How to Care for Palm Type Plants
Palm-type plants are popular houseplants with showy branching foliage. With more than 2,500 species worldwide, palms come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Some are small enough to grow in a tabletop container while others are too large to exist indoors. Several species demand the extreme humidity, warm temperatures and air circulation of their native tropical environment. Others can work well in interior conditions. Three excellent choices for palm houseplants are the kentia palm, bamboo palm, and lady palm. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Identify a palm plant whose needs match your home's conditions. Consider the available lighting and space available. Palms are slow-growing plants, so if you want a large palm, you'll need to buy it large. A small palm will remain small for some time.
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Choose a healthy plant. Check the bottom of the pot to see whether roots are extending out of it, which is often a sign of strong growth. Also check the bottoms of leaves for little cottony dots, which indicate the presence of mealy bugs. Don't buy plants with dead leaves or soil that smells off.
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Position the palm where it will receive the ideal amount of light for its type. The common choices--kentia, bamboo, and lady palms--require bright, indirect light.
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Water palms when the top inch of soil is dry. An easy measure of soil moisture level is inserting your finger directly into the soil, to the first knuckle (which is approximately 1 inch). If the soil feels dry all the way down, it is time to water.
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Fertilize sparingly, as with any slow-growing plant. If using a soluble fertilizer, dilute the solution more than is required by the package instructions to help prevent over-fertilizing.
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Take your palm outdoors and water it repeatedly every three to four months in order to allow salt buildup in the soil to dissipate (a process called leaching). Salt accumulates in the soil when tap water is used to hydrate the plant: when the water evaporates, salt is left behind.
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Tips & Warnings
Provide extra humidity during times of increased air dryness, such as during winter. Misting the leaves or placing the plant on a surface (such as on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan) with damp gravel makes available the necessary humidity.
The sago palm's bright red berries are poisonous.
Areca and majesty palms are sold as houseplants, but typically do not flourish indoors.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit potted yukka tree plant at night. image by rozeykex from Fotolia.com
