Is your ZZ plant stem turning black? Well, it could be a sign of a significant issue in the plant.
When we often neglect our indoor plants or take too much care of them, we see such problems in them. The black stems problem in the ZZ plant is a perfect example of the extremes of plant management. But thankfully, you can still save your plant from this state.
In the following guide, I have shared some useful ideas and tips that might help tackle this issue effectively. So, let's not waste more time here and get started with the guide.
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Why Are My ZZ Plant Stems Turning Black?
Here's a list of possible reasons for you -
1. Overwatered ZZ Plant
Whether you see black spots or entirely black stems on the ZZ plant, it's likely because of the overwatering situation in the pot.
When you water this plant more than its requirement, you will see it succumbing to a rot-like situation. The rotting will begin at the root level and slowly spread to the parts above the soil, i.e., the stems and leaves.
When the stems start rotting, they will change their color from green to brown and black. This transition happens at a fast pace.
If you don't intervene at this stage quickly, there is a chance that you might lose the plant. So, be careful when you want to water this plant.
2. Black Fungus On The Plant
Black fungus is another common sight in this type of plant. This issue surfaces when the plant sits in wet soil for too long.
The fungus may be present in the soil, but the moist environment often provides a great platform for it to thrive and spread.
Like the rotting issues, the fungus will also spread quickly. It will attack the new and tender parts before moving to other parts of the same or different plants in the garden. Compared to overwatering or rotting issues, the black fungus problem is slightly tricky to address in this type of plant.
Since it mostly happens because of the wet soil, you will have to deal with multiple issues simultaneously. Therefore, you will have to be quick in action and follow the right strategy to remove this type of fungus from the ZZ plant.
3. Direct Sunlight
Most plants like sunlight, and they can't grow well without it. But when it comes to the ZZ plant, it pretty much hates direct sunlight.
When you expose this plant to direct light, its stems and leaves begin to droop and wilt after a while.
So, if you see a black-colored stem on the plant, it could be because of the sun. It might sound a little weird because most plants thrive in this condition. However, it's not the case with the ZZ plant.
4. Unfavorable Weather Conditions
It's a rare possibility, but you shouldn't rule it out completely. Even though you're not overwatering your plant or keeping it in a low-light room, the environmental conditions can hamper the plant's growth.
In the case of the ZZ plant, the plant doesn't like too much humidity and moisture in the air. When this situation arises, you might see its stems turning black. You will find this issue after a few days of exposure to such conditions. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do about this issue.
Since the environmental conditions are not in our hands, the only thing you can do is keep the plant safe from them. Try to avoid exposure to these conditions as much as possible. Once the conditions turn favorable, you can start reviving the plant with some standard gardening practices.
As you can see, these are the common reasons for this issue, and most arise from a situation where you put in a lot of effort in caring for your plant. In the following section, you will find some quick tips and tricks that should help resolve this problem.
How To Fix Black Stems On ZZ Plant
So, how do you revive this plant so that it can come back to life from this issue? Let's look at some of the tried and tested methods to fix the black stems problem -
1. Remove The Dead And Damaged Stems From The Plant
The damaged and dead stem due to this issue will not come back to life. So, it's better to take them off the plant.
While performing this task, make sure you don't remove the fresh ones from it. The relatively fresh and intact ones will help in the recovery process.
2. Spray Fungicide On The Plant
As mentioned earlier, it's likely to be a fungus issue on your plant.
To completely fix this problem, you will have to spray fungicides. Use neem oil spray or another available fungicide to spray on the plant. This should help resolve the issue quickly.
Moreover, you will have to spray the plant several times to eradicate the fungus and bacteria.
3. Transplant It To A New Pot
Finally, transplant the plant into a new pot. Change the soil and let it grow in this new environment.
4. Observe The Plant For A Few Weeks
Now, the only thing to do is observe the plant for the next few weeks. This will give you an idea of how well the plant responds to the fungicide sprays.
Note: Apart from these fixes, you should continue to take care of the plant. You may also try propagating a couple of stems from the plant if you feel it will not make it in the end.
In the next section, I have shared some FAQs related to this topic. Let's have a look at them below.
FAQs
The stems can turn black due to excess watering, fungus attack, or too much sunlight. All these issues generally lead to this problem.
You must remove the plant from its pot to confirm the root rot. Other than that, you can look at the leaves and stems carefully. If the leaves are drooping or the stems are mushy, there is a high probability that the plant is going through a root rot problem.
Yes, the ZZ plants can turn black if you let them be in an overwatered or fungus-affected pot. These are the two things that can lead to ZZ plants turning black.
That said, it's quite rare to see the entire plant transforming into black color. You will probably see a few leaves and some parts of stems turn black due to the issues above.
The transplant method is the best way to save a rotting ZZ plant. When you transplant it to a new pot, it provides a better environment for the plant.
Apart from that, you essentially remove the possibility of fungus development in the plant. That's how you should go about saving this plant.
Meanwhile, prune the dead roots from their rhizome, as these roots will not grow back in any possible way.
Yes, it can recover from overwatering, but the whole thing depends on how the plant is doing at the current stage. If it's been in the overwatered pot for a couple of weeks, you might have difficulty reviving this plant.
In this situation, you should think of repotting and propagating it. These are the only ways you can continue to have a ZZ plant in your home garden.
Over To You
The tips and suggestions mentioned in the guide should help resolve this issue completely. If you have any more concerns, please let me know in the comments below.
Share this guide with your friends and family if you find it helpful.
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