How to Grow a Chinese Evergreen

A potted Chinese evergreen can be the perfect addition to your home or office, adding greenery and color without taking up too much space.

But if you’ve never cared for one before, it can seem like an intimidating task that requires a lot of work and research. However, with these three steps you can get a Chinese evergreen looking great in no time at all. Best of all, this gorgeous plant will stay healthy and attractive as long as you maintain the right care regime!

Soil

Chinese evergreens do best in well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. It should be moist but not wet, with good drainage so the roots don’t rot. Choose an area with full sun or partial shade and dig a hole about twice as wide as the pot you will be planting it in.

Fill the hole with amended soil up to 2 inches from the rim of the pot, then gently remove your tree from its container by loosening any adhering media and tapering it off at least 2 inches from the root ball.

Take care not to damage any roots while doing this, then set your tree into place in your prepared hole. If necessary, fill the space between the tree’s roots and surrounding soil with additional amended topsoil. Lightly tamp down on the surface with your hand to create an even distribution of loose dirt around the base of the plant.

Now fill in around all sides of your new garden treasure so it’s level with ground level and approximately 1 inch away from its trunk all around (remember, these plants need room for their extensive root system). Make sure to water thoroughly before adding mulch to help keep moisture levels consistent around the plant’s base during dry periods.

Light

Follow these tips and you’ll soon be enjoying your own Chinese evergreen:

1. Place it near or in a window where it will get plenty of sunlight. Anywhere from 5-8 hours of sunlight is ideal.
2. Add water, but don’t overwater! The soil should always feel damp, but never soggy.
3. Provide humidity with a humidifier or by grouping the plant with others around it.
4. Fertilize once every two weeks during active growth (spring/summer) and once every month during dormant periods (fall/winter).

Watering

The best time to water is in the morning because watering in the evening can lead to mildew issues. For most trees, you’ll need about two inches of water per week. To figure out how much water your tree needs, measure the diameter of the pot and multiply it by three.

If you’re using a container that holds 10 gallons, for example, then 30 gallons will be enough for one week. When you’re ready to give your plant its weekly dose of H2O, fill up the pot until it reaches at least 2 from the top. Remember that if your tree is already planted in an outdoor garden then it won’t need nearly as much attention as indoor plants do.

Fertilizing

Chinese evergreens are slow-growing trees and can take up to 10 years before they start blooming. During this time, it’s important to fertilize them at least every two months. The best time of the year for fertilizing is in the spring and fall when you can use a general fertilizer instead of an acidic fertilizer like ammonium sulfate.

In the spring, the soil should be moist but not too wet which can rot the roots. You should apply about 3-4 pounds of fertilizer per 100 square feet area of surface for new trees with established trees requiring between 2-3 pounds per 100 square feet. It is important that you don’t overfeed your tree because too much nitrogen will cause excessive growth on the leaves, leaving less energy for flower production.

Propagation

They can be propagated by taking cuttings from the parent plant, which is done at any time of the year. The best time for propagation is when the shoots are about 1-2 inches long and have at least 2 leaves. Any time after this point can be used but will produce less successful results.

Cuttings should be taken from the tip of a shoot that has just emerged from an old leaf node, making sure not to take more than one in 4 shoots. The cuttings should then be dipped in rooting hormone before being planted into moist potting soil or perlite.

The rooting hormone speeds up the process while also helping with root development. Once they are rooted, they can either be placed into their own pots or into containers with other plants that do well in shade.  In ideal conditions (a shady spot), Chinese evergreens grow quickly; most people report growth rates of around 10 centimeters per month.

It’s important to water regularly and fertilizes occasionally; too much water can cause root rot and too little will result in yellowing foliage due to chlorosis. Potted plants should be watered every 3 days while those living in containers need watering twice a week if there is no rainfall as well as occasional fertilization every 6 months.

Repotting

Chinese evergreens are slow growing plants, so you should only repot them once or twice during the course of the entire year. If you want to know how often and when it’s best to repot, it depends on the type of potting soil that you’re using.

For example, if your plant is in a non-organic potting soil, then you should repot it every two months or so because there’s less air circulation around your plant. On the other hand, if your plant is in an organic potting soil that has more air circulation around it because there’s more room for water and roots to flow through, then you could wait three or four months before repotting it.

Pests and Diseases

Chinese evergreens are susceptible to brown leaf spot, rust, and anthracnose. Planting it in an area with good air circulation can help prevent these diseases from forming. It is also best if you water the plant at the base of its pot so that it does not get too wet or dry.

However, if your plant does get infected with a disease, you can use the fungicide copper oxychloride as a remedy. Copper oxychloride comes in liquid form and must be diluted before spraying.

To do this, mix one part of the chemical with 9 parts water for every two gallons used. When using this product on indoor plants, take care to avoid getting any onto surfaces that may have been exposed to sunlight (these surfaces may develop green stains).

Conclusion

Chinese evergreen is an easy-to-grow houseplant. It thrives in low light and can grow up to 3 feet tall, making it perfect for those with limited space or wanting to create a lush indoor garden.

The best time of year to plant your evergreen is in the fall or winter months, when they are dormant. You can find this plant at your local nursery and garden center!

When planting, do not over water as it will cause root rot. Instead, water once every two weeks until the ground feels dry before watering again.

Also, check out the latest artices “Butterwort” and “Cast iron plant“