Chinese Evergreen is an excellent low-light indoor plant that is simple to grow even great for novice gardener. It’s regarded as one of the greatest foliage plants for removing toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from the air.
These plants are often grown inside, but they can also be taken outside during the summer to beautify pots, or planted outside in a shaded place year-round in warmer climates.
Chinese Evergreen Plants are simple to care for, and their attractive pink, green, creamy white, and scarlet foliage enliven spaces with minimal or no natural light. Leafy, elegant Chinese evergreens are great options for low-light areas in house or business.
Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese evergreen (Aglaonemas) is popular for a group of plants of the Aglaonema genus that do well in low light conditions. They are native to Asia‘s tropical and subtropical regions, and New Guinea. This tropical plant is the hardy houseplants, tolerant of low light, dry air, and drought.
Aglaonema is admired for its exotic-looking leaves, which comes in a various hues and patterns. They produce blooms; they are kept mostly for their gorgeous leathery leaves. They can make even the most novice indoor gardener appear like an expert.
This tropical shrub may reach 1.5 feet in height, is tall and bushy, and resembles dumb cane. It has elliptic, dark green, lance-shaped leaves that range in length from 4 to 8 inches and width from 2 to 3 inches.
The Chinese evergreen is a popular houseplant with color variants from dark green to silver to crimson that give flair to home’s décor. Slow-growing Aglaonema are great interior plants that can be planted and cared for all year.
Plant Overview
- Common Name: Chinese Evergreen, Philippine Evergreen
- Botanical Name: Aglaonema Commutatum
- Family: Araceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Mature Size: 1–2 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide
- Sun Exposure: Partial shade, full shade
- Soil Type: Peaty, well-drained
- Soil pH: Acidic
- Bloom Time: Spring, summer
- Flower Color: White
- Hardiness Zones: 10–12 (USDA)
- Native Area: Asia
- Toxicity: Toxic to dogs and cats
Growing Guides of Chinese Evergreen Plant
Chinese evergreens are tolerant of a broad range of growing conditions; specific guidelines will produce better results. This includes planting them in well-draining soil, ideally a mix of potting soil, perlite, and sand.
Chinese evergreen plants do well in medium to low light levels or in indirect sunlight. Wherever put it in the house, make sure it gets mild climate and a little humidity. Keep Chinese evergreen plants away from draughts, which can cause the leaves to brown.
This plants grow to be three feet tall and mature slowly, allowing to showcase them on tabletops while they are young and as floor plants. It’s not hard to care for Chinese evergreens, so pick the colors and leaf patterns that appeal.
These plants like temperatures no lower than 60 degree F, with average indoor temperatures ranging between 70 and 72 degree F being ideal, although they can handle temperatures between 50 and 55 degree F.
Propagation
Aglaonema is mostly propagated by cuttings and diving the basal branches. To propagate Chinese evergreen, wait until the middle of summer, when the weather is at its warmest.
By stem cuttings:
- Take a several-inch-long stem from the mother plant with a sterilized, sharp cutting tool.
- Dip the bottom end of the cutting in root hormone and set it in a glass of water under indirect sunlight. In three to four weeks, roots should grow.
- Transfer the cutting carefully and gently to a pot filled with well-draining potting soil and keep wet.
By division:
- Place the pot on its side with care. Loosen the dirt on the container’s sides with a trowel. Remove the plant and dirt from the pot with care.
- Shake the soil away from the roots gently. Tease apart the roots carefully to separate a clump for repotting.
- Repot the clump in a pot filled with potting soil that drains properly.
- Keep both the original and split plants wet for a few weeks, until they are established and less stressed.
Chinese Evergreen Care
Chinese evergreen houseplant care include protecting it from low temperatures and direct sunlight, and removing any flowers that develop, which can help the plant live longer.
This plant is easy to care for its hands-free care, as long as follow simple rule the lighter the variegation on the plant’s leaves, more sunshine it will require.
It requires moist soil, and while cultivars require a modest amount of fertilizer, over-fertilization can be harmful to plants.
When given proper growth, caring for Chinese evergreen houseplants takes little effort. They want moderate watering, not more or less and allow the plant to dry between watering.
Soil and Fertilizer
Chinese evergreen isn’t especially picky when it comes to the soil in which it is planted. A well-drained, slightly acidic potting soil is ideal for the plant. Plant Chinese evergreen in a pot with more drainage holes at bottom. To avoid root rot, choose a soil that can hold moisture while allow water drain. Use a well-draining peat-based potting mix with an acidic pH between 5.5 and 6.5. To improve drainage, add sand, perlite, or bark.
Feed Chinese evergreen with slow-release pellets or liquid fertilizer twice a year, at the start and end of the growing season, for the best results. Fertilize less during the winter. It prefers wet soil, and while some types require just a small amount of fertilizer, plants are readily harmed when oversupplied. Avoid fertilizing plants in the winter when they are semi-dormant.
Light and Water
Darker green types of Chinese evergreens may grow in partial shade, whilst other types require more sunlight. They can grow under artificial light, making them suitable for workplaces and other low-light spaces. They will thrive if they get over 4 hours of indirect sunlight every day, and if grown under artificial light, they need have at least 8 hours per day to be healthy!
Chinese evergreen plant grows well in damp but not wet soil. To attain balance, fully water the plant, then allow to dry before watering again. These plants dislike getting wet, so wait until two inches of soil are dry before watering.
Chinese evergreens in low-light regions should be watered less; indoor plants in high-light areas should be watered more. It’s time to water if the soil is dry 2 inches down and water less in the winter, when plants are semi-dormant.
Temperature and Humidity
Chinese evergreens dislike temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep Chinese evergreen away from windows or vents that bring in chilly air; the warmer the location, the better. It thrives in the warm, humid, and light atmosphere of a greenhouse, but it may be grown inside by replicating conditions as closely as possible.
Mist the plant periodically to boost humidity levels, and try placing it in a humid part of home, like kitchen or bathroom. If home is dry, consider buying a tiny space humidifier to place near plant.
Pests and Diseases
Scale insects, mealy bugs, spider mites, and aphids are common pests of the Chinese evergreen. Fungal and bacterial issues are occurring in plants that have been overwatered.
While not especially susceptible to pests or diseases, the Chinese evergreen might occasionally fall to typical houseplant pests such as scale, mealy bugs, or spider mites. Pesticides or neem oil can be used to treat them.
Most other problems come as a result of over-watering, and fungal problems are typical of an over-watered Chinese evergreen.
Hope you enjoyed reading the Planting guide of Chinese Evergreen. If you think we missed something or have a suggestion, please leave it in the comments section below.
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