Chinese Evergreen

Scientific name: Aglaonema Hybrids
Synonyms: Chinese Evergreen 

Chinese Evergreens are hardy houseplants that are very attractive to look at and come in a variety of colours and patterns, as well as being easy to take care of. They are generally fuss-free, needing moderate watering and humidity as well as being able to handle lower light levels. 

Native to the forest floors of tropical Asia makes them lovers of bright indirect light with direct sunlight causing scorching on the leaves. Place it a few centimetres away from a filtered light source to keep it at its happiest.These lovely table top plants are highly effective air purifiers and will look good at home or in your office.

Please note: Aglaonema are toxic to pets and humans. Please do not attempt to eat your houseplant.

Common Symptoms

• Limp/drooping foliage: This is an indication of extremely dry soil. Be sure that you are not under watering your houseplant by having a regular watering schedule. Allow the top 2-3 cm of your soil to become dry before watering again. If you have allowed the soil to become bone dry, soak your plant in a bucket or sink of water for 10 minutes, allow it to drain well and place it back in its original position. If you have allowed your soil to dry completely and then re-saturated it, leaf drop may occur. This is natural and your plant will recover.
• Yellowing/ excessive leaf drop:It is the nature of all indoor plants to shed a few yellow leaves now and again, this is their way of getting rid of old growth. However, if you are regularly seeing yellowing leaves or large amounts of foliage loss then you may be overwatering your Aglaonema. Check that your planter is draining sufficiently, if this is not the case then be sure to adjust your watering accordingly and do not allow the soil to stay soggy for prolonged periods of time.
• Brown edged/black patches: Even though Chinese Evergreens can handle low humidity they prefer higher levels to look pristine. If you are finding brown leaf edges raise the humidity around your plant by placing it on a pebble tray or spritzing regularly. Brown patches can be caused by direct sunlight scorching the leaves. If this is not the case then check if the patches are wet, this may be a sign of a bacterial or fungal infection, remove damaged foliage and treat with a fungicidal spray.
• Pests: Already stressed Aglaonema will be highly susceptible to pest infestations leading to excessive yellowing fronds and leaf drop.Mealybug, scale and spider mites are common indoor plants pests and can weaken your plant relatively quickly if left untreated. Adjust environmental stressors for your house plant and treat infestations with an organic pesticide.
  

Care Instructions

• Origin: Asia
• Height: 25 cm indoors and 1m in its natural habitat .
• Toxicity: Toxic to pets and Humans

• Light: Bright Indirect light.

• Water: Water once the top 2 - 3 cm of soil has dried.
• Humidity: Medium to high humidity is ideal. Can tolerate low humidity.
• Temperature: Ideal temperatures range from 18°C - 24°C.
• Soil: A well draining organic potting mix is sufficient.
• Fertilizer: Use a well balanced organic fertilizer once a month during active growth.
• Repotting: Chinese Evergreens are slow growing and will not need repotting too often. Re-pot once new growth has slowed or your plant has become root-bound.
• Propagation: is best done via division. Divide up your Chinese evergreen when you are repotting for best results and place well established off shoots in their own well draining potting mix. Be sure to be gentle with the roots when dividing.