Is the floppiness of my Aglaonema plant a matter of its genetics or my mismanagement? The potting mix is very fast-draining with a lot of wood chips. Any solution?

How old is this plant

I purchased the plant three years ago. It was about 12 inches tall then.

Aglaonema don't exactly stay small and compact. They do grow trunks and shed bottom leaves like many other aroids. It may be 'floppy' because it might not be getting enough light.

That is just what they do as a houseplant. Even in strong light, eventually a stem will get top-heavy and lean over. With such a great amount of leaves, I wouldn't cut anything yet if it was mine, but once a longer length of naked stem develops, or sooner if you don't mind removing some leaves prematurely, you can cut and stick the stems back into the soil.

New stems will form on the buried nodes and make a patch of fresh new leaves:


That same stem 2 years later. The main stem had been cut again to start more new stems, to reduce the height of the "patch" and so more light could reach the new stems:

How about this? Will roots form with all the leaves left on the tops of the stems, which I have stuck into the potting mix amidst the remaining stems?

Yes, that looks nice. How much stem is under the soil?

I propagate the Pictum 'tricolor' by cutting the stem. The stump will resprout below where cut was made, and the top will root. It will also send up
Satellite pups

At least two inches of each stem are under the soil.

That's plenty

I think that's fairly normal growth habit. I have at least a dozen Aglaonema plants and a couple of them seem to want to trail. All of mine are indoors except one Silver Bay plant that stays outside but it seems to want to trail too. A couple of it's stems have adventitious roots forming and I'm sure if they ever reach the soil, they will take anchor.

'Chocolate'


'Dud Unyamanee' (center plant with stems trailing out of the pot.)


'Silver Bay', the pot was laying on it's side during the hurricane and I haven't had a chance to clean it up yet.


'Silver Bay' adventitious roots.



I find Aglaonema stems will root very easily. Last year my 'Pink Dalmatian' plant was getting very tall and lanky so I chopped it off and stuck the cut stems down in an old terrarium to root. This is the mama plant today.


These are 'Pink Dalmatian' cuttings in the old terrarium that I still haven't potted up; they are now bigger than the mama plant.

Your guidance, Gina, and experience, Lin, are very helpful and encouraging. About a month ago, my 'Stripes' Aglaonema (which reminds me of your 'Chocolate') was flopping so badly that I cut off all the flopping foliage. But in that case, it was possible to leave some of the remaining growth and have a nice plant. I didn't photograph the flopping plant, but here are photos of (1) the remaining foliage and (2) the cut stems held together in an upright position with some green yarn. 😊

How are your Ags doing, Carol?

Stripes is still presentable:


But the plant that inspired my original posting has not fared well:


All but one of the shoots that I stuck into the potting mix are dead. None of the now-naked original stalks (the ones with roots) have budded.

Should I give up and discard the entire plant or hold on for a while yet?

Stripes is gorgeous! In love!

Red looks suicidal. I'm surprised. It looked great in the previous pics. Was the soil moist when you stuck the cuttings in?

The potting mix is very-fast-draining so it dries quickly. I probably should have watered the shoots more than I did. That is probably the problem.

It could be.

yay for Stripes oh no for Lipstick (or whatever that red edge is)
Really a tough time of year for such a project. The red edge I have has been a struggle and a pink one was a real 'dud' .
I had eventual success with cuttings of an all green Ag but it was spring/summer, outside in shade, nice and warm, several factors very different. I think yellow stems are a bad sign, but if any stay green, they may make it.