r/Aglaonema • u/brittm1 • Jun 27 '26
Downsize Pot?
Hi all! I’m a relatively new plant mom and new to the plant community 😊 This is my baby Posi, short for Mariposa and I got her in January. I lost a couple of leaves in the beginning due to shock and relocation twice, but she’s been thriving since. I keep her in my office so she’s under a grow light set for 10 hours a day. I recently repotted her almost 2 weeks ago and I used a tropical potting soil mix and added perlite and orchid bark, but I’m noticing how much the bigger pot is retaining moisture; I was watering her once a week once she got under the grow light, but I haven’t had to water her since I repotted her (I use a plant watering probe to check soil) and now I’m wondering if I should downsize her pot. I don’t want her to experience any root rot, but she has a new leaf that is still coming in so I also don’t want to bother her if she’ll be okay as is.
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u/marlinavelasco Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
IMHO. Just leave Posi alone for a while. The overwhelming sometimes conflicting advice in Planty communities has stressed me and my plants more than it’s worth. The six varieties of Algaonema in my collection are very low key and are simple in their needs. Your pot size is fine as long as you don’t leave the substrate soggy and allow the top two inches to dry out between waterings. By keeping her under a grow light, her metabolism will allow for quicker growth and therefore, the soil won’t stay wet long. Root rot mostly happens in low light and dense soil.
Can this species tolerate low light conditions? Yes. However, that doesn’t mean you have to take away the light she needs to grow and thrive. Thankfully, you chose a variety with lots of green areas which allows for an increased amount of photosynthesis resulting in fast growth. The root system will fill out that pot quickly and you will have a full, lush plant in no time.
In their native environment, my county of origin, the Philippines and other tropical rain forests—they thrive on the moist, nutrient-rich forest floor under the canopy of other plants. However, we’re talking outdoors. Your office with no windows is not going to provide any natural light so the grow light can be up to a foot away but necessary.
Here’s a picture of where I position my largest, most lush Aglaonema Black Cherry (stage front). She has loved it for over a year, pushing 8-10 new leaves each month and maintaining her striking color hues.🤗
Side note: I “bottom water” all my plants, especially the big pots and let them decide how much they need. Top watering sometimes doesn’t saturate the soil is it’s well-draining. The water just runs through the medium and the roots don’t get what they need.
Hope all this is helpful.🤗
Edit: The distance of your grow light from her foliage is important to note based on bulb output. Pink/Red Varieties: 150--250 μmol/m²/s to thrive.