Areca Palm Care

Areca palms are also known as Chrysalidocarpus lutescens. They are native to Madagascar and prefer a warm climate for growth. They are well-known for their rich green feather like fronds, that emerge from its multiple trunks. They are widely used as decorative plants in home, office and landscaping because of their attractive look. It can be grown both outdoors as well as indoors. However, some special care is needed when it is grown indoors.

How to Care for Areca Palms?

When you are planting this palm tree, make sure the size of the container chosen, is twice the size of the root ball of the plant. This will ensure sufficient space for the roots to grow. Moreover, there should be drain holes at the bottom of the container. The other important aspects of areca palm care are as follows:

Soil
An areca palm can be grown in any type of soil, provided it has good drainage. If the soil does not drain properly, then it has to be amended to improve its draining capacity. For this, mix 2 parts of soil, one part of sand and one part of compost. This soil preparation has to be done before planting the palm.

Light and Temperature
An areca palm requires a warm temperature for growth. It is intolerant towards freezing temperature. Adult plants can survive in short spell of cold weather condition but young plants will die. The light requirements of these plants is in between medium to high. However, direct sunlight exposure may turn the leaves yellow in color. Therefore, it should be kept at a distance away from the window. This kind of partially shaded light should be provided to the plant for 6 to 8 hours every day.

Watering
Regular watering of this palm is a vital part of areca palm care. The soil should neither dry out nor get over-saturated with water. It requires abundant water in growing season and much less is required during winter. You can decide whether the plant needs water or not, by digging a finger into the soil. If it feels dry, then it's time to water it. Too much of watering can cause rotting of the roots.

Fertilizing
Fertilizer is added to the plant to enrich the soil with nutrients. Water soluble palm fertilizer should be applied to the soil after a gap of two weeks during the growing season. However, excessive fertilizer is not good for the roots of this plant. If it sits on the root for a long time, it can cause extensive damage to it.

Pruning
Pruning is done mainly to keep the visual appeal of the plant intact. A young plant specimen does not require any pruning. As it grows old, some of the fronds become brown which have to be eliminated. Similarly, any dead branches of the plant should be cut down as well. If the tip of the leaf turns brown over a period of time, that does not mean it is burned. So, do not try to cut off the tips, as it will stop the growth of the entire branch.

Areca palm plants look really lovely as houseplants. If you follow the care instructions provided in this article, you will be able to maintain its healthy growth and beautiful appearance. This plant has high sensitivity towards salts present in water which in turn cause dark spots on its leaf surface. If you notice such spots appearing on the leaves, then you must change the water being given to the plant. In that case, bottled water that contain no minerals will be more suitable for these plants.