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Home » Tips and Tricks » How To Fix Black Spots On ZZ Plant Stems

July 17, 2021

How To Fix Black Spots On ZZ Plant Stems

Do you see black spots on the ZZ plant stems?

Black spot is a common sight in plants that are weak and have been facing issues for some time.

But thankfully, there are ways to revive the plant from this problem.

In the following guide, you will find a few more insights on this topic.

I have also tried to share some quick solutions to fix the black spots issue in your ZZ plant.

So, let’s get started!

black spots on zz plant stem cover image

Contents:

  • What Are Black Spots On ZZ Plant Stems?
    • 1. Sunlight Exposure
    • 2. Overwatering
    • 3. Black Fungus
  • How To Fix Black Spots On ZZ Plant Stems
    • 1. Move Your Plant To A Shaded Place
    • 2. Limit Watering Your Plant
    • 3. Keep The Soil Dry In The Pot
    • 4. Do Not Mist Your ZZ Plant
    • 5. Spray Fungicide On The Affected Stems
    • 6. Keep Your Plant In A Well-Ventilated Space
  • FAQs
  • Over To You

What Are Black Spots On ZZ Plant Stems?

As you know, black spots can appear on your ZZ plant due to several reasons.

The most likely reason is the nasty fungus attack.

Since the ZZ plant is quite susceptible to such issues, you shouldn’t be too surprised to see these spots on your plant.

But then, there are other possibilities as well. 

So, take a quick look at what might be the root cause of this issue in your plant.

1. Sunlight Exposure

Have you kept your plant in direct sunlight or near a window?

If that’s the case, you might see black spots on your ZZ plant.

In case you don’t know, the ZZ plant doesn’t like a lot of sunlight.

Despite being a desert plant, it is averse to receiving too much light.

It may sound a bit strange, but that’s the truth.

So, whenever the plant gets exposed to such a type of light, it will show signs of black spots as well as yellow leaves on the stem.

If you don’t address this issue quickly, the plant will not be able to survive for more than a few weeks.

In this case, you will have a limited time to fix this problem.

2. Overwatering

It is the only thing that makes things difficult to grow indoor plants at home.

When you overwater the plant, it can attract a whole lot of issues.

Like the sunlight issue, the ZZ plant is also averse to overwatering.

Since it stores its water and nutrients in the bulb, it doesn’t require much water from outside.

It’s a typical nature of a desert plant, as it receives very less amount of water through natural resources in those conditions.

If you water this plant regularly, it will cause the roots to rot.

Ultimately, the root rot will spread to the entire plant.

This is why you might be seeing black spots or patches on the stem of this plant.

3. Black Fungus

As I mentioned earlier, the black fungus can also attack the ZZ plant.

When the plant sits in the water for quite some time, the wet soil can become a breeding ground for this type of fungus.

Once the fungus starts growing on the topsoil, it quickly moves to the stem.

When it targets the stem, it makes it weaker and leaves black spots or patches on its surface.

If it continues to spread, it can weaken the whole plant and will make it difficult to survive in the end.

Hence, it needs to be addressed quickly before it can damage other important parts of the plant.

So, is there any way to fix this problem in the ZZ plant?

Let’s learn more about it in the next section.

How To Fix Black Spots On ZZ Plant Stems

Even though the following fixes help greatly to solve this issue, you won’t be able to remove the black spots from the stem completely.

These are permanent marks and may remain on the stem till the end of the plant’s lifecycle.

You can only prevent them from spreading further.

Moving on, here’s a list of things you can do to prevent and fix the black spots issue –

1. Move Your Plant To A Shaded Place

As I explained earlier, this plant doesn’t like direct sunlight.

Therefore, it makes sense to move it to a place where it will be far from natural sunlight.

You can keep this plant in a shaded place in your home.

These types of places are quite good for the ZZ plant.

It will continue to thrive in these locations as long as you take care of the plant.

As for the black spots, they may not disappear completely from the stem.

But you will surely not see more spots once you move the plant to the shaded place.

While moving the plant to this type of place, make sure there is not much humidity in the room.

The plant will struggle to do well if there is too much humidity in the room.

Also, it might attract more issues to the plant.

2. Limit Watering Your Plant

The ZZ plant doesn’t require too much water, either.

