Potted palmsare among the most popular indoor plants. Easy to grow, with low requirements and decorative leaf plumes, they are a unique decoration both in apartments and offices. Meet the most interestingspecies and varieties ofspots grown indoors. We explain the requirements and rules ofgrowing palm trees at homeor apartment.
Potted home palms
Fig. depositphotos.com
The arecaceae family includesseveral thousand species of spots Most of them are tropical plants found mainly in Asia, Central and South America. They are woody plants with characteristic leaves in the form of a plume at the top of the stem. Palm leaves are stately, complex, feathery, or palmate.
There are many palms that are excellent indoor plantsMany grow quickly and require frequent replanting, but other species grow more slowly and decorate our homes for many years. Since most palm trees grow in the shade of tropical forests, many species are satisfied with a semi-shaded location or one with a lot of diffused light.
Potted palms - species and varieties
Areca yellowish(Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) - is a plant native to Madagascar. It is characterized by feathery leaves and stems similar to bamboo ones. It reaches a height of 1.2 m. It is resistant and can survive in an apartment for many years. The growing position of this palm should be bright, with high air humidity and temperature.18 ° C. The areka palm requires abundant watering and frequent sprinkling of the leaves. We fertilize it every 2 weeks in the summer and replant it every 3 years. Spots, grayish tint and dry leaves may indicate that the plant is attacked by spider mites. Arecas are propagated from seeds that germinate at about 25 ° C. During transplanting, you can also detach the shoots from the adult specimen.
Areca yellowish (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, syn. Areca lutescens)
© PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Bokarnea bent(Beaucarnea recurvata, syn. Nolina recurvata) - often also referred to as bent nolina. This plant is native to the rocky deserts of Mexico. It has a characteristic, slightly strange, often twisted trunk with a plume of leaves. Requires a bright and sunny position. In summer the temperature is 18 ° C, and in winter not less than 10 ° C. Keep the substrate moist in summer, almost dry in winter. Fertilize once a month from March to October.Replant every 2-3 years in February. The plant can be propagated from seeds or side shoots.
Nolina bent - Beaucarnea recurvata
Fig. pixabay.com
Dactylowiec(Phoenix) - date ships come from Arab countries and North Africa. They do not have distinct stems, but signs of fallen leaves can be seen in the upper part of the stem. A flask-shaped inflorescence appears in older plants. The date palm requires light and humus soil (it can be compost soil for potted plants). In summer, the cultivation site should be sunny, it can be placed on a terrace or balcony. In winter, the room is also sunny but cool. In summer, we water it twice a week and use liquid fertilizers, while in winter we do not fertilize, and we limit watering so as not to dry the root ball. Yellow spots appear on the leaves in insufficient lighting.
Date palm, Canary Island date palm - Phoenix canariensis
Fig. © Sylwia Hennek
Dracena(Dracaena) - comes from tropical and subtropical Asian, African forests. It has a bushy habit and long leaves coming out of the trunk. Dracaena requires light to semi-shaded sites. The cultivation temperature is 20 ° C in summer and 15-18 ° C in winter. It is recommended to moderate the soil moisture and fertilize once a week from March to October. Transplanting every 2-3 years in the spring. Dracaena can be propagated in spring or summer from apical cuttings or pieces of the trunk.
Dracaena fragrans - Dracaena fragrans
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Karyota, Nut palm(Caryota mitis) - a plant from the Arecaceae family, native to southern Asia and India. It grows fairly quickly and reaches a height of even more than 2 m.It does not bloom in apartments. In the cultivation of this palm tree, a sunny or semi-shaded position and air temperature above 15 ° C is recommended. We plant it in the ground, which is a mixture of leaf earth, peat and sand. Drainage is necessary at the bottom of the pot. It requires a lot of water and frequent fertilization with multi-component fertilizers for green plants or for palm trees. This plant is propagated from seeds. Karyote seeds quickly lose their germination, so they should not be stored for long
Kariota - Caryota mitis
Fig. depositphotos.com
Low karlet(Chamaerops humilis) - comes from the Western Mediterranean countries. Grown in a pot, it grows up to 1.2 m. Large, deeply cut leaves. In the cultivation of snapper, a bright position is recommended, temperature min. 10 ° C, the soil is constantly moist (but the pot cannot stand in water). Use liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks in summer. Replant into a larger pot every two years.The low petal can be propagated from seeds or the stem plant is separated from the mother plant with 20-25 cm long shoots along with the roots and planted in separate pots.
Low scallop - Chamaerops humilis
Fig. © Sylwia Hennek
Kencja(Howea forsteriana) - comes from the Howe'a Islands off the coast of Australia. It has long, pinnate, drooping leaves. Palma kencja perfectly adapts to the conditions in the apartment. It feels good in a semi-shaded position, even a deeper shade does not hurt it. The optimal temperature in summer is 22-23 ° C, and in winter 13-18 ° C. We water the plants abundantly, 1-2 times a week in summer, and every 2-3 weeks in winter. We sprinkle the leaves with soft water every 3-4 days. We fertilize once a week in summer and once a month in winter. Dry leaves may indicate that the air in your home is too dry and the temperature is too high. This species is propagated by seeds.
