If you want to give your home a lush, tropical appearance, one of the most popular indoor plants is the palm tree, or Arecaceae. Aside from its lovely appearance, which can go well with any design, it can grow in dimly lit areas, requires little care, and is hard to kill. The only drawback of this plant, I suppose, is that some of its varieties can be rather expensive. If you decide to purchase one, you should try your hardest to maintain it.
Fun fact: Because of the palm tree’s adaptability to indoor settings, it has been a common houseplant since the Victorian era.
The Madagascar-born Areca palm, commonly referred to as bamboo plants, is one of the greatest indoor palm tree varieties. It enjoys a warm climate and can reach heights of 6 to 8 feet. There are currently over 2,600 different species of palm trees, each of which has unique maintenance needs. However, indoor palm trees typically enjoy strong, indirect light, a humid climate, and up to once or twice a week of watering.
Indoor Palm Plant Care Tips
You must conduct thorough research because each type of indoor palm tree necessitates a distinct type of care in order to keep it alive and healthy. Some plants favor the shadow and a darker, more humid climate. Fertilizer may be required for some plants. Additionally, it’s preferable to put your indoor palm tree in a location where there won’t be a lot of traffic that will rub against or pull on the fronds and damage the plant. Remember that trimming the top of a palm tree will cause it to die.
Here is everything else you need to know about caring for your indoor palm tree, from the amount of sunshine it needs to typical issues and how to fix them.
Sunlight
Place your indoor palm tree in a location where it can get bright, indirect light as the first step in caring for it. It can, however, survive dim lighting, particularly in the winter. Avoid placing your indoor palm tree in the sun since too much direct light may cause your plant to die.
The leaves of your indoor palm tree are turning yellow, which is a sign that it isn’t getting enough light, a common problem.
Yes, your indoor palm tree can survive in lower light levels, but if the environment is too gloomy, it will stop growing and its leaves will start to turn yellow because there isn’t enough light to sustain photosynthesis. The optimal location for it is somewhere that can receive medium to bright, indirect light.
Water
Watering your indoor palm tree when the top 1-2 inches of the soil are fully dry is the next item on our list of ways to take care of it. Typically, this occurs two to three times per week. Additionally, remember that your indoor palm tree needs proper drainage. Never allow the root ball of your plant to sit in water as this could result in its demise.
The leaves on your indoor palm tree are becoming brown or yellow, which indicates irregular watering or tap water that hasn’t been filtered.
Solution: Your indoor palm tree may become stressed from irregular watering, especially if the soil is too dry. It’s ideal if you can plan out when to water your plants. Make sure the earth feels dry as well. If so, water your plant appropriately.
Your water’s quality could be another contributing factor. Because tap water contains salts, chlorine, minerals, and fluoride, the tips of the leaves burn, curl, and turn brown, making it unsuitable for use with plants. Use a water filtration device or overnight storage in an open container to filter the water.
Humidity & Temperature
Placing your indoor palm tree in an area with typical room temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit is another tip we have for caring for them. Although your indoor palm tree may survive remarkably well in conditions of ordinary humidity, it is advised to water it frequently, set it close to a humidifier, or use a pebble tray to keep insects away.
Common Issue: If the leaves on your indoor palm tree are turning yellow, the soil around the plant is completely dry, and the humidity level is low.
Purchase a humidifier if at all possible for your plant. The experts concur that this is the finest option. A few times a week of routine misting will also work. To keep your indoor palm tree happy and healthy, stay away from cold drafts, air conditioning vents, doors, and abrupt temperature fluctuations.
Food
Feeding your indoor palm tree with a water-soluble fertilizer on a regular basis during the growing season is another tip we have for you. Additionally, since palm plants are prone to potassium deficiencies, give your plant extra potassium and manganese. If the fronds of your plant are turning brown or yellow, that is the biggest indication that it has this illness.
Common Issue: Excessive fertilization may be to blame for the leaves becoming brown.
Solution: Applying too much fertilizer to your indoor palm tree will cause fertilizer burn, also known as plant burn. Salts used in fertilizer wick moisture away from plants. Keep in mind that anything in excess is unhealthy for your plant. It’s best to apply fertilizer according to the suggested time and amount to prevent plant burn.
Pests & Other Problems
Mealybugs, scale insects, and spider mites are just a few of the typical pests that might harm your indoor palm tree. Make use of an insecticidal soap to get rid of these pests.
Expand your knowledge of plants. For additional information on various houseplants and advice on how to keep your plants alive and healthy, visit our blog on plant care.
How do you tell when a palm tree needs to be watered?
The Goldilocks of plants, palms prefer soil that is exactly the right amount of damp and dry. When indoor palms are established, water them when the top inch of soil is dry. The leaf tips will start to turn brown if the soil is allowed to totally dry up, and they won’t turn green again. But be in mind that leaving palms to remain in saucers of water will cause root rot.
In general, water the plants more regularly if the tips of the palm leaves are becoming brown. Reduce watering if the leaves are starting to turn yellow.
How are indoor palm plants cared for?
With so many options (an astonishing 2,600 palm species worldwide), you’ll undoubtedly need to do some study on your particular palm tree to ensure you’re giving it the right care. Despite this, palms often have a same set of fundamental requirements, are adaptable to growing indoors, and may tolerate some neglect on the part of their owner. while also purifying the air you breathe!
If you can give most palms bright, indirect light and maintain moist soil in their containers for the majority of the day, they will thrive inside. Keep the palm away from chilly gusts and bursts of dry, air-conditioned air, and make sure there is some humidity in the air. With the right maintenance, your potted palm tree will look good for many years to come and get taller in the process. Just keep in mind that you should never trim the top of your palm tree! Be careful not to pull or rub the fronds too much since palms develop from the central point.
