Are your ZZ plant leaves turning brown? This indicates that something isn’t quite right. Find out why your ZZ plant has brown leaves and how to fix it.
The ZZ Plant, or Zamioculcas zamiifolia, is an East African gem that is hardy and relatively easy to care for when following the proper care guidelines. Despite being low maintenance, you may experience a time when your ZZ Plant leaves are turning brown. Fortunately, ZZ Plant brown leaves are not a cause for panic, just a symptom of a fixable issue.
Too Much or Too Little Moisture
If your ZZ Plant has brown tips that are soft and almost mushy, the issue is likely overwatering. Overwatering can turn into a larger issue, root rot, which could result in plant death. Check the moisture of the soil and adjust your watering cadence accordingly.
If the ZZ Plant is turning brown and the tips are dry and crispy, the issue is likely under watering. Even though the ZZ Plant does better with being underwatered than overwatered, consistently forgetting to water your plant can impact its health.
How to Give Your ZZ Plant The Right Amount of Moisture
The ZZ Plant is drought-tolerant but should be watered every two weeks. Check the soil first; if it's still super moist, hold off a day or two and let it dry out. When you do water, do so thoroughly until the water runs out of the drainage hole, then dump the excess water.
It can be challenging to manage the delicate watering balance of your plants. An easyplant pot can make your watering hassle-free. Just check the reservoir once a month and fill it when empty. the built-in water system takes care of the rest.
Poor Water Quality
If the amount of watering is not the issue, the water's quality may be causing brown tips on the ZZ Plant. Tap water can be harsh for certain plants due to chemicals like fluoride and chlorine. To remedy this issue, you can use a water filtration system or rainwater or leave the tap water out overnight in an open container.
Low Humidity
Typically, this houseplant doesn't require high humidity and will do just fine with normal home humidity. However, if your ZZ Plant has brown leaves, it may be a sign that the environment is too dry, and the humidity will need to be raised to prevent any more leaves on the ZZ Plant from turning brown.
How to Increase Humidity for Your ZZ Plant
If you need to increase the humidity level in the ZZ Plant's space, getting a humidifier is the best way to do this. If you don't have a humidifier, you can put your plant on a pebble tray of water, or group your plants together. The bathroom is also an excellent place to keep your ZZ Plant if it needs humidity.
How to Fix Brown Leaves On A ZZ Plant
You'll want to do a little pruning to fix the ZZ Plant's brown leaves. First, go ahead and remove leaves that have been entirely browned. Unfortunately, they will not turn green again. If the leaves aren't entirely brown, you can remove the affected area with pruning shears or scissors. You don't want to remove more than 20% of the affected leaves at once, so trim them in stages.
Shop ZZ Plants with easyplant Today!
It's relatively easy to diagnose the reason behind your ZZ Plant's brown leaves. Get an easyplant pot for your watering needs, fill it with filtered water, and raise the humidity level in the space. Your plant will be back in good health in no time.
FAQs
Too Much or Too Little Moisture
How do you revive a dying ZZ plant? ›
Remedies for root rot on Zamioculcas:
- Remove plant from pot.
- Investigae root ball for brown or soggy roots.
- Remove affected parts of the root.
- Mix dry soil with one third sand.
- Repot plant in fresh substrate.
- Do not water for some time.
- Place the plant in a brighter place.
- Watering more sparingly in the future than before.
Keep a consistent watering schedule–water when the top 50-75% of the soil is dry. If you accidentally let your ZZ Plant's soil dry out completely, you may see leaves go limp, droop, and possibly start to brown, along with potentially wrinkled stalks.
Why are the leaves on my ZZ plant turning yellow and brown? ›
It's usually a signal to check your watering regime – like snake plants, overwatering can damage them. But, a yellowing ZZ plant can be the result of other environmental issues, too, including pest problems and incorrect amounts of sunlight.
What does an overwatered ZZ plant look like? ›
How can I tell if I am overwatering my ZZ? Overwatering results in mushy brown stalks and yellowing of the leaves. Dropping leaves can also be an indication of overwatering. Hold off on watering and prune your plant.
What does an unhealthy ZZ plant look like? ›
ZZ plants have very few problems under proper care and conditions. Most troubles start with overwatering. Soft, weak, droopy leaves point to overly wet soil. Leaves of overwatered plants may turn yellow, then brown or black.
How do you perk up a ZZ plant? ›
It's a good idea to move it to a position with more natural light to keep it thriving. You can also use grow lights, like this plant grow light from Amazon, to provide your ZZ with extra light if it sits in a shadier position in your home.
How do you help a struggling ZZ plant? ›
You may be overwatering your ZZ plant if you notice that leaves are both turning yellow and falling off. This plant is slow to grow. It may take a few years for your plant to grow a few feet. The best way to help your ZZ plant's growth process is by giving it optimal light, water and temperature conditions.
How often should a ZZ plant be watered? ›
Water your ZZ Plant every 2-3 weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Signs that it is thirsty include wilting, wrinkled leaves, and dry potting mix, while wet mix or yellowing and mushy leaves signal overwatering and root rot.
How do you refresh a ZZ plant? ›
Remove your plant from its pot, cut off all the rotting roots and rhizomes, and repot the plant in a container with good drainage. Add new well-draining potting soil. Don't water the plant until it recovers. The most common reasons for yellowing leaves are overwatering or temperature stress.
As the roots stop functioning, your plant will start to yellow and wilt all over. If you have a plant that's made up of several stems in the same pot, it's possible only one stem will get root rot. Plants with root rot will often also have a strong, unpleasant smell coming from the soil.
Should I cut brown leaves on ZZ plant? ›
First, go ahead and remove leaves that have been entirely browned. Unfortunately, they will not turn green again. If the leaves aren't entirely brown, you can remove the affected area with pruning shears or scissors. You don't want to remove more than 20% of the affected leaves at once, so trim them in stages.
How do I save my dying ZZ plant? ›
Going into a larger pot and regularly using fertilizer (in combination with being next to your large window) will encourage new stems to grow and make the current stems last longer – reminder: they will still die eventually but with better growing conditions, new stems will outpace the death of older ones.
Should a ZZ plant be misted? ›
ZZ PLANT CARE
To keep the foliage nice and shiny, clean with a damp cloth as needed to remove dust. Misting the leaves occasionally will also reduce dust buildup. Keeping your plant dust-free is good for its health too, because the leaves will be able take in more sunlight.
Where to cut a dying ZZ plant? ›
Snip off any dead or dying stems—they're only hogging resources. Cut above a leaf node; that's where the magic happens, and new growth will branch out. Keep it clean, folks—sterilize your tools to avoid spreading any plant drama (a.k.a. diseases).
What kills a ZZ plant? ›
ZZ plants do well if you allow their soil to dry out between waterings. “You should water your ZZ plant as soon as the soil has become bone dry. They do not like 'wet feet,' and overwatering is the main way these plants die,” Lalicata says.
