Chinese evergreen

[sanzfrancisco]

'When it was young, it was quite vigorous. Now, it doesn't matter if I water it, or if I don't water it. the plant still looks like this. It is in bright indirect light and the top still grows. I fed it once this past year, so I don't think it's fertilizer burned.
What the heck is going on with this?
Perplexed and embarrassed,
janice

 

[Chuck]

Could it be root bound?

 

[Anniekay]

It looks like it needs repotting. Take the dead leanes off, upsize it to a pot 2" wider, take off a little of the ols soil on top and along the sides and put new potting soil in, water it so the water always drains all the way through the pot and don't water again until the top inch of soil is dry. Good luck with it.

 

[oneeye]

Plants in containers will run out of resources after a while and will need to be amended. Very gently tip the plant out of the container and get a good look at the root ball. If the root ball is dense and fills the pot with excess roots then it's time to up-pot into a new soil mix. There are two ways to upgrade the soil, one is to up-pot into a slightly larger container with new potting mix and the other is to very gently remove the old soil and replace it with new in the same container. Don't plant the plant too deep in the container or it can cause problems later.

 

[cpp gardener]

Aglaonemas don’t get ‘rootbound’ in a harmful way like woody plants. It can get 2-3 times bigger in that pot with no ill effects. Give it more light, keep it moister and give it some fertilizer and it should start to grow more vigorously. Trim off the yellow/brown leaves, they are dead and ugly.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

It looks like it needs repotting. Take the dead leanes off, upsize it to a pot 2" wider, take off a little of the ols soil on top and along the sides and put new potting soil in, water it so the water always drains all the way through the pot and don't water again until the top inch of soil is dry. Good luck with it.

Thank you SO much! i will move on this tomorrow..

 

[sanzfrancisco]

Aglaonemas don’t get ‘rootbound’ in a harmful way like woody plants. It can get 2-3 times bigger in that pot with no ill effects. Give it more light, keep it moister and give it some fertilizer and it should start to grow more vigorously. Trim off the yellow/brown leaves, they are dead and ugly.

Yes they are, and yes I will.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

Plants in containers will run out of resources after a while and will need to be amended. Very gently tip the plant out of the container and get a good look at the root ball. If the root ball is dense and fills the pot with excess roots then it's time to up-pot into a new soil mix. There are two ways to upgrade the soil, one is to up-pot into a slightly larger container with new potting mix and the other is to very gently remove the old soil and replace it with new in the same container. Don't plant the plant too deep in the container or it can cause problems later.

Got it! Thanks a bunch!

 

[sanzfrancisco]

Could it be root bound?

Not sure, I will check tomorrow. Thanks for the reply.

 

[oneeye]

Aglaonemas don’t get ‘rootbound’ in a harmful way like woody plants. It can get 2-3 times bigger in that pot with no ill effects. Give it more light, keep it moister and give it some fertilizer and it should start to grow more vigorously. Trim off the yellow/brown leaves, they are dead and ugly.

It's good to know what condition the soil and roots are in when growing any small container plants. .

 

[oneeye]

CPP gardener, I always like your posts because you are very experienced, helpful, and knowledgeable about horticulture. However, with respect, I would like to make a correction if I may. Aglaonemas can get root-bound.

AI overview
Do Aglaonemas get root-bound?
Yes, Aglaonema plants, also know as Chinese EVergreens, can become root bound:

Signs of root bound
Signs that an Aglaonema plant is root bound include:

• Roots are visible at the top of the soil or in the bottom of the pot
  
  
• Roots are tightly packed
  
  
• The plant isn't growing as much as normal
  
  
• The plant dries out quickly and needs to be watered more frequently
  

• Repotting
  When repotting an Aglaonema, you should:
  • Choose a pot that's only 2 inches larger in diameter
    
    
  • Repot in the spring or early summer during the growing season
    
    
  • Use a well-draining potting mix with perlite
    
    
  • Add a piece of screening over the drainage hole to secure the soil
    
    
  • Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball
    
    
  • Gently massage the roots to promote new growth
    

Aglaonemas prefer to be slightly root-bound and a bit on the dry side. They don't need much food, and you should only fertilize once in the spring and summer. Google

 

[cpp gardener]

It’s borderline overpotted as it is. What it REALLY needs is more light.
Monocots (like grasses, palms, aloes, aroids) don’t grow the same as dicots (oaks, maples, ficus, roses). Their roots only get longer, not thicker, so they don’t get rootbound in the same way. Yes, there will be more roots, but they just wind around and through the soil and other roots. There will be no girdling of other roots or the stems to worry about. I’ve grown the same plant in the same pot for 8-10 years with no ill effects. As long as you add fertilizer periodically to replace ones used the plant will be fine. When you DO repot it, disturb the roots as little as possible. The roots will continue growing longer right out into the fresh soil.

 

[sanzfrancisco]

CPP gardener, I always like your posts because you are very experienced, helpful, and knowledgeable about horticulture. However, with respect, I would like to make a correction if I may. Aglaonemas can get root-bound.

AI overview
Do Aglaonemas get root-bound?
Yes, Aglaonema plants, also know as Chinese EVergreens, can become root bound:

Signs of root bound
Signs that an Aglaonema plant is root bound include:

• Roots are visible at the top of the soil or in the bottom of the pot
  
  
• Roots are tightly packed
  
  
• The plant isn't growing as much as normal
  
  
• The plant dries out quickly and needs to be watered more frequently
• Repotting
  When repotting an Aglaonema, you should:
  • Choose a pot that's only 2 inches larger in diameter
    
    
  • Repot in the spring or early summer during the growing season
    
    
  • Use a well-draining potting mix with perlite
    
    
  • Add a piece of screening over the drainage hole to secure the soil
    
    
  • Add soil to the bottom to elevate the root ball
    
    
  • Gently massage the roots to promote new growth

View attachment 106509
Aglaonemas prefer to be slightly root-bound and a bit on the dry side. They don't need much food, and you should only fertilize once in the spring and summer. Google

Hey there. I am going to send this particular response to you and the cpp gardener to avoid retyping.
As I gently tipped the plant out of the pot, I found a strange piece of plastic with many holes in the soil. Some roots were tangled beyond saving in the item. So I did what I could, repotted it nicely, and am now hoping for the best. Thanks very much for your time and attention. I truly appreciate it. janice

 

[sanzfrancisco]

It’s borderline overpotted as it is. What it REALLY needs is more light.
Monocots (like grasses, palms, aloes, aroids) don’t grow the same as dicots (oaks, maples, ficus, roses). Their roots only get longer, not thicker, so they don’t get rootbound in the same way. Yes, there will be more roots, but they just wind around and through the soil and other roots. There will be no girdling of other roots or the stems to worry about. I’ve grown the same plant in the same pot for 8-10 years with no ill effects. As long as you add fertilizer periodically to replace ones used the plant will be fine. When you DO repot it, disturb the roots as little as possible. The roots will continue growing longer right out into the fresh soil.

As I gently tipped the plant out of the pot, I found a strange piece of plastic with many holes in the soil. Some roots were tangled beyond saving in the item. So I did what I could, repotted it nicely, and am now hoping for the best. Thanks very much for your time and attention. I truly appreciate it. janice