Areca Palms are lovely indoor plants with pretty green leaves. To keep them healthy and beautiful, you need to feed them the right food (fertilizer) and give them a little haircut (pruning).
Additionally, Areca Palms are fantastic at cleaning the air and giving off oxygen, making them a wonderful addition to your indoor spaces for a breath of fresh air.
In this article, we will guide you how to care your Areca palm. Whether you are new to gardening or an expert, these tips will help your Areca Palm thrive and stay beautiful.
White patches on Areca Palm leaves
White patches can sometimes appear on the leaves, and this could be a result of using hard water. To address this issue, it is important to manage the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the water you give to your plants.
- One approach is to alternate between tap water (which typically has a high TDS) and filtered water (which has a much lower TDS). This way, you can help balance out the mineral content in the water, which can be beneficial for your plants.”
Fertilizer for Areca Palm
Areca palms are known for their slow growth, making them ideal indoor plants. They should be kept away from direct sunlight as they prefer indirect or filtered light. These plants typically do not produce flowers or fruits, which means there is no need for chemical fertilizers. Instead, opt for simple organic liquid fertilizers.
“Give simple organic liquid fertilizer to Areca palm.”
(i) Growing season:
- During their growing season (from February to September), you can use cow-dung liquid fertilizer every two months.
(ii) Rainy season:
- Before the rainy season, consider applying neem cake liquid fertilizer, and before winter starts, give some mustard cake liquid fertilizer.
- If you don’t have these specific solutions, Seaweed solution can also work well.
Additionally, you can provide Epsom salt to the plant, but it’s essential to use it only when the plant shows signs of needing it.
- Overusing Epsom salt can cause stress to the plant and result in browning leaves.
When to repot Areca Palm
It is important to be cautious about repotting your Areca Palm.
- When you bring a new plant home from the nursery, avoid immediate repotting, as the plant may be stressed during this time.
- Instead, follow specific guidelines to ensure a healthy and long-lasting condition for your plant.”
Special Treatment (CINNAMON SOLUTION)
Give your plant a special treatment using a cinnamon solution once a month.
- Grind cinnamon into a powder and boil 2 tablespoons of the powder in half a liter of water.
- After that, dilute this mixture in 10 liters of water.
“Cinnamon acts as an organic rooting hormone, providing protection to the plant’s roots and promoting growth.”
Pest Management for Areca Palm
When you provide proper care, including the right amount of sunlight, location, water, and timely fertilization, the likelihood of pests infesting your Areca Palm is low.
- Occasionally, you might notice some pests (other than earthworms) in the soil. In such cases, use a neem leaf solution (not neem oil) to address the issue.
If you encounter green fungus, brown algae, or white fungus, cinnamon can be an effective solution to eliminate these problems.
- For aphids or mealybugs on the plant, prepare a neem leaf solution for spraying.
- Alternatively, you can purchase neem oil, mix 1 tablespoon of oil with 1 liter of water and 1-2 drops of dish soap, then spray it on your plant.
- After one day, make sure to thoroughly rinse the plant to remove any residue.
Pruning Areca Palms
Areca palms typically don not require extensive pruning, but they do benefit from occasional trimming.
- If you notice a frond that is severely damaged, with burnt leaves or affected by fungus, it is best to remove the entire frond.
- Additionally, if the tips of the leaves turn brown, it is a good practice to trim off those browned sections.
Wiping the leaves
Regularly wipe the plant’s leaves with a wet cloth, cotton, or tissue.
- Although it may take some time, this is an essential step. Wiping the leaves not only helps with photosynthesis but also maintains the plant’s shine.
- Additionally, it is beneficial to occasionally spray water on Areca plants because they thrive in a humid and moist environment.
Happy Gardening!
Make Your Own Garden!