Here are some of our top indoor palms, all of which are offered for sale online and at nearby garden centers:
- Palm Parlor
- Sniper Palm
- Kenneth Palm
- Yucca Tree
- Palm Chinese fans
- Palm Lady
- Cane Palm
- Royal Palm
Although many of them may cost more than other typical houseplants, we are confident that the tropical vibes they provide are well worth the extra money! In any event, as long as you are able to adhere to these crucial guidelines for indoor palm tree maintenance, decorating your house with one of these palms won’t be a waste of money.
A palm tree needs how much water each day?
Your newly planted palm tree has to be watered daily for the first two to three weeks, then every other day for the next two to three weeks, and finally three times each week. The soil of the palm should continually be moist, but not let water to collect for long periods of time. Depending on the season, adjust how often you water; palm tree growth increases in the warm months and decreases in the cold. In the summer, you shouldn’t give the palms the same amount of water that you would in the winter. While some palms love a lot of water, some don’t. In order to ensure that the soil slopes away from the stem of the palm and does not collect water, we typically plant palms that do not like water 2-3 inches higher above the ground level.
Let’s say your palm tree requires 20 gallons of water every day. There are two ways to hydrate your palms. One method is to quickly pour all 20 gallons of water around your palm tree. The water will just flow off, leaving the roots of the palm trees unsatisfied. The soil needs time to absorb water. Another method of watering a palm tree is to drip 20 gallons of water slowly over the period of an hour or two. It is advised to water your palm tree for 30 minutes, turn off the water, let it soak into the soil for 30 minutes, and then start watering again for another 30 minutes. When it rains, you don’t need to water your palms, but our recurring 10-minute afternoon thunderstorms in Florida don’t provide enough moisture for palms. In light of the foregoing, if your street floods and your neighbor’s cat is passing by on a couch cushion… You could wait a few days to water your plants.
Do I need to remove the brown palm leaves?
Both too much and not enough water will harm palm trees and cause leaf browning and yellowing.
The majority of palms prefer to have 50% of their soil dry before being irrigated. Always be sure the soil needs water before applying it. Wash the saucer thoroughly, then drain any extra water. Overwatering can cause yellowing and eventually root damage.
When the leaf tips dry out and turn brown, this is a typical issue known as “tipping.” The most frequent culprit is tap water, which has salts, chlorine, fluoride, and other potentially dangerous substances in excess. Use distilled water or rainfall to avoid this.
If you start to see salt buildup as a white crust-like coating on the soil’s surface, you can flush the soil a few times a year. To accomplish this, remove the top layer of dirt and water your palm slowly but liberally with a volume of water that is roughly four times that of your pot. Before repositioning your Palm, allow the water in the pot to completely drain and remove any extra water from the saucer.
Nutrients in the potting soil are replenished by fertilizer, but too much fertilizer can cause leaf tips to become brown and compromise plant health. Only fertilize palm trees in the spring and summer when they are actively growing. Palms that are dormant don’t require more fertilizer. Use palm tree fertilizer at the rate suggested on the box. Keep in mind that more fertilizer is not always better. Never fertilize dry soil because doing so can cause the roots to burn.
Warm temperatures are necessary for palms to thrive. Despite being often kept warm, indoor plants are nonetheless susceptible to cold harm. Plants should be kept away from windows and doors that draft because the cold air can brown the tips of the leaves. In the winter, keep plants away from windows because leaves contacting the glass might freeze and become brown. Avoid placing items directly in an air conditioning vent during the heat.
Throughout the growing season, palms grow new leaves. A palm tree leaf gets dark as it nears the end of its natural life, starting at the tip and continuing until the leaf is entirely brown and falls off. The brown tips are normal and not cause for alarm if only one or two leaves are browning and new foliage is still coming in.
The right way to remove any brown tips from your plant is as follows:
- Amass your resources. Paper towel, some rubbing alcohol, and a pair of well-kept scissors or pruning shears are all required. (The alcohol wipes included in first-aid kits are excellent!)
- Before starting and after each cut, wipe the sharp scissors or pruning shears’ blades with rubbing alcohol. The blades should be wetted with water before cutting if you are simply removing brown, crispy leaves that have become that way due to aging, a lack of moisture, or sunburn patches. This will help to avoid damaging vital tissue.
- At the base, close to the stem, or at the soil, remove any leaves that are completely brown or yellow. Make sure not to tug on the leaves as this could harm the plant’s vital components. Remove only the afflicted section of the leaf if only a portion of it is brown or yellow.
Important: When pruning, take care not to take more than 30% of the entire plant. To avoid removing an excessive amount of leaves at once, you might need to prune in phases.
What does a palm that is overwatered look like?
Damage to palm plants from over irrigation may be permanent. If the palms are not protected in time, it may cause some ailments or possibly kill them. Generally speaking, if you give your palm tree too much water, it will begin to appear sickly.
The following are indicators of an overwatered palm tree:
- The leaves on palm trees start to fall off.
- Wilted fronds and leaves
- Leaf tannishness
- palm tree leaves that are brown or yellow and are beginning to fall off before drying
- Newly developing leaves and younger foliage are becoming brown.
- Deficiencies in nutrients brought on by too much water, such as chlorosis
- Root rot, which is typically challenging to identify and treat
Try to save your palm tree as soon as you can if you overwatered it. If the plant is left in wet soil, it may develop fungal root rot, which will kill the plant and make reviving it impossible.