Proper care of your home palm: general recommendations

Palm trees look attractive not only in the tropics, but also in the apartment, where they bring a lot of freshness. But caring for a palm tree at home is not an easy task, so we will study this process in detail.

Palm family

The most familiar place to see a palm tree is tropical or subtropical terrain. They are also always grown in botanical gardens, creating the most optimal conditions. But, despite the fact that palm trees can grow to gigantic sizes and are demanding of high humidity, many members of the palm family have been able to adapt to growing in urban apartments.

The main feature of palm trees is their slow growth, so even for 20 years in your tub it is unlikely to rise higher than 2 meters, which is quite acceptable for the height of the apartment. Among the many varieties of palm trees that are suitable for home cultivation, there are two types:

• Palm trees are perististeous.
• Palms are fan-leaved.

How to choose a palm tree when buying?

When buying a palm tree, carefully examine the plant and choose the one that looks the most healthy:

• The palm must have a minimum of dried leaves.
• From the palm tree should not come an unpleasant smell.
• The soil in a pot with a palm tree should not be depleted.
• Do not buy a plant stretched up, because it has already lost some of its strength to grow.
• On the bottom of the leaves should not be bugs and insects, as well as cobwebs.

The best choice would be a small strong plant with dark green leaves. If, at the same time, the roots of the palm tree “crawled out” of the pot and even twine around the trunk, this means that the plant grows very well, but after purchase it will have to be transplanted immediately.

Choosing a pot for palm

Pot for palm trees should be selected based on the requirements of the plant itself.In this matter, you should pay attention to such nuances as the material, shape and size of the pot. Besides it is more practical to dwell on disposable pots, since every 2-3 years the plant will have to be replanted.

Color and material

The color of the pot is better to choose light, so that in summer it heats up less and moisture does not evaporate from it. If the pot is dark and at the same time made of clay, with direct sunlight it can heat up to +65 ° C, which will lead not only to the warming of the earthen clod, but also to overheating and damage to the roots of the palm tree.

Any material will suit the pot, but it is better to focus on plastic or wood, since ceramics have significant limitations:

• ceramics heats up intensively and retains heat longer;
• ceramics absorb moisture, which is why sand in a pot can dry very quickly (if the plant is on the balcony, in the summer it will have to be watered twice a day).

Shape and size

It is very important that the pot was high. Regarding the volume, it should be selected in accordance with the size of the plant. In particular, it is impossible to plant a palm tree in an too large pot "for growth", since it will develop poorly in it, and it will not look aesthetic. Also, when transplanting palm trees, each new pot should be 20–35% more than the previous one.

As for the form, it is not able to influence the development of the palm. The main thing is that there is a lot of space on each side of the plant, that is, the pot is not too narrow.

Preparation of good soil for palm trees

For a good growth of home palm, it is important to prepare the most proper soil mixture, which should consist of:

• 2 parts of light clay-sod soil;
• 2 parts of humus-sheet soil;
• 1 part peat;
• 1 part of perepret manure;
• 1 part sand;
• several handfuls of charcoal.

This soil will provide optimal nutritional value for the palm, as in poor soil it will show poor growth. All of these types of soil can be taken directly in the garden, but this soil will require treatment.

Substrate disinfection

In order to remove from the soil mixture all the pests, of which a great deal can be stored in the compost, the substrate must be decontaminated. To do this, you need to hold it over a steam bath for about 20 minutes. It is very important that all the soil mixture is “steamed”, therefore this procedure is best carried out by dividing the soil into parts.

Mulching

After planting a palm, it is important to soil the soil, which will allow the plant to retain more moisture in the pot for longer. As mulch, you can use sawdust, which will create an attractive decorative effect and thus become a good fertilizer for palm trees.

Palm tree transplant in a pot

In the question of how to plant a palm tree in a pot, there are a number of nuances that cannot be ignored:

1. Time to transplant home palm - only spring.
2. Up to 3 years, young plants are transplanted every year, after 3 years - once in 2-5 years, depending on the growth rate of palm trees and the size of the pot.
3. Palm trees are sensitive to transplantation and can grow to the last in a pot, until their roots are larger than the soil.
4. During transplantation, it is important to keep a lump of soil near the roots, which you simply need to transfer to a new pot and fill up the soil. For a perfect transplant, it is often necessary to cut or break an old pot.
5. In the pot for planting palm trees must have a hole for excess moisture and a layer of drainage.
6. After transplantation, it is not necessary to immediately put a palm tree in a well-lit place, let it first get used to the new earth and the new pot.
7. Watering after transplanting should be moderate.
8. If even before the time of transplantation from the pot, roots began to bulge (for example, in the fall, when transplantation is not desirable), then they can be covered with moss, which will serve as a mulch.

Temperature conditions

Home palm care requires recreating conditions close to the tropics, although today there are many varieties suitable for growing even in cold rooms. Consider each one of them.

