Okay, so, I’ve been having this issue with my ZZ plant lately. You know, the one with the really shiny, dark green leaves? Well, some of the new leaves started coming in a much lighter green. Not yellow, but definitely not the usual deep green. It kinda freaked me out because I thought I might be doing something wrong.
First thing I did was check my watering habits. See, I used to be one of those people who watered all my plants like every other day. I figured out that’s a big no-no, especially for ZZ plants. They’re like camels, seriously. They store water in their roots, so you gotta let that soil dry out completely before watering again.
Watering Schedule
- Checked: Yep, I was letting the soil dry out. Like, bone dry. I’d stick my finger in a couple inches deep, and if it felt dry, only then I’d water.
Next, I thought maybe it was a light issue. ZZ plants are chill with low light, but they still need some, right? Mine was in a corner that got indirect light, but I started to wonder if it was too much or maybe not enough.
Light Exposure
- Experimented: I tried moving it to a slightly brighter spot, but that didn’t seem to help. The new leaves were still light green.
Then, I started thinking about food. Plant food, that is. I hadn’t fertilized it in a while, and I read somewhere that light green leaves could mean a lack of nitrogen.
Fertilizing
- Action: I got some balanced liquid fertilizer and gave my ZZ plant a little drink. I followed the instructions on the bottle carefully, cause I didn’t want to overdo it and burn the roots.
After a few weeks of keeping up with the watering and giving it a little fertilizer, I noticed the new leaves were starting to darken up. They weren’t quite as dark as the older ones yet, but definitely getting there. I guess my ZZ plant just needed a little extra care and attention. It’s doing great now.
I think the main takeaway here is not to panic if your ZZ plant’s leaves are a bit off. Just go through the checklist: watering, light, and fertilizer. And be patient, you know? Plants don’t change overnight.
