Thanks everyone! What is C& S soil please? I looked at the ingredients of my soil mix and it said bark (pine I think), two kinds of peat and dolomite. I chose it because it was quick draining but I confess I haven't paid much attention to soil in the past, using Miracle Grow potting soil for most potted plants indoors and out. I've had pretty good luck, though I try to stick with easy to grow plants indoors. The ZZ Is my favorite and I've had great lluck with the two I just potted up. So far no repercussions from what I did and I had to saw around the pots to detach the roots. I thought I was going to have to break the pot, then read about using water to loosen them and it worked. Because they roots were such a tangled mass, I washed the dirt from the bottom and outer ones. I did the same thing on a slightly smaller one, which is also doing fine so far. I considered trimming some of the roots but was afraid ... Later I read the lengthy article here that said root pruning was healthier than just potting up! I am so uncertain but prob should leave well enough alone and just tolerate my huge pot ....

Hi! Absolutely gorgeous plants! Great pictures you all! Let me figure out how to apply a photo of my own so I can share with ya'll my beauty, I've lovingly named her Monique, my very mature ZZ plant. Seems like I've been over watering her, I go back to see her every 2 or 3 days (she's in the back bedroom) and I water her then. I keep the slats on the window shutters barely slit so that down tilted sunlight filters in on her. I've also keep tabs on a calandar to stick plant food spikes in the soil every 3 months. I use Miracle Grow potting soil, novice soil I know now, but Monique is thriving. I'm guessing she's about 6 years old, at least. I've had her since 2005, my mom gave her to me because she was bored and impatient, Monique consisted of only 2 stalks when she was given to me. She's HUGE now, I've since repotted her 3 times, the last potting moved her to what I hope will be her permanent pot, it's a 24" fiberglass pot, HUGE! I ensured the drainage plug was open and have provided a drip tray underneath...never ever have I watered too much where there has been drainage. Just this past month, Monique produced 3 "flowers" at once! I captured it with my digital camera, photos soon to follow? Oh yeah, about once a year I've taken to spraying Monique's leaves with Shultz's (sp?) leaf shine spray. I cover the soil before I douse the plant and then with a clean cloth I gently rub dry. She really seems to like this. As I said, she's thriving, so large it's monsterously scary. I'm too afraid to stry seperating her bulbs, my luck I'd kill her. Any ideas? I'd first go to my local nursery and ask for their advice before I attempt to do such a thing, but for the time being, the 24" pot seems to be just what she needs.

Sometimes roots just naturally get ahead of the plant and there's no reason not to remove the overabundance of them since it will cause no harm to the plant. Often when a plant is replanted the cutting back of some of the roots is a good thing to do since we wish to clean up the plant before giving it a fresh start---which repotting will do. Now some will suggest you not repot until spring...when the plant is encouraged to add new growth--something the roots can feed. Repotting in the winter--since there is much less sunlight (intensity) the plant is not growing, ergo, doesn't need as much roots since cutting back of the amount of water is recommended. The plant, since its not growing, doesn't require the amount of water it normally needs when the sun's intensity is higher. The roots therefore can be much less to feed what foliage is above. As far as plugging a hole with something....what's the point? Plants must drain. A simple adding of material at the bottom of the soil allows such drainage and can prevent overwatering and root rot. Plugging a hole encourages the roots to go around the bottom of the pot--the plant becomes root bound and what water is not used by the plant sits at the roots. Subsequent watering, then adds to the volume which can result often in the roots not being able to take up the excess, and root rot results. The bottom leaves are the first to diagnose the problem.

In addition to the location/sun issue, I think its' pot situation is similar to this Anthurium. The pebbles are a top dressing, I'm assuming, a thin layer on top? Quite attractive, but they can slow drying quite a bit vs. exposed soil. I wonder if having the pebbles so close to the crown is more likely to aid rotting at the crown. I've not had great results trying similar setups before, but ZZ plant wasn't one of them. Fairly new to this plant but can report that being in somewhat dappled sun in the morning, until about 11:30 is not causing sunburn. If the sun shines on the plant at some point each day, I think that would help warm the rocks and bake the surface dry, which should make rotting much less likely to occur, as well as offer the natural detoxifying effects of UV rays. I might also give the crown a little more space/air by moving the pebbles away from that area.