is warm enough, then you can water more often, focusing on the drying of the soil.
Spraying
Watering Zamioculcas at home is perhaps the most important aspect in caring for this plant. In this case, the air humidity in the room for the flower does not have much significance, therefore, special devices to increase the level of humidity in the environment are not required here.
But sometimes you need to wipe the leaves so that dust does not accumulate on them. This is usually done with a damp cloth. Once a month, Zamioculcas can have a warm shower to refresh and invigorate the plant. It is important to remember that water should not remain in the pot, it must drain.
Watering Zamioculcas after transplantation
The root system of Zamioculcus grows slowly, so often it is not necessary to transplant it. It is enough to change the soil once a year in the first three years, and then once every two years. Be sure to transplant after the purchase of the plant, as flowers are sold in technical soil, which is not suitable for long-term cultivation.
How to water Zamioculcas after transplantation? After transplanting, it is important to leave the plant alone for 7-10 days so that it is used to new conditions and new soil. After that, it can already be watered. But watering should be moderate, gradually increase the amount of water.
A dollar tree does not tolerate excessive watering, so when transplanting it is important to take care of drainage - put expanded clay on the bottom of the pot, make drainage holes in the bottom, and put the pot on a plate or tray.
Watering combined with top dressing
The general rule for fertilizing is to fertilize the plant in moist soil, so you need to water the dollar tree first. Too often, it is not advisable to fertilize the plant. Zamioculcas accumulates nutrients in its tuber and spends them little by little. Excessive amounts of these substances are just as harmful to the plant as their lack.
During the growing season, zamioculcas can be fed several times: using the mineral complex for succulents or deciduous house plants at the beginning of the season, then twice every month. In the middle of the growing season, you can carry out foliar top dressing by adding the necessary trace elements to the plant.
In winter, Zamiokulkasu does not need top dressing, since the plant rests from October to March.
Watering: ways
How often to water Zamioculcas, we have already figured out above, now we need to figure out how to water it, so that watering is of high quality. Florists distinguish two ways of watering a dollar tree:
- The first option: pour water from the watering can abundantly and evenly. After this, you need to wait until the water drains into the pan, and drain it for an hour until it stops appearing there.
- The second option: pour water into the pan for 10-15 minutes, then drain the remaining water, and pour the soil evenly out of the watering can. If water appears in the pan, then it should also be removed.
Problems with the plant due to improper watering
No wonder watering Zamioculcas is considered the most important aspect in caring for a plant. Violation of the irrigation regime is the main reason for the poor condition of the succulent. Moreover, the appearance and health of the flower can deteriorate due to lack of moisture, and because of its excess.
Overdried plants will make themselves felt with the brown tips of the leaves. If watering is not restored, then the leaves will dry out and crumble - an unforeseen dormancy stage will occur at Zamioculcas. From here, another problem may appear - various pests, in particular spider mites, can attack a dried flower. An unpleasant situation is intensified by the dry air of the environment. Humidification of air around a flower slows down defeat.
Excessive watering for the flower is also undesirable. In this case, fungal diseases are actively developing. Waterlogged conditions activate root and stem rot. Especially excess moisture is dangerous for the plant, which is located in a room with a low temperature. The decay of the root system and tubers in such conditions occurs very quickly, and in this case it is very difficult to save the flower.
With waterlogging of the flower, young leaves begin to turn yellow first. In order to save a dollar tree, you need to limit watering and observe it.
If the foliage turned yellow, it means that the root system was slightly damaged, rotten areas have not yet appeared, or were very small, and the plant itself coped with them. The soil in this case needs to be dried well, the next watering should be very scarce, you can add Fundazol to the water.
If this stage has already been missed, and the petioles of the plant began to stagger in the soil, then the root system of the plant was seriously damaged by rot. In this case, an emergency flower transplant is required, during which the degree of the disease is determined.
With a small lesion, you need to remove all the rotten roots, remove the rotted areas from the tuber, treat with “Fundazole” and leave to dry. After that, all fresh wounds should be sprinkled with activated charcoal or any other antiseptic, and the plant should be planted in new soil. At first, after transplanting, it is not necessary to water it, then watering is carried out in small portions until the flower is completely restored.
When the flower has extensive foci of decay, it will not be possible to save it; You can try to save the upper parts of leaves that are not affected by rot, root them, following all the rules, getting a few new plants.
Conclusion
No flower can live without water, it is a necessary and vital product, but you need to water the plants correctly. Zamioculcas came to us from hot Africa, where he used to get water very rarely, only during the rainy season. During such periods, he stored water in his tubers and then consumed it gradually. In order for the flower to feel good at home, you need to create the closest microclimate to it, without swampy, constantly moist soil.