Zamioculcas zamiifolia, ZZ Plant not growing

I have found a couple of great threads about propagating and growing this plant, but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, or if this is just normal.

Somewhere close to a year ago, I bought 4 ZZ tubers and planted them. Two never sprouted, two did sprout. However, the two that sprouted are only about 1 1/2" tall, each with two leaves and neither seems to be growing at all beyond this stage.

When I took them outside this summer, they were about this same size, now they're inside in an east window under grow lights. They look healthy, I think.

Does anyone know if this slooooooowwwww growth is normal from tubers. I'm getting ready to try to propagate a couple more leaves from a friend so that I can have a full pot, eventually, but I'm wondering what everyone else's experience has been.

Thanks,
Mary Ev.

Mine grows slooooooooooowly, I think that it's normal.

Thank you, Plant Madness, I had read other's report that theirs grew really fast, so I was wondering if I was doing something wrong. But, I guess I'm not the only one!

Did you mean 1 and 1/2 inches or feet? If it is indeed inches, I would probably look for a new source. I bought my ZZ about 4 or 5 years ago, at that time it had several leaflets about 10 -12 inches long.
I keep my plant at work, year around it sits in a bright West window. I find that my ZZ has a definite growing period. At one time every Winter, it simply starts a new growth cycle, several new shoots come up and during each subsequent growth cycle the new leaf-shoot tops the previous in thickness and length. The older shoots do not keep growing.
I am including a 2003 ZZ-link. ( I had to move the plant off the windowsill to get better back light to take pictures)
http://www.kammlott.net/ZZplant.html

In the meanwhile the plant grew a few more new shoots of about 4 feet in length and it flowered all Summer. Last year it was also transplanted into a larger pot and the potting soil contains slow release fertilizer. I do not overwater the plant, but it never dries out either.

Now I have tried to propagate new plants from leaves by simply sticking the small leaves into potting soil. It took under my conditions about 1 year for them to show a nice tuber and then a few more months to grow some small leaflets. ( very cute)
Perhaps this is one of those plants which needs to attain a certain size and then it simply takes off in all directions?
I hope that helps?
Ursula

Thank you Ursula,

Yes, I mean inches :( Poor little things. A friend just gave me some new leaves to try to grow. I had considered the beginning size, too. Maybe at some point it will reach that magic stage and POW, grow a couple of feet :)

And, by the way, yours is really beautiful! I've never seen them bloom, either!

Thank you!
Mary Ev

Cycus revoluta (Sago Palm) can be "encouraged" to grow a bit more quickly by giving them a diluted form of Azalea-Camellia (acidic) fertilizer....I don't know if you want to chance that or not....in any event....I wouldn't try it until spring.

Do they like acidic soil? I think I would try coffee grounds first - less dramatic.

I think it's normal too. I have 3 ZZ's, and my first one was merely a tuber when I got it about 3 years ago. It only began growing this past spring (late winter, actually).

My experience is that when they're ready to grow, they do grow quite fast and quite a bit, but then they seem to 'do nothing' for quite a while after that.

The growth period for mine seems to be late winter to early spring.

Something else I've found interesting about *mine*, is that just before or during that active growth period, they seem to show signs of being 'semi-deciduous'....they abort the leaves and even the ends of one or a few of their larger stems. Anyone else seen this happen to theirs?

Hang in there, I think when they're ready to, they'll 'take off'!

You know, it's funny, just today I noticed one of them has a little sprout!! Maybe it will grow after all!

Thank you for the encouragement, though. I do think they're pretty plants.

I should have expanded on my comments, sorry I was in a hurry that day ! I agree with NAN, mine sat and sat then boom it put out a bunch of new growth. Then sat again and then more growth. I'm bad, I fertilize it with whichever is in the watering can when I get to it, sometimes it's acid lover's sometimes 20/20/20. It hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. I think I had mine the better part of a year before it started a good growth spurt. I haven't noticed any leaf drop before it grows but I have so many it could be slipping by me!

Lol! Just curious, PM...how many do you have?

I meant I have so many houseplants ! I do have 2 ZZs , one is getting decent sized, about 2-3' tall, the other is very small not even a foot tall yet.

Got it...you're just like me!!

Have you noticed at all, though, that *your* ZZ's seem to be somewhat 'semi-deciduous'?

I'm curious to know whether that's just my plants/growing conditions or if it's happened to anyone else's ZZ's?