How to care for an areca palm

Dypsis lutescens is a multi-stemmed palm tree

Image - Wikimedia / Mokkie

The areca palm is a plant that many of us have at home and / or in the garden. It has a very thin trunk and finely pinnate leaves of a very beautiful green color. It is elegant, and also exotic, something that in itself serves to give a tropical touch to the place where it is grown.

However How to care for an areca palm indoors? And outdoors? We are talking about a species that can be very easy to maintain when the weather is good, but when not, it is quite demanding.

Is it really an areca or a kentia?

Since kentia and areca are palms that are grown a lot indoors, the first thing to do is learn to differentiate between them. For that, we attach a video in which we explain it:

Indoors or outdoors?

Areca is a shade palm

Image - Wikimedia / David J. Stang

The areca, whose scientific name is Dypsis lutescens, is a multicaule palm (with several trunks) native to Madagascar. It is, therefore, a tropical plant that does not bear much cold. So that, It is best to keep it indoors during, at least, the winter if the temperature drops below -2ºC in our area.

But if there is no frost at any time, then we can choose to have it outside always, or inside the house, as we prefer. Now, if the weather is warm, I recommend keeping it outside, as it will be much easier to keep healthy.

Sun or shade?

This plant indoors it needs a lot of lightThat is why it is perfect for rooms with windows facing east, which is where the sun rises. However, it does not have to be placed next to the window, because if it were done, the leaves would burn when the magnifying glass effect occurs. It is also important that the pot is rotated a little each day so that it receives the same amount of light on all sides, thus preventing some stems from growing more than others.

The areca outside prefers shadeespecially during his youth. As it is a plant that can measure 3 meters in height, it is easy for it to get the sun at some point over time. But if it is always left in the same place, it will gradually get used to it.

How to water the areca palm?

Irrigation has to be moderate. In summer we have to water every 2 or 3 days, but taking care that the earth does not remain flooded. Therefore, when it is in a pot it is not advisable to put a plate under it, unless we remember to drain it later. The rest of the year it needs a more spaced watering.

How should the areca palm be watered? Ideally, do this by pouring the water into the soil until it comes out through the holes in the pot, or until it looks very wet if it is on the ground. In case of being outside, and only during the summer, what can also be done from time to time is to wet the leaves with the hose to cool it down. Especially during a heat wave, at sunset when the sun is already low, it is something that comes in handy.

Humidity

The areca palm is easy to care for

Image - Wikimedia / Digigalos

Environmental humidity it has to be high, regardless of whether you are indoors or outdoors. This should not worry us if we live on an island or near the coast, but if on the contrary we are more inland, we will have to take some measures so that its leaves do not dehydrate, such as:

  • Spray / spray with water: I only advise doing this in summer, 2 or 3 times a day. The water must be rainwater, distilled, or suitable for human consumption.
  • Place containers of water around the palm tree: ideal especially for winter, and a way to avoid the appearance of fungi on the plant.
  • Put lots of plants nearby: It is perhaps the least practical option, but if some pots are placed at a short distance from each other, the humidity in them increases.

What is the best soil for areca?

It is a palm tree that grows in fertile soils and with a capacity for filtering water. Thus, When we have it in a pot, it will be preferable to put a substrate that contains peat and perlite (such as this), in this way its roots can grow without problems. In addition, it must be transplanted every 2 or 3 years, in spring.

If, on the other hand, it is going to be in the garden, the soil must be rich in organic matter and have good drainage. Soils that are very compact and heavy are not good for her. They suffocate the roots and also make it very vulnerable to pathogenic fungi, such as the phytophthora.

When to pay?

So that it can grow in conditions, it is highly advisable to fertilize it in spring and summer. For it specific fertilizers for palm trees are used (for sale here) or for green plants (for sale here), although it is also a good idea to use natural fertilizers, like guano (for sale here), manure or compost. The only thing is that if it is in a pot, liquid fertilizers should be used since this way the soil will continue to have good drainage.

Likewise, the manufacturer's instructions, specified on the product packaging, must be followed. Failure to do so would risk damaging the plant through overdose.

Common problem: areca palm with yellow leaves

The yellowing of the leaves on this palm tree it is a symptom that it is not watering well. If the yellow leaves are the newest, it is because it is lacking water, but if on the contrary they are the ones that are lower, then it is watered too often.

Remember that you have to water several times a week in summer and less the rest of the year. What's more, we have to make sure that the water comes out of the drainage holes of the pot, and remember to drain the dish in case it had one so that the roots are not flooded.

If we suspect that you are going thirstyWe can place it in a container with water and leave it there for about 30 minutes. In this way, the earth will absorb this water and the plant will be able to hydrate itself. Secondly, if it has been watered excessivelyWe will take it out of the pot and wrap the earth with absorbent paper, and we will leave it like that for about twelve hours. The next day we will plant it again in the container, and we will treat it with a fungicide that contains copper.

We hope you enjoy taking care of your areca palm. And if you don't have one yet, you can get it from here:


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