If you have this plant at home, you should only water it once or twice a month.

That’s right!

This is the right frequency for watering this plant.

If you add more water than this frequency, the bulb of the plant will begin to rot.

Once it begins to decay, it won’t function properly, and the topsoil will remain wet for a long time.

To avoid this situation, you should stop watering this plant for a while.

If you are not sure when to water this plant, you can simply touch the topsoil or lift the pot if it’s a small pot.

Both these techniques will give you an idea about the water content in the soil.

With this assessment, you can plan your watering frequency accordingly.

3. Keep The Soil Dry In The Pot

Since most fungus issues arise from the soil, you should aim to keep it dry all the time.

This way, you will greatly prevent and stop the fungus growth on your plant.

More importantly, it will also prevent it from spreading to other plants in your garden.

But what do you do when the soil is already wet?

In this case, you can scrape off the topsoil and replace it with some dry soil.

This should help fix the problem.

4. Do Not Mist Your ZZ Plant

I know many of us like misting our plants regularly, but it’s not a great idea for the ZZ plant.

The ZZ plant cannot tolerate excess water in any form.

So, if you have a habit of misting your garden plants every morning or evening, you should skip this plant entirely.

Otherwise, it will make things worse for this plant, and you won’t be able to revive it in the end.

5. Spray Fungicide On The Affected Stems

The fungicide is the best thing you can use to fix the fungus on your ZZ plant stem.

Once you confirm this issue on your plant, you can spray some fungicide solution on the affected parts of the plant.

For fungicides, you can choose any available products in the market.

The neem oil also works great against this issue, so you can use it as well.

Note: You will have to spray the plant a couple of times, as there is always a possibility that it might resurrect in the future.

When you are done spraying, you should isolate the plant from other plants in your indoor garden.

This will help contain the spread of the fungus issue.

6. Keep Your Plant In A Well-Ventilated Space

Lastly, you should find a place in your house that is nicely ventilated.

A well-ventilated place will keep your plant dry for a long time.

Even if you water it heavily occasionally, it won’t cause much of an issue to the plant.

If the room is airy, the excess water will evaporate quickly.

So, these are the things you need to do to stop the black spots on the ZZ plant stem.

Do try out these fixes and see how they work on your plant.

Now, let’s check out the FAQs below.

FAQs

1. What Does ZZ Plant Root Rot Look Like?


Well, the roots will appear dark if you take the plant out from the pot.

You may also smell a rotting odor coming out of the pot, which is another indication of root rot in the ZZ plant.

Along with this, the bulb and roots will turn mushy due to excess watering.

These are the few signs through which you can identify the problem in your plant.

2. Why Is My ZZ Plant Stem Brown?

The ZZ plant stem can turn brown because of underwatering and direct sunlight.

You should also refrain from overfertilizing this plant.

3. Do ZZ Plant Grow New Stems?

Yes, the ZZ plant can grow new stems if you offer ideal conditions and nutrients.

Generally, the plant produces a couple of new shoots every few months.

4. Can ZZ Plant Get Too Much Sun?


Yes, as suggested in the guide, this plant is averse to excess sunlight.

You should never keep it in direct sun.

5. Can ZZ Plant Recover From Overwatering?


The ZZ plant can recover from overwatering, though it all depends on the condition of your plant.

If the stem and leaves still look fresh, you will have a greater probability of reviving this plant.

For the revival process, you should think of transplanting the plant into a newer pot with fresh soil mix.

Over To You

Fixing the black spots on ZZ plant stems can be a challenging task for new gardeners.

Firstly, you will have to identify the cause of this problem.

And then, you need to decide on how you want to deal with the situation.

If you have any queries on this process, please let me know in the comments.

I will try to resolve them for you.

In the meantime, do share this guide with your friends and family if you found it helpful.

About Harshad

Hello there!

My name is Harshad, and I'm the gardening expert at IndoorMint.com.

Gardening is one of my passions, and I enjoy pretty much everything connected to plants.

I strongly believe in sharing knowledge with everyone, so you'll always find me posting new how-tos and guides on this blog.

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Hey!

I'm Harshad, a gardening enthusiast who likes to grow different varieties of indoor plants.
On IndoorMint.com, I share learnings and experiences from my daily gardening experiments. Read More…

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