Even in small apartments, true flower growers who want to revitalize the house with plants find a corner for at least one palm tree. It's so nice to imagine sitting somewhere in the garden, even if you live on the eighteenth floor! But in order to achieve the desired effect, you need to take a little care of the plant. In fact, for the most part, palm trees at home are not too picky. However, like any living creature, they require attention, care and respect.
How much light is needed
All plants have their own requirements for the level of lighting. Being essentially a tropical plant, the areca palm tree loves good light. However, while the tree is young, it does not tolerate direct bright rays. At a young age, it can even be kept in partial shade - in this case, the palm will stretch upwards, but the leaves will not begin to curl, curl, and will not receive dangerous burns. If you do not take urgent measures, from them the leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off. With age, the areca palm becomes more resistant to excess lighting. After the turn of the year at six crowns, she will no longer lose, but her color will turn pale. So at the peak of solar activity, even an adult tree is better to shade. Important note: if you want a uniform, symmetrical development of the plant, regularly turn the pot with different sides to the window. You can scroll it a little every day, you can rotate it 180 degrees once a month, but you must do this so that the one-sided freak does not grow.
Water correctly
Having a tropical origin, areca at home needs a certain irrigation regime. Both overflow and drying out are dangerous for her. In cold weather, when the plant has a dormant regime, watering should not be frequent and plentiful; in summer, more water is given, but also only after the topsoil is completely dry. It is very important to maintain high humidity in the room where your areca palm is located. Caring for her includes regular spraying of leaves. On especially stuffy days, this will have to be done several times, and that may not be enough. If the tips of the leaves dry - it's time to buy a moisturizer.
A layer of drainage in the pot and holes in its bottom are required. Stagnant water leads to rotting of the roots and the inevitable death of the plant. It is advisable to take a pallet much larger than the pot, and fill the empty space with expanded clay or large calcined sand. This filler is easy to maintain in a wet state, the main thing is that the water in the pan does not splash.
Importance of Transplant
Since indoor plants cannot spread the root system in breadth as they grow, this should be monitored by their host. Young areca palm trees are transplanted annually in the spring. The next pot is traditionally taken only a little larger than the previous one. It is not difficult to transplant a tree: it is simply transferred along with a root lump of earth to another container. It is very important not to bury the palm in the new pot more than it "sat" before transplanting - it will take root with difficulty and will not grow for some time.
Areca palm trees do not need such a frequent change of residence. It is transplanted after three to four years, when the roots completely cover the earth in a pot. Too tightly bound roots are cut with a sharp knife.
If you accidentally transplanted a palm tree into an oversized container, refrain from a new transplant for a couple of years. Just in the spring completely change the topsoil - this will be enough.
Cut or not?
There is controversy over whether palm pruning is really necessary. At home, content is needed. Although some inexperienced flower growers expect that without it the areca will become more fluffy. In fact, old, darkened leaves, as well as broken ones, sooner or later decay and can destroy the whole tree. Additional shoots also need to be removed so that the growth of the main trunk does not stop. Do not cut yellowing leaves - from them the tree will still extract useful trace elements. You need to trim it carefully, without clinging to the trunk, because it is detrimental to the whole plant. And, of course, do not remove leaves more than a year new ones appear. Otherwise, your areca palm will lose its respiratory organs, which are responsible for the evaporation of moisture and for receiving lighting.
How not to make a mistake with the soil
To prevent root rot, the ground is picked up easily draining. Water from it should drain into the pan in a few seconds. If you have to wait at least a minute - the soil is not suitable. In order to improve the outflow of excess water, coarse sand, pebbles, granite chips or pumice are added to the soil. Fine-grained drainage is absolutely not suitable - it slows down the flow. Also, components that are not able to maintain the structure should be ignored - they will cause the formation of a “swamp” in the pot where the areca palm grows.
How to feed a plant
It needs regular fertilizer from mid-spring to late summer. The ratio of substances should be as follows: 9 parts of nitrogen, 6 - phosphorus and 3 - potassium. If there is nothing suitable for sale, you will have to make it yourself. Not enough nitrogen - the areca palm stops growing, and the leaves become very light, although they retain a green hue. A lack of potassium leads to the appearance of orange-yellow spots. At first, they hit the old foliage, but with further potassium starvation, the young are also captured. Then the edges begin to die, the leaves curl and dry completely.
In the period of intensive growth of micronutrient nutrition, it is also very important. A lack of magnesium, zinc, or manganese quickly affects your pet’s health.
If you follow all the rules and do not forget to take care of the plant, you will quickly grow a luxurious areca - the photo clearly demonstrates what amazing successes can be achieved with regular care of the plant.