Are you wondering how big a ZZ plant can grow?
We get this question asked a lot on our websites. Today we will discuss all the doubts that are in your mind regarding the growth of ZZ plants.
ZZ plants are slow-growing plants but have a long life. These plants can survive with low care, but with sufficient care, they can achieve a height of up to 5 feet. In this article, we are going to discuss the reasons behind slow-growing ZZ plants and some tips and tricks for encouraging your ZZ plant’s growth. Keep reading till the end!
How big does a ZZ plant grow?
Typically ZZ plants can grow up to 5 feet tall, only if it is grown in suitable environmental conditions and if you provide proper care for them. These plants grow well between the early spring and late summer, which is the growing season of the ZZ plants. Some factors that may affect your plant’s growth that we are going to discuss further in this article, but first, let us know how fast a ZZ plant can grow!
How fast does a ZZ plant grow?
We all know that the ZZ plants are slow-growing plants. But with proper care, they can achieve a height of 15-30 cm and 2-3 cm in width in 30 days, by producing new shoots. These new shoots indicate that you are caring enough about your plant. This growth can be observed only if the plant is in moderate weather conditions.
As we discussed above, 5 feet which is the maximum height of a ZZ plant can be observed in suitable conditions. These plants can produce up to 6-8 stems in the growing seasons that grow vertically up and increase the plant’s height. But these plants hardly continue to grow after the summer. Winters are the dormant seasons of the ZZ plants. They completely stop their growth until the early spring arrives.
If your plant is not producing new shoots even in the early summer, then you need to check the care tips for growing your ZZ plant.
Do you know how much time is required for a ZZ plant to become a fully grown adult? Let’s find out!
How much time does a ZZ plant need to become fully grown?
ZZ plants take some time to grow into mature plants. Their long-lasting growth is achieved only because of their slow growth. The growth which you have observed during the growing season of your ZZ plant takes a lot of time to make the plant a fully grown plant.
We can exactly tell the time that a ZZ plant takes to grow into a matured plant because it depends on factors that we are going to discuss in the following. But, typically a ZZ plant may take 3-5 years to complete its growth, only if they are maintained in suitable weather conditions.
You need to know the factors affecting your ZZ plant’s growth so that later you can fix this issue on your own!
Factors affecting your ZZ plant’s growth
Have you ever felt that you are caring enough for your ZZ plant, and it is not growing well? Then do not lose your mind. Proper caring means giving the plant what it needs at the right time, not on a schedule.
Some factors that affect your plant if not you do not provide them efficiently to your plant. So, let us explore the factors given below!
1. Not giving proper water to ZZ plants
Watering ZZ plants on a schedule or providing more or less amount of water will make your plant grow slowly. Over watering and under watering makes your plant feel uncomfortable and thus result in the fall of its growth rate.
2. Not giving enough light to ZZ plants
Placing your plant in the hot sun will affect the foliage and the growth of the plant. Overexposure to the sun will damage your plant. It causes sunburns and dryness in the plant. So, do not let them out in the hot sun. Placing them in shade slows down the growth of your ZZ plant.
3. Lack of Nutrition in ZZ plants
Leaving your plant in the same pot for more than 3 years without changing the soil, will make the soil futile. Due to the lack of nutrients, the plant will not be able to grow in a better way. We can also observe the same case in the plants that are not fertilized for months.
4. Size of the rhizome in ZZ plants
Rhizomes are responsible for the growth of plants. Rhizome size increases with time. If the pot does not have enough space to encourage the growth of the rhizome and stops its growth, it shows the result in the plant. Repot your plant every 3 years to avoid this problem.
5. Not maintaining the temperature in ZZ plants
It is a bit difficult to maintain the plant in a fixed temperature range in every season. But if you do not maintain it, your plant may not grow faster. Your ZZ plant does not like to stay in cooler temperatures as it undergoes dormancy in temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, your plant loses moisture in them, and thus it stops growing.
Why is it so important to encourage the growth of a ZZ plant and how can you do it? Let’s check it out below!
How to encourage the growth of a ZZ plant?
To maintain a healthy ZZ plant or to fasten the growth of your ZZ plant, you should know some tips. Saving your plant from a bad environment and providing proper care will help in its growth and the tips that we have mentioned below can help you to make your ZZ plant grow even faster!
1. Providing a good amount of light to your ZZ plants
ZZ plants are well-known as semi-succulents and they thrive very well in warm conditions. So make them sit in a bright place with indirect sunlight. Remember providing enough sunlight does not mean leaving them in a hot place. These plants get damaged when they are exposed to the full sun.
The growth rate may fall even if they are left in the hot sun. That is why providing adequate sunlight plays a crucial role to improve the growth of your ZZ plants. These plants can enjoy being under direct sun for not more than 2 hours, in the early mornings and the early evenings. You can even place them on a windowsill to let them absorb light during that time. But, you need to cover the window glass with a curtain in the afternoon.
