Growing palm trees at home has long been a common occurrence. The most popular representative of the tropical fauna, which is of great interest to flower growers, is palm trachicarpus fortuna. This type came to the apartments of flower lovers from Asia. In the natural environment, palm trachicarpus can be found in the foothills of the Himalayas, East China, Myanmar and India. This culture is rather capricious in leaving, but it is able to give the interior a bit of exoticism. In this article, we will consider the palm of the trachicarpus, how it looks and how to care for it.
General description and care of the palm of the trachicarpus
Translated from Greek, the name of this plant literally means “rough fruit”. One of the most popular crops among flower growers is the palm trachicarpus. Home care for her is not complicated, but requires some knowledge. This plant has a certain resistance to cold, but grows extremely slowly. Trachicarpus is a fan palm that can grow up to 20 meters in nature and up to 2.5 at home. The leaves of the plant have a dissected oval shape and are located on the stem in the form of a fan, for which the palm of the trachicarpus is called a fan.
Leaves can reach a size of 60 centimeters. Flowering of this plant occurs in late spring and early summer. At the same time, flowers emit a very strong aroma. It is noteworthy that only wild plants are capable of blooming. Trachicarpus palm grown at home does not bloom. This plant is fruit bearing. The berry has a deep dark blue color.
Caring for a palm trachicarpus is not much different from what is needed by other species of the palm family. However, there are still differences. Growing this culture in an apartment environment is quite simple, if you create the most comfortable conditions for it. When caring for a palm tree, trachicarpus at home should take into account its photophilousness. In addition, during the hot season, it is advisable to ventilate the room where the palm tree is located, but to protect the plant from draft.
An interesting point in the process of growing this culture is that for full normal development, the capacity in which it is contained, it is necessary to rotate 180 degrees around its axis. The plant negatively relates to heat, so the temperature in the room should not exceed 25 degrees. If you keep it in hotter conditions, then the palm tree will stop its growth, and the tips of the leaves of the plant will become brown. In the winter season, the cultivation and care of trachicarpus is slightly different.
At this time, the palm tree prefers to relax, for this it needs a temperature of 10 - 12 degrees. However, this is not a prerequisite. If it is impossible to create such a temperature in the apartment, then the palm tree will survive the winter period and in warmer conditions. In order to maintain the attractive appearance of this palm, it needs to cut off dead or broken leaves. However, it is worth considering that the yellowed leaves of this culture do not mean their complete death. Even in this state, they still nourish the plant.
In addition, do not remove leaves that have acquired a brown tint. But it is highly recommended that you cut off the side shoots, unless the grower wants to propagate a palm tree vegetatively.
Lighting requirements
Trachicarpus loves light very much, but at the same time it can live in any light. However, this plant negatively refers to direct sunlight. Therefore, in the summer, she needs shading. An excess of light is signaled by pale yellow spots formed on the leaves. This means that the plant receives an excess of light.
According to experts, the most comfortable for this plant will be diffuse, but bright lighting. During the hot season, it is advisable to move the trachicarpus to fresh air. It is noteworthy that this movement should occur gradually. This is necessary because if, after prolonged maintenance in a room, a palm tree is exposed to direct sunlight, the effect of “baldness” can be obtained. All leaves of the culture will fall off. The same result threatens the plant if it is regularly rearranged from home to street and back. The most optimal solution in this situation would be the selection of a lit place, but without wind. Ideal for this is a terrace or porch.
Optimum temperature
When a palm tree grows and develops intensively, it needs a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees. At the end of the growing season, this culture begins a dormant stage. During this stage, flower growers recommend keeping the temperature at 15 degrees Celsius. In general, the plant is not whimsical to temperature. In winter, the trachicarpus feels great in coolness, and in the summer it also transfers heat well. But it is worth remembering that resistance to cold near a palm tree appears only after trunk formation.
Watering the trachicarpus
A copious amount of palm moisture is required only in hot periods of summer, when the upper layers of the soil dry out. It is quite resistant to drought and can tolerate it normally. However, the palm trachicarpus does not tolerate excess water. High humidity can lead to decay of the roots and death of the crop. According to gardeners, an excess of moisture is indicated by darkening leaves, on which traces of decay appear.
If the palm tree experiences a shortage of water, this manifests itself in the form of drying young leaves, and adults gradually turn yellow. During irrigation, it is necessary to avoid droplets falling on the crown of the tree. This is especially important when the room temperature is low. Watering under such conditions is carried out at least once every two weeks. An important point is that the water that will be watered by the culture must be purified from chlorine impurities. In addition, it should be defended during the day.
