Palm Trees

Palms are beautiful easy trees to grow inside if you follow a few basic guidelines.

They love good AM light but nothing direct in the PM. A sheer curtain or blinds can be utilized to shade them when the sun is too bright. Do not attempt to grow them in basically full shade.

Feed them regularly. Just like animals plants need food to survive grow flower and ward off insects. Also if you have a cat watch to make sure the fronds are not eaten! Give them a general house plant food monthly as Hyponex Miracle-Gro SpoonIt or Peters. Follow the label directions usually a tablespoon per gallon water.

Place saucers under the pots. Allow the excess water to drain into them and empty after an hour or so so that the roots do not get waterlogged. Only water when the top inch of the soil is dry to the touch. Overwatering is dangerous and can lead to root rot and death.

Palms have a nasty habit of having their lower fronds yellow and brown. Do not be overly concerned. Trim them off and discard. Rotate your pots so that all sides of the plants receive light.

Keep away from cold windows and hot heating vent drafts. The latter will lower humidity and remember that these are basically tropical plants which love 'wet' air. Containers of water can be placed around them or have pebbles in their saucers with water below the pot to evaporate around them increasing the humidity. Kitchens and bathrooms provide good humidity so utilize window space there if possible.

Q. Just bought a new palm bush...about 5 feet high. I think I should put it in a bigger pot and would appreciate advice on repotting...what type of soil watering etc.

A. I would imagine that the 5' palm tree needs repotting. Once they get growing most places do not tend to them regularly and repot let alone feed them!

Do not jump up in pot size drastically. If it is in a 8" pot buy a 10'. Also pick up some new fresh potting mix for house plants. You may like to add a little vermiculite and perlite to the mix since I find what is available commercially is way too heavy and leads to poor growth and root rot due to excessive water retention.

Knock it out of the pot breaking the old one if necessary. Lay out on newspaper and remove any extra soil which flakes off without disturbing the roots. Place into the new pot maintaining the same soil line as is now. Set into a sink and water lightly to wet the entire medium. Allow to drain for several hours.

Place in a well-lit window without direct light. Keep back from any heat for the time being. Allow it to acclimate to your environment and repotting. In a month once new growth has resumed apply a house plant food every 3 weeks according to the directions. Keep trimmed any yellow weak or dead fronds.

Place a pebble-filled saucer under the pot and empty of excess water.