In East Africa and especially in Kenya, the lucky feather, botanically Zamioculcas zamiifolia, is a widespread plant. In this country, the Zamioculcas, which is considered to be very easy to care for, is a popular houseplant, as it needs little water and rarely needs to be fertilized or repotted. Nevertheless, problems can arise, especially as a result of incorrect care: If you water the plant too often, for example, the stems often rot.
If the Zamioculcas is too wet, it rots
Stem Rot - Frequent watering is the cause
The Zamioculcas has adapted perfectly to the hot and dry climate of East Africa, it can go for weeks without water. The plant stores the precious liquid in its fleshy leaf stalks, which are thicker at the lower end, and in the leaves arranged like feathers. For this reason, the Zamioculcas should not be watered too often - it's better to hold back on watering. Too much moisture causes the roots to rot due to waterlogging and this rot eventually spreads to the stems - but by the time they turn brown and mushy, the disease is usually very advanced. So keep an eye out for the first signs: in many cases, for example, the leaves turn yellow at first.
Saving zamioculcas with rotting stems
With a bit of luck, you can still save your rotting Zamioculcas. To do this, you must unpot the plant immediately, removing all adhering substrate and all rotting and yellowing parts of the plant. If necessary, when most of the plant is already infested, simply divide off the remaining healthy rest and repot it. In any case, the lucky feather must be trimmed more or less extensively. The plant is then placed in a new pot - very important so that any fungal spores are not transferred to the new planter - and given fresh substrate. Do not water it for the first few weeks, it has stored enough water in the remaining leaf organs.
tips
After repotting and as a preventive measure, it is best to proceed as follows when watering the Zamioculcas: Only water the plant when you can stick your index finger into the substrate for at least two centimeters and it is still dry there. Merely superficial dryness is not enough - in the depths of the pot there can still be sufficient moisture. You play it safe with hydroponics, where you always have an overview of the water supply.