I have two questions about my 3-year old ZZ plant.
1) I transplanted my ZZplant from a 6 inch to 8 inch pot when its crowded rhizomes started to come out of the top of the pot. I potted it in a combination of cactus and potting soil to give it adequate drainage. After 2 months, it is sulking – some of the stems have broken away from their rhizomes, and some of the leaves are yellowing. Is it just adjusting, or should I be doing something for it?
2)Most of the stems and leaves had leaned towards the curtain-filtered light of an east-facing window before I repotted my ZZ plant. Although I have turned the pot around, they still have the old lean and have not turned towards the window light again as expected. Should I tie them to a support to make them more upright, or just let them lean the way they want? (I don’t want the plant to fall over as it looks a bit top-heavy with that lean.)
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners regarding your ZZ plant (aka Zamioculcas zamiifolia).
Your choice of soil and the pot size for transplanting your ZZ plant seems adequate.
Provided that the growing conditions (e.g., the same window) and your care routine (e.g., watering) haven’t changed since you transplanted it, it is possible that the plant is experiencing a transplant shock.
To ensure that you are not over watering your plant, only water after the soil has dried out. Furthermore, sufficient airflow is also very important.
Temporarily supporting the stems is a good idea, since the plant appears to be top-heavy. You can remove the support once you see some new growth.
Patience is key in this case.
In the meantime, you may want to propagate some new plants from leaf cuttings. This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to do that.
I hope you find this information helpful! Good luck!