cataractarum Help with Palm, please

[Giveawayer]

I live in the DC metro area and got her from a nearby hardware store. I’ve had her in my living room for almost a year now and as you can see, I’m contemplating getting rid of her.

Any suggestions?

[kinzyjr]

@Giveawayer Welcome to Palmtalk.

Know anyone further south that wants to try one?

[palmsOrl]

Put her outside in the shade?  Also, what does the soil in the pot look like?

[Giveawayer]

18 hours ago, Giveawayer said:

I live in the DC metro area and got her from a nearby hardware store. I’ve had her in my living room for almost a year now and as you can see, I’m contemplating getting rid of her.

Any suggestions?

Really?  You think shade would work to restore her to green?  Soil seems fine to me. How should it look and feel?  Also if I took your suggestion, what should I do to prevent reoccurrence when I bring her back indoors?
 

 

 

 

 

[PalmatierMeg]

Your Cham cat should be in a very well draining, coarse soil mix. Don't use the cheap, dollar store black potting muck. If the soil is soggy or mucky, the palm may have root rot. Cham cats supposedly love water but I don't recommend letting their pot sit in a tray of water. Water according to need not on a schedule - when the top 1" of soil is dry. Has your palm been sitting in a garage or laundry room all winter in the Wash DC area? Where does it get light? I am a native of there and lived in No VA for 40 years. Cham cats have a bit of cold tolerance but no Chamaedorea can survive a Mid-Atlantic winter, even in a garage. 

I suggest:

1. Remove it from its pot, rinse off soil and examine roots. Healthy roots are white. Dead/diseased roots are black/dark brown. Remove dead roots and any dead stems, then soak remaining roots in 3% hydrogen peroxide for 1 hour.

2. Repot in a new or disinfected pot that's not too large (palms like to be slightly underpotted). Use a quality, coarse garden soil and consider adding perlite for extra drainage. Water sparingly until soil is moist but not soggy.

3. Place pot in an area that gets lots of natural light but not sunlight

OR

Discard whole plant and purchase replacement. Start at Step 2 above. Cham cats should be readily available at nurseries/garden centers soon if not already.

Welcome to PalmTalk. My son lives in MD.