Aglaonema Care Hacks: How to Grow a Beautiful Plant
From positivity to a healthy environment or home decor, plants are the first choice. However, the high maintenance may scare you. However, there are some plants that do not need much effort and can grow with minimal care. Aglaonema plant, also known as the Chinese Evergreen, is one of the easy-to-keep indoor plants. Taking care of the Aglaonema plant is as easy as placing it in a low-light place, at a moderate temperature, and using a well-drained pot.
Aglaonema is a member of the Araceae family that is of different varieties with its striking foliage. As it is associated with the Chinese culture of good fortune, it is also considered a “luck plant”.
5 Common Aglaonema Varieties
You can use Aglaonema to decorate your home. It will offer fresh air with a positive vibe, adding a touch of greenery to your home. If you are confused about which variety you should buy, then here are some of the most common and beautiful ones:
1. Silver Bay- These have silver-green foliage that is easy to grow and take care of.
2. Silver Queen: The variety has long slender leaves that have beautiful stripes of silver and shades of green over it.
3. Siam Aurora Red: This variety of Aglaonema has yellow and light green leaves with stunning bright pink veins.
4. Emerald Beauty: This variety has tall, slender stems, sprouting oval-shaped, narrow leaves. It is famous for its dark green leaves that have wisps of silver.
5. Pink Dalmatian: This Chinese evergreen variety has dark green leaves with bright pink speckles.
Aglaonema Care Tips:
Aglaonema care is not very difficult. These low maintenance, indoor plants ask nothing much but right draining, light sunlight, and moderate temperature.
Here are some of the tips for Aglaonema care:
1. Draining
Taking care of Aglaonema starts with planting it in well-drained potting soil. Use high-quality drained potting soil or potting mix. You can also mix perlite into the soil before planting for better drainage.
2. Sunlight
Placement is another important part of taking care of the Aglaonema plant. Choose a place where there is indirect sunlight. As it doesn’t grow well in direct sunlight as well as shade for too long. If you want your Chinese evergreen plant to thrive with vibrant, variegated leaves place it near a window where it gets indirect sunlight.
3. Watering
Another Aglaonema care tip is letting the top layer of soil dry out between watering. While keeping it thirsty for too long can lead to the wilting of its leaves. While watering, make sure that you water enough. The trick to know how much you should water is watering it until water starts seeping out of the pot. But ensure to avoid overwatering as it can lead to rotting of roots.
4. Temperature
Aglaonema plant requires tropical, moderate temperatures to grow. It thrives between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit and high humidity.
5. Repotting
Repotting is occasionally important while taking care of the Aglaonema plant. In case you are noticing drooping of its stem even after watering it enough, it’s time to report it. Take a new container that is 2 inches wider than the current pot and transfer it into the new one. You will see that it starts growing during spring.
6. Fertilization
Though this plant can grow well without any artificial fertilizer, you can consider fertilizing it once a month in the spring and summer seasons to maximize its growth. However, we suggest you use organic fertilizer made with kitchen biodegradable waste, cow dung, or dried leaves.
7. Propagation
The best part of this plant is that you can propagate it by cutting the stem. Put the stem in the water for a couple of weeks to help it start to root. When the roots grow three inches, transfer it to a pot with soil. Propagation can help you keep the Aglaonema plant in the shape and size you want.
8. Infestations
Aglaonema care is very easy, you must stay vigilant of any infection. Mealybug infestation is a common infection in this plant. If you spot small, white insects leaving a powdery wax residue, then it’s a sign of infection. In this case, you should treat your plant with insecticidal soap and neem oil or apply rubbing alcohol.
Precaution Tips:
Though the Aglaonema plant is easily a maintenance plant, it is toxic for children, and pets when ingested. We advise you to keep this plant away from kids, cats, and dogs.
Happy Planting!
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