Here’s how to force your ZZ plant to grow more pups with simple care tips that encourage healthy rhizomes!
ZZ plants are naturally slow growers, so it’s perfectly normal if you don’t see new shoots for several months. However, if your plant has completely stopped producing pups, it may not be getting the conditions it needs. The good news is that encouraging fresh growth is often easier than you think.
Here’s how to force your ZZ plant to grow more pups without making complicated changes to your care routine.
How to Force Your ZZ Plant To Grow More Pups
1. Move It to a Brighter Spot with More Indirect Light
One of the biggest reasons ZZ plants slow down or stop producing new pups is because of insufficient light. Even though they’re quite popular for tolerating low-light corners, surviving and actively growing are two different things.
What to do? Place your plant where it receives several hours of bright, indirect sunlight every day. It can be a spot near an east-facing window, or a few feet away from a south- or west-facing window with sheer curtains to filter the strong rays.
If your home doesn’t receive enough natural light, a full-spectrum LED grow light can provide the brightness your ZZ plant needs.
Note: Please avoid placing your plant under harsh afternoon sun; this will scorch the glossy foliage and can lead to brow tips! Here are the worst spots for ZZ plants so you know what to avoid!
2. Let the Soil Dry Before Watering
The rhizomes in ZZ plants that stay beneath the soil act as natural water reservoirs. If the potting mix stays wet for too long, the rhizomes won’t develop well. And prolonged soggy conditions also lead to rot!
So be mindful of watering. You only need to water thoroughly until excess water drains out from the bottom of the pot. Then wait until the soil has dried almost completely before watering again; that’s it!
Also, during winter, only water every few weeks, depending on how moist the soil is.
Healthy, firm rhizomes are the foundation for producing more pups, so resist the urge to water on a fixed schedule. Rather, just check the soil every time before you water.
Here’s a trick: Simply stick your finger inside the soil for up to 2-3 inches. And if the soil seems dry, it’s the right time!
3. Give the Rhizomes the Right Soil and Nutrients
Everything happens beneath the soil before you see a new ZZ plant pup. And those thick, potato-like rhizomes need a healthy environment to store, absorb nutrients, and energy to produce fresh shoots.
How to ensure that? Start with a fast-draining potting mix. Heavy garden soil tends to stay wet for too long, reducing airflow around the roots. Instead, use a quality houseplant potting mix amended with perlite, pumice, coarse sand, or orchid bark.
During the spring and summer, feed with a liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength once a month. The extra nourishment helps the rhizomes store energy, which they later use to produce new stems.
Caution: Avoid fertilizing during autumn and winter, when the plant naturally slows its growth. Because unused nutrients can build up in the soil and damage the roots.
4. Keep the Rhizomes Comfortable, Not Crowded
ZZ plants grow from thick, potato-like rhizomes that store water and energy, and every new stem or pup starts from them. If they become packed too tightly, the plant has less space to produce fresh growth.
That doesn’t mean you should keep moving your ZZ into bigger pots. In fact, ZZ plants usually grow best when they’re slightly root-bound.
The trick is finding the sweet spot. A pot that’s just a little snug encourages healthy growth, but one that’s completely packed with swollen rhizomes can slow things down.
You’ll know it’s time for a bigger pot when the soil starts drying much faster than usual, the pot feels packed solid, or thick rhizomes begin pressing against the sides or peeking through the drainage holes.
When that happens, choose a pot that’s only 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wider than the current one. Going much larger leaves too much wet soil around the roots, which increases the risk of rot instead of encouraging new pups. Here are some large pot options!
5. Maintain Temperature and Avoid Unnecessary Repotting
ZZ plants grow best when they’re left undisturbed in a warm, stable environment. Native to eastern Africa, they thrive in temperatures between 65 F and 80 F (18–27 C). And if temperatures consistently drop 60°F (15 °C) below, growth slows down, and the rhizomes are less likely to produce new shoots then.
So keep the plant away from cold drafts, air-conditioning vents, and chilly windows during winter.
Likewise, don’t rush to repot every year. Each time you disturb the roots, the plant diverts its energy into settling into its new pot instead of producing fresh pups. Repot only when it’s necessary, and when you have to, don’t make these mistakes!
6. Be Patient, Pups Start Underground
This is the step most people overlook! Long before you notice a fresh green shoot breaking through the soil, the rhizomes have already been quietly growing beneath the surface. They store water, carbohydrates, and nutrients until they have enough reserves to support an entirely new stem to shoot out.
That means you might not see any visible change for several months, especially after improving the plant’s growing conditions. So, don’t assume nothing is happening simply because the soil looks unchanged!
Just remember, with ZZ plants, healthy roots and rhizomes always come before visible growth.
7. Divide Mature Rhizomes to Grow More Plants
If your goal is to end up with more ZZ plants rather than more stems in one pot, division is the quickest and most reliable method.
When repotting, gently remove the plant and brush away enough soil to expose the thick rhizomes. You’ll notice they’re connected beneath the surface, with roots growing from them and stems emerging above.
How to do it? Using a clean, sterilized knife if needed, separate the clump so each section has at least one healthy rhizome, a good root system, and one or more healthy stems.
Repot each division into its own container using fresh, well-draining potting mix. Then, water lightly after planting, and allow the soil to dry before watering again. Over time, each divided rhizome will continue producing new shoots of its own. Here are different ways to grow them!
Every new ZZ plant pup starts its journey beneath the soil, long before it becomes visible above the surface. Care for the rhizomes, stay patient, and your plant will gradually grow into the lush, full specimen you’re hoping for.
And if you run into any challenges, refer to our guide on common ZZ plant problems and how to take care of each!
