Question
I bought this plant around 2 months ago.  Not sure what it is I think it might be a chinese evergreen.  Its in an 8 inch pot.  Its not doing very well at all.  I just found a larvae(fungus gnat)in the soil, the stems look yellow and brown, a few bottom leaves were turning bright yellow but for some reason they stopped, and it seems to be growing very slowly(not very full looking).  I think overall it doesnt look healthy. What can i do to help this plant? I sent you some pictures of him.  Thanks

Answer
Hi Lindsay,

Thanks for sending the photos of your plants. They make it a lot easier for me to provide advice.

Yes, you do have a Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) and a pretty one, at that!

Aglaonemas do not like to have their roots disturbed, so I suspect yours is reacting to the repotting that you did. Overall your Aglaonema looks very healthy in the photos. They do have fragile root systems that are not very forgiving of watering mistakes.

Water your Chinese evergreen only when the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry. Give it 1-2 cups of water and no more each time you water. Keeping it on the dry side will help deter fungus gnat problems.

Provide bright light, but keep the sun's rays from shining directly on the leaves. Skip trhe fertilizer.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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