Alpha Botanical - Aglaonema Plant Care Profile

Light

Aglaonema prefers indirect lighting situations. It will do very well in areas where it receives filtered light (partial shade). Indoors a south, north or east facing window would be ideal.

Placement

Dining Room, Bedroom

Water Habits

Aglaonema will grow best in a moist environment, so it is important not to allow the soil to dry between waterings. Lightly water until the soil becomes a dark color, but not to the point the soil is no longer able to absorb the water..

Temperature

Ideal Temperature for Aglaonema: 70-75° F (21-24°C) Min: 60°F (15°C)

Did You Know ?

Aglaonema comes from the flowering family of plants called Araceae, which also contains the Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum). The Aglaeonema originally comes from the swamp areas of the rainforrest in the region of Asia. This plant is commonly known as the Chinese Evergreen and has become a very popular ornamental house/office plant for its ability to tolerate different lighting situations, as well as some neglect.

Scales:

There are many species of scales that are commonly found in indoor house or greenhouse plants. Some species of the insect can have an armored shell like covering that will protect its entire form while others will have none at all. Those with the waxy shell can have its protection removed by simply scraping it away. It is easiest to tell the difference as the soft scales (no armored protection) produce honeydew while the armored scales will not. Scales feed on your plant by sucking on the plant’s sap. This will promote poor growth which will eventually stunt the growth of your plant. It can also lead to your plant being infested to sooty mold.

The most practical thing to do for your first attempt at cleaning up your plant from its infestation is to use soap and water to wash off the leaves and stems. If your plant is heavily infested, you can try an insecticide spray schedule on your plant that involves 2 to 3 sprays a week every two weeks. It is usually best to discard the plant however before the infestation can spread.

Mealy Bugs: What are they & how you get rid of them.

Mealybugs are white, waxy creatures that live in large colonies usually on the undersides of the leaves and/or around leaf joints. The bug is about 1/10th of an inch and has the look of cotton. Similar to other pests a sure sign that your plant is infested is if you observe that the leaves of your plant seem dry or weak (dropping). If you notice those signs the first course of action would be to isolate the infested plant from all other plants within your home. After that use a strong spray bottle with water in order to try to wash off the colonies from your plant, or wipe off the infestation with cotton buds dipped in rubbing alcohol. Take note that this may not work to get rid of all the Mealybugs at one time, so keep the plant away from others while you monitor it for more insects.Another option is to buy the Mealy Bug’s natural predator called the Mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemusmontrouzieri) which is a species of lady bug. This is an option for heavily infested plants, but is probably not practical unless you have a large number of infested plants. Once the Mealybugs have been killed and consumed the Mealybug destroyer will die off from a lack of a food source.

Manganese Deficiency:

If you notice that the new growth on your plant is a pale green with transverse veins, then it is most likely a manganese issue. The best way to treat this deficiency is to take manganese chelate and spray it on the leaves. After doing so take a spray bottle and gently mist the plant a couple of times a week.