Palm trees for warm rooms

These varieties of home palms require keeping in warm rooms with a humidity of over 50% (the higher - the better for the plant). Among these varieties should be called:

• Karyote, or fishtail - the only home palm tree that has double split leaves. With a minimum of soil, this palm tree grows as fast as possible, although at home cultivation it may have a light green leaf color. It is necessary to grow in well-lit rooms, regularly watering and spraying.
• Hamedorea - A palm tree, very demanding to heat, but very tolerant of dry growing. It grows slowly, may be contained in dimly lit rooms. Often affected by spider mites, especially if it is rarely watered.
• Phenicia Robelena - a very common palm tree, but demanding of moisture and light. With a lack of these two factors, brown spots may appear on the leaves.

Palm trees for temperate spaces

The most popular varieties of palm trees, for which no need to additionally heat the room, are:

• Howei Belmore - a very hardy palm tree, which is capable of retaining the dark green color of its leaves even with poor lighting. Requires regular watering and spraying.
• Rapis - A small palm tree that has fan-shaped leaves. This palm tree is less demanding on watering, but it can be grown only in well-lit rooms, but not under the direct sun. Palm growth is slow.

Palm trees for cool rooms

There are varieties of home palms, which take root even in cool office spaces and home verandas. Among them in ordinary flower shops you can find:

• Hamerops - the most hardy palm trees that grow in the southern areas even on the street. Able to survive in closed rooms with a predominance of artificial light, but at the same time fade. When grown outdoors, the leaves will be shorter, then darker and healthier.
• Trachycarpus, also known as the Palm Windmill. A very attractive plant that, despite its resistance to cool air, still needs to be grown near natural light and provided with regular watering and spraying.

Choice of location and lighting for palm trees

In the question of how to care for a palm tree, first of all it is necessary to provide the plant with the right place for growth and illumination. Well, if during the day on the palm will continue to fall scattered natural light. It is especially important that he gets into the room from the south and the west so that the plant is lit from 11 to 16 hours. In the summer, the window must have tulle, as many species and varieties of palm trees do not tolerate direct sunlight. But in the winter, you can even put palm trees on the window sill without fear (if it fits there), since such light cannot burn the leaves.

In no case do not choose the corner of your apartment for a palm tree. Although she will be able to decorate it, the plant itself will not grow in it very conveniently, because, in addition to a lack of light, the palm tree will feel a lack of space for the growth of leaves.

Humidity and watering

Most gardeners believe that the palm should be grown in conditions close to tropical. But how often to water a palm tree depends on the growing conditions. For example, in cold rooms (about 7 ˚C) it is necessary to water very rarely - once in 1.5-2 months. But when grown in heat, and especially in summer, the plants will need watering daily, in winter they should be moderate.

To determine whether to water a palm tree, check how dry the soil is. It should be only a third dry (the lower part should be wet, but not damp, as this may adversely affect the condition of the roots). In addition to watering, it is important to loosen the soil a little, but not much, because the palm trees have a large root system that is easily damaged.

In addition to watering, palm trees need regular spraying, due to which it is necessary to maintain the humidity of the air in the room around the palm at 40-50%. If the air is dry, the leaves on the plant will dry out and make it unattractive. For spraying, it is important to use only warm and separated water (otherwise there will be stains on the palm tree from sediment in the water).Also, spray water must be applied on both sides of the palm leaf.

Palm fertilizer and fertilizing

Feeding palm trees at home should be carried out regularly, especially if the plant has reached a large size. But it can be applied only to healthy plants, which are actively growing. Use for home palms fertilizers for decorative leafy plants, making them every 2-3 weeks.

It is important to make dressing only after watering, making it spring and summer. For autumn and winter, it is better to forget about dressings in order to give the plant the opportunity to “sleep”. You can not feed the palm trees and within two months after transplantation, because it will completely lack the nutrients from the new soil.

Diseases and pests

In order for the plant to be resistant to diseases, it needs to ensure optimal growing conditions. In particular, if the palm leaves turn yellow - it means that it lacks moisture (it is not necessarily in the soil).If the palm tree has ceased to grow - perhaps it lacks nutrients in the soil, or you pour it. In each case, it is enough to change the mode of care for the plant, and over time, the symptoms will definitely disappear. Palm pruning is also a good prevention of diseases, because the weakest parts of the plant are most susceptible to them.

As for pests, among which thrips, aphids and spider mites are most often found on home palms, it is important to keep palms in rooms with high humidity and regularly wipe all the leaves with a damp sponge to prevent their appearance. If the plant is small, it can be dipped in a solution of Persian chamomile. After 30 minutes after such bathing, the palm must be washed with warm and clean water again. In addition to regular spraying, keeping the palm in the open air will help to get rid of pests and even setting it under rain.

But no matter how difficult it is to care for a palm tree, this beautiful plant will surely repay its lush leaves that can turn any home into a winter garden. A palm tree is not suitable only for a florist who is absent for several days at home and will not be able to water the plant.In such cases, it is worthwhile to dwell on the most unpretentious varieties of home palm.