areca palm
Areca Chrysalidocarpus Dypsis Lutescens
indoor
well draining, porous
moderate: anytime between weekly to fortnightly
average light: 50% - 75% of daily sun
scale, aphids, mealybugs, whitefly, mites, fungus gnats
root rot, blight
How do you take care of an Areca palm?
Location:
Like most houseplants, the Areca palm requires bright but indirect sunlight. They can't tolerate too much direct sunlight or intense shade, only for shorter periods. If exposed to direct sunlight for a long while, the leaves can scorch and burn. As a result, the plant can only tolerate 3 to 5 hours of medium light.
Watering:
The Areca palm prefers to receive a sip of water once a week. During growing months from spring to summer, you can water the plant regularly, even as much as twice a week but slow down once winter starts as the plants go dormant and retain water for more extended periods. As soon as the potting soil is always slightly moist you are doing well. Make sure that you don't water too often. When there is too much water it can't escape through the roots, which can lead to root rot. This is a well-known phenomenon among indoor plants.
Plant nutrition:
During spring until summer, a monthly fertilizer provides a boost to the Areca palm. However, during the winter months, you shouldn't feed the plant any fertilizer since it doesn't grow during these months. The leaves turn yellow and die from over-fertilization.
Repotting:
It is best to repot the Areca palm every 2 years. We recommend a flowerpot that should be 20% larger than its previous one.
Air-purifying:
The Areca palm is known to purify the air of substances such as carbon monoxide and benzene. It's ranked as one of the best indoor plants to cleanse the air. The leaves of the Areca palm tend to get dusty, so wipe them off gently with a damp cloth. This way they can purify the air without any hindrance.
Is an Areca palm toxic?
The Areca palm isn't toxic to children and pets.
Diseases and peculiarities:
As soon as the Areca palm is located in a dry environment, the plant is susceptible to spider mites. In nature, the Areca palm has an environment with high humidity. In addition, a location with a lot of draught can cause mealy bugs. If the Areca palm suffers from vermin, you can use pesticides.
Frequently asked questions about the Areca palm:
Why does my Areca palm have brown tips?
Brown tips are usually a sign of too cold air or a location with draught. Brown tips and dry leaves can be cut away so that the plant does not spend energy on the brown leaves.
To prevent brown tips and leaves, spray the palm regularly with a plant sprayer. By spraying the plant, you can increase the humidity.
How tall can an Areca palm grow?
In the wild, the Areca palm can grow to a height of between 6 and 12 meters. This depends on the location and living conditions. Indoors, the Areca Palm grows to a height of 150 to 200 cm.
Can an Areca palm be placed outside?
It is certainly possible to take the Areca palm outside in the summer. Before taking the plant outside, it is important to allow the Areca palm to get used to its new surroundings. It is important that the temperature does not drop below 8 °C.
golden cane
