Do you wish to add some tropical flair to your space? There is no better alternative than palm trees to elevate the look and feel of your home. Palms come in an array of different sizes and species. It makes them a perfect choice for indoor space.
The best thing about the palms is that they are easy to care for and can elevate the visual appeal of any room with minimum effort.
Before discussing the indoor palm tree care guide, let us know about the Palm trees.
What is a Palm?
Belonging to the Arecaceae family, the Palm tree is a perennial plant. It is one of the most prevalent indoor plants and has been so since the Victorian era. Given its versatility and the ability to thrive in indoor conditions, it is a suitable pick if you wish to add a tropical, lush look to your home.
Arecaceae comes from the word areca, which refers to the various palm species. Beyond their beautiful appeal that can complement any décor, the palms can grow well in low-light spaces. They naturally grow in areas with high humidity and temperature.
But they are very forgiving, low maintenance, and almost impossible to kill. This tropical plant grows as climbing trees, shrubs, and trees and is renowned for its large green fronds. They may be feather-like or fan-like. The only downside is that most palm species are expensive.
So, if you wish to get one, you need to put in a lot of effort to keep them alive and get your money’s worth.
Caring for the palms
In all honesty, caring for the palm trees can feel a little challenging at times. However, they are not difficult to care for. Including a few indoor palms in your home can do well for your indoor space. But they will remain beautiful and vibrant only if you take ample time in their care. It implies that if you do not expose them to the right conditions, they may get brown and crunchy leaves. Even though these plants do not die quickly, lack of care may kill them.
Hence, it is quintessential to offer continuous care to keep your palms healthy and happy. But, if you have neglected care and they start showing signs of it, it is never too late to revive them. If you want to learn about the best palm tree foods and fertilization guide, please refer to “Best Fertilizers For Palm Trees”on EmbraceGardening.
Now, let us get started and address five vital tips to help you care for your palms.
Lighting
One of the most significant highlights of palm trees is that they can even adapt to low-lighting conditions indoors. Typically, the indoor palms enjoy the shade and tend to burn their foliage if exposed to direct sunlight. It adds to their viability as indoor palms because we do not have ample direct sunlight in our homes.
So, you can conveniently place your palms in a spot that receives bright but indirect sunlight. During winter, they can survive even in lesser light exposure. However, you cannot make your indoor palms thrive in absolute darkness.
So, if you do not have ample natural lighting in your house, you can include artificial lighting to keep the plant living. If you decide on keeping the indoor palm outside, please keep it shielded against the harsh, direct summer light.
Humidity and temperature
When the air is dry, indoor palms demand more humidity. Typically too, they like higher humidity environments. So, your motivation should be to mimic the same humid conditions where the palms naturally grow. They thrive in 40-50 percent humidity levels.
If you do not have the necessary humidity inside, you can place your palms on a shallow tray with moist travel. It can help with the requisite dampness. Alternatively, you can also line multiple indoor plants together. Plants have a natural tendency to emit moisture.
Hence, they can naturally increase the moisture content in the air. You can also choose to regularly and frequently mist the plant to add to the humidity levels. Some people also consider installing a humidifier in their homes to help the plant thrive.
There are very few palms that can thrive even in cold weather. But palms, like coconut palms, cannot tolerate cold weather. Two prominent cold hardy palms include the kentia palm and parlor palms. Palm prefers average room temperatures between 60–80°F. If the temperature goes below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and you do not winterize the palm, it may die.
Water
Indoor palms love moist soil. However, the soil should not be soggy. If you overwater the palm, it can cause the leaves to turn brown or yellow. It may also cause root rotting, which may kill the plant. So, please be careful with the amount of water you feed the plant. Check the topsoil before rewatering the palm if you cannot decide on the watering frequency.
If the topsoil feels dry, you can rewater the plant. Water adequately and deeply to promote healthy root growth. During the summers, you can water once a week. You can increase the gap to once in two weeks during winters.
Soil
Palms love porous, loose soil mixture. You can add a fine amalgam of shredded bark, leaf mold, and peat moss to create the best potting mix. You can also buy a dedicated potting mix crafted specifically for palm trees for the best results.
Alternatively, a general-purpose potting mix can also help your palms thrive. If you forget to water your palms repeatedly, consider adding vermiculite or peat moss into the general-purpose potting soil. It aids the roots in retaining moisture.
Fertilizer
The indoor palms do not like to be fertilized. But, they do need some feed to thrive and grow well. However, fertilize the palms only during the growing season – summer and spring. If you fertilize during the winter and fall, it is not suitable for the plant.
Most palm varieties are sensitive to synthetic fertilizers. Hence, you can stick to the organic feed. You can find an array of organic plant fertilizers in market. There are also dedicated palm fertilizers that help meet the palm’s needs and give them a healthy boost.
We hope with these tips above, you can care for your palms well.