Chinese Evergreen

by Laura
(Canada)

Hello,
Recently, I’ve taken an interest in plants.

I bought a Chinese evergreen on Kijiji two days ago. When I got home and inspected it, I noticed there was some white around the offshoots of the stem. I am worried it could be mealy bugs..

Yesterday, I repotted the plant in a plastic liner with succulent/cactus soil (I read that Chinese evergreens need good drainage and it was recommended).

When I removed the plant from its original pot, the soil was dry on top and moist on the bottom (the original pot had draining holes with no liner).

The plant looked like it was potted without removing any old dirt from the roots (it looked like it was root bound before the previous owner changed pot size ).

I removed all the dirt from the roots as gently as I could before repotting in the new soil.

There is one leaf, near the bottom of the plant that is turning yellow; on the internet, I read it could be the result of overwatering (or mealy bugs!), so I have not watered the Chinese evergreen yet.

The stem has marks on it that look yellowish and dry; even the offshoots near the stem look like they are dry and crispy.. I’m not sure what going with it.

Otherwise the rest of the leaves are beautiful and seem a healthy green.

Comments for Chinese Evergreen

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Feb 09, 2021

Great Plant
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

These plants are known for their ability to withstand considerable abuse, so you can be reassured that you've chosen a good plant to try things out on.

It sounds like you've got the transplanting part figured out, just make sure not to let the plant sit in water and water when dry, all should be well.

The one yellow leaf is not a concern, I don't think. All plants lose the older leaves, one or several at a time, usually around the time the light levels change in the fall, if it's not under a grow light. As long as there are new leaves emerging to replace them, it's all good.

The white around the stem could be mealy bugs, in which case you will need to dab rubbing alcohol on them to kill them, keep it isolated and quarantined from other plants, and watch it like a hawk. Or,more likely, fertilizer damage.

The other damage (dry, crispy) also sounds like too much fertilizer at some point in the past, which there isn't much you can do about, except flush out the excess. In the springtime, put the plant outdoors in the rain, as long as it's warm enough.

Rain is my all purpose go-to for things like that.

Cut the damage off if it bothers you, but if the leaves are still mostly green, let them do their work.

Enjoy your beautiful plant!

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