I got a ZZ plant in November, and it's been putting out a burst of seven huge new leaves that are still bright green, shooting up and expanding out. It's definitely stuffed into a sturdy black 6" plastic pot. I want to repot it ASAP, mostly before it bursts the pot but also because it turns out, ironically, that I have severe allergies to various soil-borne things so I'm converting all my plants (including a huge Spath Sensation, somehow!) to soil-less media. With the ZZ plant, though, I don't want to cause problems with/for the new growth. Does anyone know whether it's better or worse to transplant (in this case meaning also removing all soil from the roots) this plant when it's actively growing? Thanks, Alan

Is this growing indoors or out? I wouldn't wish to risk the plant by experimenting like that. Since I know for certain alcohol is OK for Jades, I'd try that since ZZ are succulents as well. Just swab w/ a Q-tip dipped in alcohol, will darken the bug as you remove it. Maybe try just a couple of the stems w/ it FIRST, to see if it does OK. Give it a day or 2 to see the reaction. If OK, this treatment needs to be repeated every few days (3-4 days or so) to keep up w/ the mealy youngins. I'm not sure all those things were meant to be used together (concoction-wise). If you're growing indoors, pls. DON'T use the Rose systemic as I'm sure that was meant for outdoor use only.

1. Dracaena 'Janet Craig' doesn't like dry air, direct sun and tap water. Keep it on the dry side and water with distilled or rain water. Very slow grower. 2. Spathiphyllum, probably a Peace lily. Likes being a bit wet, doesn't need direct sun. 3. Sansevieria trifasciata aka. Mother-in-laws tongue. A succulent, doesn't need much water, likes sun. 4. not sure 5. Dracaena marginata with extremely thin trunks. Doesn't need much water, can be introduced to full sun. 6. Dracaena sanderiana aka. Corn plant. care similar to Janet Craig, maybe a faster grower. 7. Zamioculcas zamiifolia aka. ZZ plant. 8. a kind of Croton. If introduced to full sun, leaves become colorful. Doesn't need much water. If touched by cold drafts, drops leaves. Have a look around on GardenWeb and read about soils. Your plants could benefit from a repot to fast draining soil. That makes easier to water them properly as they don't appreciate too much water and salts in the soil. If you are not happy with the look of plant nr 5. you can prune it and re-root the tops. I believe you can do this any time of the year in Dubai.

You can grow Zamioculcas zamiifolia by two methods. Place a leaf in sandy soil and high humidity and under good conditions it will produce bulblets and a new plant. The second is to grow from seeds but seed production has not been observed in captive growth since no one knows the exact pollinator. It is possible to cause pollination artificiallly but if it has been done, no reports can be located. The petiole (stem) won't produce a new plant unless it has roots and a bulblet. The information in the link I'm giving was taken from the scientific text The Genera of Araceae by Dr. Simon Mayo of the Kew in London along with J. Bogner and Peter Boyce. All three are botanists. That text is the only scientific material of any consequence available on this species. You will likely be very surprised at the true scientific information regarding this plant as opposed to the internet material which is often accepted by collectors, especially about water. There is a great deal of myth on the internet. This article will tell you much about the science of this species including how pollination works: Here is a link that might be useful: Zamioculcas zamiifolia