How to care for a potted palm tree

The living room palm tree can be had in the bedroom

Image – Wikimedia / Pluume321

Palm trees are plants that are usually kept in pots, especially when they are young and / or less than two meters tall. Although not all can be kept in containers for their entire lives, the vast majority are very well suited to living in one for many years. But even so, it will be necessary to bear in mind that sooner or later the most advisable thing will be to plant them in the ground.

Now while that time comes, I’m going to explain to you how to care for a potted palm treeand regardless of whether you have it indoors or on the patio.

Potted palm tree care guide

Palm trees that grow in pots need a series of care to be well, since if they are not given, in the end they will weaken and become ill. Therefore, if we are interested in decorating the house or any outdoor area with them, it is important that we know what I will tell you next:

Put them in an area with lots of natural light

The areca palm needs a lot of light

Image – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All palm trees need lightand there are many that have to be in a sunny place, such as the Phoenix, Parajubaea, Butia or Washingtonia for example. In fact, among those that are most cultivated, only the Chamaedorea, Licuala, Livistona and Pritchardia can be (and in the case of the Chamaedorea it is something they need, since otherwise they would burn quickly) in shade.

View of the Chamaedorea elegans

Related article:

8 types of indoor palm trees

The lack of light causes its leaves to lose color, and its growth rate slows down, or even stops. And if the palm tree runs out of energy, it will not produce new leaves or get stronger.

The pot must have crafts at its base and be of the right size

There is nothing worse for practically any plant, except aquatic ones, that is put in a pot without holes. Focusing on the palm trees, these are very sensitive to excess waterto the point that if they are put in a pot or container without drainage holes, the stagnant water will rot the roots.

In addition, it is important that it is the correct size; that is, it is wide and tall enough so that they can grow a couple of years or threebut no more. If they are put into one that is too large, the risk of rotting is also very high, because they will have too much wet soil every time you water or rain. Therefore, so that there are no problems, the ideal is to choose one that measures between 5 and 10 centimeters wider and higher than the one you already have.

Put light and fertile soil on it

The soil in which our potted palms grow must be of good quality. For this reason, we are going to plant them in pots with substrate for green plants, or with a universal soil mixture for plants with 30% perlite. There are many brands on the market, but from my own experience I recommend the following: Flower (for sale here!), Fertiberia (for sale here!) and Weedness (for sale here!), since even if they compact a little, they still absorb water without problems.

I have tried other substrates that, when completely dry, stop absorbing water, and to do so again you have to put them in pots in a basin for a while (half an hour or so).

Water them from time to time

Palm trees are plants that can be in pots

They cannot lack water. Irrigation will be more frequent in summer than in winter, and in addition, palm trees that are outdoors must be watered more often than those that are indoors.. Therefore, and bearing in mind that they do not support excess water, it is best to use a humidity meter such as this, at least at the beginning until we have more experience.

On the other hand, if we have a plate under it, we have to drain it after each watering. This way we will prevent the roots from dying as a result of excess moisture.

Fertilize them in spring and summer

It is important to fertilize potted palms while they are growing, even if we intend to keep them in containers for many years. If we fertilize them, we will make them much stronger, healthier, and green. So do not hesitate for a moment to pay them, for example, with specific liquid fertilizers for palm trees (such as this), or with fertilizers, also liquid, such as guano.

But yes: you must always follow the instructions on the container, otherwise the plants will suffer damage.

That they do not lack environmental humidity

So they can be alright palm trees need the humidity to be high, or at least higher than 50%. If the place where we have them has high humidity, we don’t have to do anything; But if we place it, for example, in a very dry environment, then we will have to spray its leaves daily when the sun no longer hits it, or place containers with water around it. In this way we will avoid that the tips of the leaves turn brown, and that the palm tree looks bad.

Change them to a larger pot whenever necessary

And it is that a palm tree that is kept in the same pot forever, after a few years ends up drying out due to lack of space. So that does not happen, remember to plant it in a bigger one every time the roots come out through the drainage holesor every 3 years on average. If it is very slow growing, such as an Arenga or a Caryota, they can be changed every 5 years.

Most common problems of potted palms

Palm trees can get burned or sick

Image – Flickr / Scot Nelson

There are a number of things that can happen to our potted palms, and they are:

  • Leaves with brown tips: may be due to low ambient humidity, exposure to drafts or heating. In these cases, it should be sprayed with water, as well as away from the last two.
  • Younger leaves turn yellow: it is a clear symptom of lack of water. You have to water more.
  • Older leaves turn yellow: if the plant is good, it is not a problem. Older leaves die off as new ones sprout. But, if there are a lot of yellows, then it is because it is being watered too much. To correct it, you have to water less and apply multipurpose fungicide.
  • Leaves turn brown overnight: may be due to sun exposure. And it is that if the palm tree has been all its life in shade, and when we get home we put it in a sunny place, it will burn because it will not be used to it. To avoid this, you have to acclimatize it little by little, and expose it to sunlight only if it is a kind of sun.
  • The central blade dies: it is usually because that specimen is weaker than the others. This occurs when many seedlings are planted in the same pot, as is the case with Chamaedorea elegans and Deeply shining. It can be solved if they are transplanted to a larger pot, but this will not ensure the survival of all the seedlings.
    Another possible cause is the excess of water, which causes the appearance of fungi that rot the roots first and the trunk with leaves later. Unfortunately, there is no treatment.
  • Pests: red spider and mealybug. Both are especially common indoors, but also appear on outdoor palm trees. They can be treated with diatomaceous earth, which is a very effective ecological insecticide.

Hope you now know how to care for a potted palm tree.

How to care for a potted palm tree

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