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Container Gardening Garden Clinic House Plants

Tiny stalks in ZZ plant and yellowing stalks

2 years ago

My ZZ plant is doing all right but recently I looked in the pot and there are 8 tiny skinny short stalks popping up. They’re not like normal stalks where they emerge and look like they’re going to turn into normal stalks, instead they just look like miniature versions of the normal stalks and they only have maybe one or two tiny leaves on them.

Some context, about a month ago, a few stalks turned yellow. So I cut them off at the base and gave the plant some more light. Since then I have had one really nice stalk come out before these tiny ones. And two more big stalks have turned yellowish.

Should I let the tiny stalks hang around or should I prune them? Any advice on why this is happening and what to do about it?

Featured Answer

popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)

2 years ago

ZZs grow two types of stalks. The ones that are typically at least the width of a pencil and they come out of the soil with the leaves tightly bound around them. Then they also grow these very small stalks that typically only have about 3 leaves on them. This is completely normal. The small stalks don't live too long. It has been hypothesized that these small stalks are produced to provide energy to the rhizome so it can generate the larger normal stalks.

I usually let the small ones live and die on their own. Once they turn brown and crispy, I will cut them off where the stalk looks dead so I'm not cutting into green flesh.

I hope this helps!

Comments (9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
need a pic to understand
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So I take it that you bring water to work for the plant since you say you use the same water on both plants? The yellow is often from using floridated water but I have had mine start to yellow when the seasons change and the amount of light it gets changes. I have to move mine around. Maybe try a new spot for it? I don't know how sensitive they are could it be somethng as simple as different room temps between your home and office? Also it has been proven that plants are sensitive and react to electromagnet fields (look it up) and it could be the office equiptment near it. Also consider that maybe some "helpful" do-gooder has been watering your plant at the office with tap water. I had a roommate once who killed my Dizygotheca elegantissima (Finger Aralia) by overwatering it even, though she was constantly told to stop water my plants and even specifically told not to water the Finger Aralia. The browner it became, the more water she dumped on it, she did not get it. Some people are both stupid and stubborn. Consider too that maybe some officemate carelessly dumped the remnants of their coffee or energy drink in it, or even purposly tried to kill your lucky bamboo out of jealousy.
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HU-514574998
Original Author
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
Thanks popmama! I think you answered my question.

Here are two pics, the first a close up of the tiny stalks and the second of the whole plant
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years ago
based on the shadows.. your plant appears to be against an interior wall ... thought to older green parts have gotten enough light over the years.. it appears the nbabes are not getting enough light.. not only due to distance.. but also due to the shade of the larger plant itself ...

it will probably all do better if you could get it closer to the light source ...

but if not.. dont worry about itl.. just give it time to take care of business ...

also.. by history you say its doing ok.. but then you say some months ago.. it turned yellow ... again.. i suspect it is not getting enough light ...

ken
HU-514574998 thanked ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
2 years ago
Yes, those stalks with the three to five leaves in the lower left corner of the second picture is exactly what I was talking about. Those are normal. They don't live too long. Totally normal. I just let them dry on their own then cut them off.
HU-514574998 thanked popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
HU-514574998
Original Author
2 years ago
I was actually asking about the first picture and the stalks that are circled in yellow. they are about 1.5 inches tall and about half a centimeter in diameter.
HU-514574998
Original Author
2 years ago
I am reloading the picture of the whole plant with the tiny stalks circled in yellow so you can see the scale of them
getgoing100_7b_nj
2 years ago
for the yellowing, it could be low light and also watering. I have found that they liketo be on much drier side than other houseplants. They are happier when I ignore them. :) It should dry out several inches not just two below the surface before it is watered again.
popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
2 years ago
Agree with getgoing100. I only water mine about once a month. My mom had a problem with ZZs. She's a lover of plants...too much love! She was overwatering them and couldn't be stopped. So I told her to water on the perimeter of the pot not on the rhizomes. This worked for her. She no longer kills ZZ plants.

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