Make sure your plant is getting enough light daily, it is okay to face low light when the climate is cool. But during the falls and in the winters you need to use a plant light which helps to provide enough light to your plant.
2. Fertilization can help your ZZ plants
Fertilization helps your ZZ plants to achieve better heights in a short span. As these ZZ plants are slow-growing plants, we often delay fertilizing them, due to the fear of sunburns. But, fertilizing at least once or twice during the growing season will help the plant to absorb adequate nutrients which the soil mix may not provide.
ZZ plants should be repotted after 2 years to make the soil mix not go out of nutrients. Remember fertilizing your ZZ plant more than its needs will damage the root system and thus the growth.
3. Providing proper water at the right time
Although your ZZ plant can tolerate being under-watered for a while, it may seriously affect the growth of that plant. Because the dried plants never tend to grow. Even over watering your ZZ plants can lead to some disease which has even worse effects on the plant’s growth. Because the plants which have rotten roots will not continue to grow.
You need to water your ZZ plants adequately whenever it is needed.
To provide proper water to your ZZ plant at the right time, you need to dip your finger in the soil mix about an inch deeper to check the wetness of the soil. If you feel that the soil is dry then water your plant only on top of the soil slowly. Let the soil and the root system absorb the water and send the excess water out through the drainage system.
This is the correct method of watering a ZZ plant, which helps the plant to thrive better. Do not water the plant when the soil is wet. It leads to an overwatered ZZ plant. If you ignore watering your ZZ plant, even if the soil is dry enough to take a drink, your plant is going to face the problems caused by the underwatering.
4. Maintaining the temperatures for ZZ plants
ZZ plants are hard plants, it is said that they can tolerate low temperatures. But, you need to maintain your ZZ plant in suitable temperatures, to improve its growth. ZZ plants prefer warm temperatures to live in.
Temperatures between 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit will help the plant to achieve better growth. Neither the high temperature nor the low temperatures will make your plant feel comfortable. But the climate may not be the same, so better use some plant heaters to increase the temperature in cool climates. Place your plant in a cool place during the hot summers.
5. Potting and repotting the ZZ plants
Using a better quality pot to plant your ZZ plant is also a considerable thing when you want your plant to grow faster. Plastic pots or glazed pots may not work better as clay pots, unglazed ceramic pots or unfinished terracotta pots do. The porous walls of these pots allow the air into the soil and help it to dry faster. Select a pot with a good drainage system to avoid diseases in the plants.
Repot your ZZ plant every 2-3 years with fresh soil mix and use a pot that is 1-2 inches larger than the old pot. ZZ plant’s growth depends on the growth of its rhizome, which lies under the soil mix. If there is not enough space to grow, the rhizome stops growing, which results in the growth of the plant. Also, a fresh soil mix helps the plant get enough nutrients. Remember, the pot which is too large when compared to the size of the rhizome and is filled with the soil mix holds the water for a long time which is not good for the growth of your plant.
Have you understood the points that we have discussed above? If not, why not take a recap below?
The growth of a ZZ plant: a Quick Recap!
ZZ plants are versatile plants that thrive with low care. They are slow growers but are long-lasting. Many factors that impact the growth of the ZZ plants. They are often considered semi-succulents. These plants grow well when they are exposed to bright indirect sunlight. They love to be in a dry climate with low humidity, as humidity plays the main role in plant growth. So, never let them be in too dry conditions.
Although the plant can resist dry conditions, provide enough water for your ZZ plant, as it helps in encouraging its growth. Fertilize it once or twice during the growing season, which is from early spring to the late summer. Repot your plant every 2-3 years to let the roots grow. Always use a soil mix that contains perlite, which makes the soil mix well draining.
Do not over-water your plant as it can cause many diseases. Especially root rot which is caused due to the water-logged soil and needs a lot of care to be treated. Also under-watering your ZZ plant leads to wilted or dried leaves which is again a big problem. So, water whenever the soil gets dried.
Using a moisture meter is also the best option if you are a new gardener. Do not allow it to stay in the direct hot sun for a long time which may affect the plant’s health and look. If you follow the above care tips, your plant will grow well and achieve good height.
Growth depends on the care you provide for your plant. Your ZZ plant can grow up to 5 feet and above if you show your love and attention to it. It takes some time to grow, depending on the species of the plant, your environmental condition, and your care.
Conclusion
ZZ plants need a little care for growing well and these plants are worth it. You need to be attentive to the plant when it stops growing. Some troubleshooting issues that may slow down the growth of your plant.
We hope you have found the reason behind the slow growth of your ZZ plant, by reading this article. Try to solve it and make your plant feel happy. You can make your ZZ plant grow faster with the tips that we have mentioned above. All you need is some patience and love and your ZZ plant will thrive and achieve its desired heights.
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