Advise on growing houseplant palms

[KentiaPalm]

i have a bamboo Palm and three kentia's and a few parlour palms growing in my house here in Nova Scotia Canada , we have a limited amount of southern facing windows and I'd like some advice on year-round care for them . "The perfect soil combo" fertilizers and maybe Epsom salts..? And perhaps watering for each species ? I want them to stay healthy and prevent brown tips.....

[wimmie]

Wayne, I would recommend to add some grit and clay to a genuine substrate for indoorplants and water the palms by putting their pots in a waterbucket about once a week. You may also add some fertilizer to that water. Suitable palms for indoorculture are almost all Chameadorea's, Raphis, Kentia's/Howea's, Dypsis lutescens and decarii.

 

Succes,

Wim.

[DoomsDave]

The folks from Northern Europe really do well at this game!

A big problem for me in Ohio (where I used to live), which is a few miles south of Canada, was that it was really nasty Sahara-dry in the winter from steam heating. I mean, 5% relative humidity. Many plants hate that. (Death Camp North.)

The palms you have listed can stand that, though I promise they'll be a lot happier with extra humidity. If the Housekeeper of Doom won't mind, fill up your furnace humidifier as much as you can, and boost the RH a bit. The moister, the better; see them glow.

One real pain in the [rear] problem I've had with indoor plants is that if you keep them too moist for too long, you'll get fungus in the soil, which, in turn, will beget "fungus gnats," little flies that breed there, and flock around your computer monitor and fly up your nose. I let the plants dry a bit, but not get bone-dry to discourage fungus.

Also, if you want to use supplemental lighting, use florescent "strip lights" instead of incandescent bulbs. They give a lot more light, with a much larger spectrum for the plants to thrive.

How about some pictures of your babies?

[sashaeffer]

I have a ton of indoor palms and the palm bug has bitten me so bad that I really push the envelope on what I try to keep indoors. I've had some that have died before my eyes within days of getting them, and other reportedly not good indoor palms that do amazingly well for me.

 

As mentioned earlier, most Chamaedorea palms are easy indoors. Also, if you can find a source that can ship to Canada King palms (any variety) have been good palms indoors. issue with them is they can grow so fast you may not have them in your house too many years. Still, they are cheap to buy and reward you with fast growth.

[Mohsen]

As far as i know Kentia needs less frequent watering compare to  your Chamaedoreas ...it seems their root are very sensitive to  rot ...

In summer here now, I am watering my Kentia(s)  every 7 days but Chamaedoreas every 5 days ...of course it depends the soil type and its drainage as well..

[KentiaPalm]

I will post photos this weekend for you guys to see . They were all planted with this type of soil. I will try that method with dunking them in water with some fertilizer . I don't know if humidifers in my house everywhere is nesseccery . Maybe just frequent misting is sufficient, Thanks for the advice guys. A king palm looks gorgeous any type of indoor Palm with pinnate leaves is grand

Edited January 7, 2016 by KentiaPalm

[wimmie]

Wayne, this VPW 30 Mix is a good, well draining mix in my opinion. For Washingtonia's and Phoenix, growing in containers outside, I would add some clay.

Regards,

Wim.

 

[sashaeffer]

Also, keep an eye out hopefully soon about a specific new subject here on Palm talk for potted palm growing indoors and out. If it happens should be a wealth of information all in one spot.

[KentiaPalm]

1 hour ago, sashaeffer said:

Also, keep an eye out hopefully soon about a specific new subject here on Palm talk for potted palm growing indoors and out. If it happens should be a wealth of information all in one spot.

sounds lovely I'll contribute to that subject greatly , I'll have photos done this evening

[sashaeffer]

KentiaPalm, are you familiar with "cocoanut mike" in Montreal?

[KentiaPalm]

On January 7, 2016 at 9:45:42 AM, wimmie said:

18 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

KentiaPalm, are you familiar with "cocoanut mike" in Montreal?

Wayne, this VPW 30 Mix is a good, well draining mix in my opinion. For Washingtonia's and Phoenix, growing in containers outside, I would add some clay.

Regards,

Wim.

 

No I'm not I live in Nova Scotia if he grows any palms in Canada that'd be nice to learn what methods he uses to grow them outside of he does . I also wanted to update this topic with my palms photos 

[KentiaPalm]

[KentiaPalm]

Just thought I'd show my calamondin tree it's going to smell so nice in the spring . I also hope my Kentia aren't belmoreana

[sashaeffer]

Mike Page is his name. Lots of videos on youtube under Montreal Palms  

Has LOTS of videos of his in the ground palms and how he protects them. His business is palm trees there both selling cold hardy palms as well as landscaping services with palm trees. He does offer shipping if you didn't feel like a road trip.

Here is a example of one of his videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0knWbSmRVcM

 

[KentiaPalm]

Sashaeffer do you know what type of Howea I've got ? And that video is very inspiring for me to try those particular palms outside and try growing them. The wrapping method requires work but I'm more then willing to give it a shot being a avid gardener in general :)

[sashaeffer]

Not a 100% sure but mostly looks like Kentia aside from the curved frond(s)

 

I've had ZERO luck with Kentia palms as I have killed 4 ALWAYS after misting them or even wiping the dust off the fronds with a wet sponge.

I've had better luck with belmoreana, and it's a much faster grower for me as well.

 

 

[wimmie]

Wayne, in the trade, Howea/Kentia as containerplants usualy are forsteriana. Belmoreana is hard to get, that is with us in Europe. Judging from the photo's you show, I would say you have forsteriana, and that is a very easy to grow palm for indoor use.

Wim.

[KentiaPalm]

Thanks wim I'm glad I own forsteriana's because I prefer the droopy leaf shape compared to the curly belmoreana leaves. I love these palms they are so graceful and elegant in my home. My largest kentia is sending up a new frond. I divided them earlier this summer and reported the four of them individually with the soil i provided photos of. Should I wait to repot next year ? I hear it stresses palms . Thanks for the help guys I really enjoy the forum 

[KentiaPalm]

New frond

[Pal Meir]

Here two photos of the same Howea forsteriana ’s grown only indoors: 1st pic 1972, 2nd 1977. As you can see it is an ideal indoor palm.

[sashaeffer]

24 minutes ago, Pal Meir said:

Here two photos of the same Howea forsteriana ’s grown only indoors: 1st pic 1972, 2nd 1977. As you can see it is an ideal indoor palm.

Love your comparison pictures.

[KentiaPalm]

So lush and bushy  makes my heart melt haha

[wimmie]

Wayne, since you potted the palms last summer, there is no need to repot them again soon. Palms can grow in the same container for many years, as long as you feed them properly! And if you insist  on doing something next year, just replace the topsoil.

Wim.

[KentiaPalm]

Thanks bud I think I'll topdress this winter just to give them some nutrition to hold them over the slow winter months . I think I'll start fertilizing in the spring