Kencja - Howea forsteriana
Fig. © Sylwia Hennek
Tree cordillin(Cordyline australis) - also known as the Australian cordilin. A plant from the Agavaceae family, native to subtropics in Asia and Africa. The greatest decorative value of this plant is its long, even leaves. The flowers are white and inconspicuous, they appear extremely rarely in apartments. Cordillin requires a clear position with diffused light. Watering moderately in the summer (only when the substrate dries out) and very rarely in the winter. Temp. 20 to 25 ° C in summer, 7 to 10 ° C in winter. We fertilize every 3 weeks from March to September with a multi-component fertilizer. In summer, you can put on a slightly shaded balcony or terrace.
Red palm(Cyrtostachys renda) - comes from Malaysia. It has coral-colored stems and a plume of dark green leaves.In the wild, this palm grows up to 6 m in height, but when grown in a pot, it grows much shorter. Prefers a position with a large amount of diffused light. It likes fertile soil, and its substrate must be constantly moist. It needs high air temperatures in the range of 20-35 ° C. Fertilize the red palm every two weeks. It is propagated from seeds.
Red palm - Cyrtostachys renda
Fig. depositphotos.com
Coral palm(Chamaedorea elegans) - comes from Mexico. It is one of the most resistant indoor plants. Reaches over a meter in height. It feels best in places with a lot of diffused light. It likes quite low temperatures - around 15 ° C in winter and 16-20 ° C in summer. It tolerates drought well. In summer, we water it 1-2 times a week, and in winter, once a week is enough. It responds well to sprinkling leaves with soft water. We fertilize the plant every 14-20 days. We transplant every two years in the spring. We reproduce from seeds.Darkening tips of the leaves indicate dryness.
Coral palm - Chamaedorea elegans
Fig. depositphotos.com
Cycas unrolled, Palm fern(Cycas revoluta) - comes from Southeast Asia and is one of the oldest plants on earth. The plant has a brown trunk (pineapple-like) and plume leaves up to 90 cm long. It grows slowly (hence the seedlings are very expensive) and blooms rarely. The unwrapped cyclist grown at home requires a bright, sunny and airy position. In summer, the temperature is up to 20 ° C (when it is sunny, the plant can be placed outside), in winter above 5 ° C. Moderate substrate moisture, allow the substrate to dry between each watering (excess moisture causes brown spots to appear on the leaves, and water deficiency contributes to the yellowing of the leaves). In winter, reduce watering. Fertilize from April to September every 14 days with a weakly concentrated fertilizer solution.Replant every 2-3 years in the spring.
Cycas revoluta
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Szorstkowiec Fortunego(Trachycarpus Fortunei) - comes from Southeast Asia. Grown in a pot, it grows up to 2.4 m in height. The leaves of this palm tree form deeply divided fans as it grows, and with age the plant forms a trunk covered with brown fibers. In the cultivation of wireworm, a sunny position with normal room temperature is recommended, and in winter the temperature not lower than 4 ° C. Water moderately during the season, and limit watering in winter. In spring and summer, fertilize every 3 weeks with liquid fertilizer. In summer, the palm tree can be placed outside, sheltered from the wind. Fortunego Roughbird can only be reproduced by seed. The seedlings, however, grow slowly, so less patient gardeners should rather buy a ready-made seedling.
Szorstkowiec Fortunego - Trachycarpus Fortunei
Photo. © Sylwia Hennek
Washingtonia threaded(Washingtonia filifera) - a plant from the USA, grown indoors up to 3 m in height. It produces gray-green fan-shaped leaves, tolerates central heating in the apartment well. In house cultivation, a sunny position, a warm room, temperature min. 10 ° C. Water abundantly during the growth period and fertilize with liquid fertilizer every two weeks. In winter, reduce watering. In summer, you can put the palm tree outside, sheltered from the wind. When the roots are visible above the ground, the plant should be transplanted into a larger pot with soil mixed with peat or leaf soil.
Threaded Washington - Washingtonia filifera
Fig. © Sylwia Hennek
Potted palms - cultivation
Palm trees are tropical plants and grow best in a warm, light-filled place .
Typically photophilic species include :
- Canarian date palm,
- roughstone,
- Washington,
- snapper.
A stand full of diffused light will be best for palm trees such as :
- liwistonia,
- areka,
- red palm.
Palm trees that tolerate partial shade well and will cope with the window with a northern exposure are :
- kencja,
- coral palm.
Palm trees thrive best in fertile and permeable soilThey require moist soil, but react very badly to overflow. One should never allow a situation in which the root ball of the palm tree is shed. It is best to let the soil dry out between waterings.In winter, during the dormant period, limitwatering palm treesto 1-2 times a month.
Palm trees should receive a moderate amount of fertilizersFor larger the doses respond with a faster increase, which is not always desirable. We feed the plants regularly, every 1-2 weeks in the period from April to October. It is best to use fertilizers dedicated to stains, containing a higher dose of potassium and manganese that these plants need.
Palm trees should be pruned very carefullyUnder no circumstances should you damage the core from which they grow leaves of the so-called "Heart of the palm" because the plant will die. Many species of palm trees get their nutrients from old leaves long after they turn yellow or even turn brown. You should, therefore, remove only completely brown leaves and never prune the palm too much.
Transplanting palm treesis done only when necessary. Palm trees often have a shallow root system and do not like to be tampered with too often. Many of the most popular home-grown species can grow to considerable size and should not be often replanted to slow their growth.A small pot slows down the growth of the plant.
The bestpots for palm treesare pottery and tall - wider at the top and narrow at the base. Always pour a layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot to prevent water stagnation. LECA works perfectly as a drainage.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
