Chamaedorea Palm S

Description

Chamaedorea, Bamboo Palm Plant

The areca palm also called the yellow butterfly palm and golden cane palm is one of the easiest palm trees to grow indoors. Areca Palm also known as the oxygen giving plant is widely used to brighten up the interiors. It features feathery; arching fronds and is one of the easiest palm trees to grow indoors. With its long, graceful feather-shaped fronds, the green beauty will add a tropical feel to your decor and glam up screened patios and atrium.

Areca Plant Care:

Light: Areca palms require bright indirect light. Too much light or direct sun burns the fronds and causes them to yellow.

Water: Keep the soil of an Areca palm moist but never soggy. Allow the top couple of inches to dry out before watering. Remember, the soil at the bottom of the container is much wetter than the soil at the top. Never allow an Areca palm to sit in water. If your household water has a lot of chemicals in it or passes through a water softener, allow it to sit out over- night before using it or use distilled water. Water containing a great deal of chemicals or salt can spot the leaves.

Fertilizer: Feed an Areca palm monthly when it is actively growing with a balanced liquid fertilizer at 1/2 the recommended strength. Too much salty fertilizer spots the leaves.

Temperature: Areca Palms prefer temperatures between 65°-75° during the day and around 55° at night. This plant is very sensitive to low temperatures; if you place it outside during the summer be sure to bring it in before temperatures dip below 50°.

Humidity: High humidity is essential for the fronds of an Areca palm to keep looking good.

Flowering: An Areca palm rarely blooms indoor; if it does, the flowers are very small and inconspicuous.

Pests: Spider mites and Mealy Bugs can be a problem. Check frequently for pests by examining the backs of the fronds and new growth. If an Areca palm becomes infected, spray with warm soapy water or an insecticidal soap at 1/2 the recommended strength. Spraying with a product containing alcohol can damage the fronds.

Diseases: Because Areca palms require high humidity, they are susceptible to the fungus Pink Rot and Ganoderma. Pink rot develops in moist soil and causes the fronds in the crown (top) of the palm to turn brown and droop. Ganoderma, which is spread through the soil and on pruning tools, causes the lower fronds to droop and turn yellow, then gradually works its way up the plant. Neither of these diseases is treatable but both are preventable by keeping the soil drier and providing good air circulation around the plant.

Soil: Use a rich acidic soil that drains well. Add builder’s sand if the soil is too heavy and clay like.

Pot size: Plant an Areca palm in a container twice the size of the root ball. Palms like being a little root -bound, so don’t rush to repot.

Pruning: Prune any brown or yellow fronds that appear. Use a wet scissors to prune brown tips on the fronds. Areca palms have only ne growing tip at the very top of the plant; if that tip is damaged or cut off, the plant stops growing.

Propogation: Areca palms are propagated by seeds, by separating the offsets or suckers at the base of a mature plant, or by plant division.

Clean air plant: A study by Wolverton has shown that an Areca palm is effective in removing benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from the air