How to grow Aglaonema

Aglaonema commutatum · Chinese evergreen

Evergreen foliage plant with lance-shaped leaves, plain green or variegated with silver, grey, pink or red. One of the most durable houseplants, it puts up with poor light, dry air and missed waterings.

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Family	Araceae
Light	Partial shade
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for sowing	from 13 °C
Where it grows	At home

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 10 days	20…27 °C	balanced (NPK), 14 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 44 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 74 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 104 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 134 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 164 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 194 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 20 days	13…27 °C	—

Growing notes

Light

Low to moderate indirect light; plain green kinds cope with low light, variegated ones need more. Keep it out of direct sun, which can scorch the leaves.

Soil

Standard houseplant potting mix with extra organic matter, in a pot with drainage holes. NCSU lists it for acid soil (pH below 6). A mix that drains slowly leads to root rot.

Care

Keep the compost moist but not wet, watering once the top 2–5 cm are dry; in winter let it dry a little more between waterings. Use room-temperature water and keep it at 20–27 °C, never below 13 °C. Feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly in the growing season; too much feed burns the leaf edges. Pot on every two to three years. Toxic to cats and dogs — the leaves contain calcium oxalate crystals.

Pests and diseases of Aglaonema

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.