Required humidity
This type of palm family loves warm, humid air. The most suitable and comfortable for this culture will be a humidity of 70-80 percent. However, if this indicator is lower, then this will not cause the plant much harm, but it is not worth lowering the level below 50%. It is noteworthy that, unlike many other indoor plants, trachicarpus does not need to spray water. This can cause fungal infections. In order to increase humidity, you can simply place a container of water near the plant. In addition, wetting of the leaves with a wet sponge is allowed.
Soil parameters
Trachicarpus is not quite whimsical to the quality of the soil, but some nuances should be observed. First of all, in the composition of the soil must be present compost, sand, humus and sod in equal amounts. In order to find out whether the soil is suitable for planting palm trees in it or not, you need to conduct a small experiment. Soil is poured into a container that has special openings. After that, it is watered.
If a few seconds after getting into the tank, water begins to pour out of the holes, then this means that the soil is correctly selected. If moisture is retained in the soil, then it is not suitable for growing trachicarpus. The most important parameter for the soil is its permeability to both water and air.
Palm fertilizer
It is necessary to feed this culture only during its development and growth. Such a period in palm trees takes place in the spring and summer months. At this time, you need to fertilize the plant no more than once every 3 weeks. Experts recommend granular fertilizer, which has a long period of action. In addition, it is possible to use conventional fertilizers for indoor plants, however, the concentration should be divided in half.
Plant transplant
The procedure for replanting the culture is quite simple, but only if necessary. The main reason, as a rule, is an overgrown root system, which eventually penetrates outside the pot through the drain holes. Since the roots of the palm grow quite intensively, the young plant is transplanted on an annual basis. Adult palm trees undergo transplantation no more than once every three years.
However, if we are talking about trachicarpus growing in large pots and having large sizes, then they do not need to be transplanted. For them, experts recommend annually replacing 5 centimeters of the topsoil. As with palm seedlings, the trachicarpus of the wagner, which is characterized by hypersensitivity of the root system, the roots of a fortune also do not like replanting. Therefore, transplantation must be performed by transshipment. It is important that in the process, the maximum amount of soil remains on the roots.
Before transplanting, the soil must be disinfected. For these purposes, an oven or microwave is suitable. In addition, the use of potassium permanganate solution is a great way. After disinfection is carried out, a drainage layer is placed in the tank. It should be thick enough. Then the palm tree together with the resulting lump of substrate on the roots is placed in a pot. When the transplant is completed, the plant is watered and placed in partial shade.
Palm seed propagation method
There are two ways to propagate a culture. One of them is reproduction with the help of processes, but the most popular is the cultivation of palm trachicarpus from seeds, while the care of the seedling itself is minimized. However, the seed method requires certain labor and time. It is important to note that only fresh seeds should be used for planting. If, for example, you take seed a year ago, it will not grow. In order to get good full-fledged seedlings, seeds are planted in the winter months.
They are placed in glasses with prepared soil. After the seating is completed, the containers are covered with glass. The first shoots may already be noticeable a month after planting. In order for the seedlings to develop intensively, it needs moderate watering and intense, but diffused light. Florists recommend observing the desired temperature. It should range from 20 to 23 degrees.
Propagation by processes
Each representative of the palm family is able to reproduce with the help of root processes. They form when moist air prevails around the culture. When dried, their formation does not occur. The root process is subject to separation after it reaches a size of at least 7 centimeters. It is detached by a sterile sharp object. After the procedure is carried out, fungicide and a composition promoting the formation of roots are applied to the slice, and then they are planted in the ground.
It should include perlite and coarse sand. In order for the appendix to successfully take root, it needs a partial shade and a temperature of at least 27 degrees Celsius. Roots are formed throughout the year. Landing in the soil for adult palm trees is done after the process of rooting.
Possible culture diseases
The main enemy of this exotic plant is the humidity of the environment in which it grows. Under the influence of excess moisture, the root system can be affected by black and gray rot. This immediately catches the eye, as brown-brown or yellow spots appear on the leaves. An effective measure to combat such diseases will be the use of a fungicidal drug. But it is better to comply with the requirements for caring for the plant and thereby minimize the risks of the disease, since the shaky health of palm trees is very difficult to restore.
The second "scourge" of the trachicarpus is complete shading or direct rays of the sun. These factors lead to yellowing of the leaves, stunting and a complete discharge of foliage. However, if all the necessary conditions are met, the palm trachicarpus will delight the eye for many years to come.