Growing Euterpe precatoria indoor

[Benedikt]

Hello together,

my name is Benedikt and I'm new to this forum. I hope I'm doing everything correctly.

I live in northern Germany and while browsing online for new plants I came across a site which also sell palms.

I bought the one I wanted and then I saw an image of a cute little one for just a few bucks and without thinking too much about it, I bought it too.

After that I googled the name of it and was a bit shocked that it is baby palm which can grow really big.

Now I'm wondering if I am even able to take care of this little beauty and giving her the care she needs.

You know, Germany is kinda cold so I have to grow her inside my apartment. Though, I can place her on my balcony during summer. Unfortunately Sommer just ended and winter is coming.

I was searching for growing tips on how to take care of a young Euterpe precatoria. But I was unable to find useful information.

But then I find this forum and I thought it's worth giving a shot here :)

The plant will be 10-20 cm (4 to 8 inches) high when it arrives.

What soil will be the best for her? (so called special palm soil?)

I read the soil should be wet but not soaked wet and no standing water, is that correct?

Will she likes being sprayed with water every day?

In my apartment the temperature is always around 23 to 25 C (73-77 F) and I have a floor heating.

I can place her in front of a window where she will get much direct sunlight. I think she will like that?

Anyway, I'm grateful for any advice you guys (and girls) have for me :)

Thank you, tanke care and stay healthy

Kind regards

Benedikt

[Frond-friend42]

Misting is not the same as spraying. Basically palms usually hate standing water above and below ground. So water when the soil is dry. This is general palm advice. Don't know much about your species but direct sunlight is usually a bad idea especially for young palms. Indirect light, dappled light, or even full shade. And water requirements of course vary in proportion to light and heat given. 

Welcome to the forum. We would love to see a picture of your palm.

Good luck,

Ben

[Fusca]

On 10/10/2020 at 4:52 AM, Benedikt said:

You know, Germany is kinda cold so I have to grow her inside my apartment. Though, I can place her on my balcony during summer. Unfortunately Sommer just ended and winter is coming.

I was searching for growing tips on how to take care of a young Euterpe precatoria. But I was unable to find useful information.

Hi Benedikt,

@Pal Meir has posted many excellent photos of his container palms in the "Palms In Pots" forum.  He has also shared some excellent soil mixes that he has shared with us.  He also lives in Germany so I'm sure he can help you with good advice for this palm using products that you can get locally.  I personally have failed miserably in my attempts to keep sprouted Euterpe edulis seedlings alive so I hope he will respond here and provide us both with some help!

[Benedikt]

Hello you two

and thank you both very much for your replies.

@Frond-friend42 ah I didn't know they don't like full sunlight. That's good to know.

I think they will arrive next week, then I'm going to share some photos of them. I'm excited already

@Fusca
ah yes, I think I already read that thread. Didn't know he is from Germany too. 

I hope I can take good care of the palms when thy arrive

[Frond-friend42]

Here is my euterpe edulis of a similar size for comparison...brown tips getting a bit worse...looks like I could use some help too. 

[Benedikt]

Today my little beauty arrived

[PalmatierMeg]

Euterpes need warmth (25C+) and very high humidity (70%+). The brown tipping may be because your house is too cold and dry. Euterpe edulis is the cold hardiest species but that's not saying much. It is the only species that has a chance to survive outdoors in winter in Cape Coral, FL. All the other spp, including precatoria, are too cold sensitive -I know because I tried and lost them. If you can give yours the heat and humidity they require they might have a chance indoors.

[Frond-friend42]

Very nice looking seedling, Benedikt.  First thing I thought was, I gotta get me one of those.

I got curious about your pet and was looking at pics and I think, looking at seedlings I have to say that it looks more like Euterpe oleracea than precatoria. Acai palm.

I'm still an overenthusiastic novice at palm identification however so I would love to hear what you and others think about that.

[Benedikt]

@PalmatierMeg Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I am in Europe, northern Germany. In my apartment the temperature is always around 23 to 25 C (73-77 F) and I have a floor heating. Humidity is most often between 50-60%

I mean, I can place her in the bathroom, then she will get humidity up to 80% now and then. But I am not sure if thats enough for her :/

@Frond-friend42 I'm not sure but I bought it from a professional palms grower, who sold it as a Euterpe precatoria

[realarch]

Aloha Benedikt, here are a couple of photos of E. precatoria in my garden, the mother plant and one of it’s seedlings. The seedling’s first leaf is palmate not one large bifid frond. I’ve not germinated any other Euterpe, so yours could indeed be in the genus. Mystery palms are part of the culture and add to ones general knowledge trying to learn what a plant might be. 

Here in Hawaii, they grow very fast, thrive in full sun, and love lots of water. When small, they are very thin, delicate, wispy palms. The stems are the size of a writing pencil and tall with leaves being very thin and droopy.

Indoors, bright light would be good, well draining soil, and even planting two or three to a pot. Indoors, given the minimum requirements, it would be a very attractive palm for a few years at least.

The mother plants in the photo are probably 12-15m tall, about 11 years in the ground.

Tim

 

[PalmatierMeg]

Tim, I germinated E. edulis and its first leaf is indeed pinnate. Do the other Euterpe spp also produce pinnate first leaves or are some of them bifid? Is the palm Benedikt received E. precatoria or something else?

[Frond-friend42]

Per web pics, including botanical drawings. E. Oleracea starts out like that. So maybe it's E. oleracea. That first stem has quite the reach, which i think also is consistent.

1 hour ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Tim, I germinated E. edulis and its first leaf is indeed pinnate. Do the other Euterpe spp also produce pinnate first leaves or are some of them bifid? Is the palm Benedikt received E. precatoria or something else?

 

[realarch]

Hey Meg, I have three Euterpe in the garden and all exhibit rather prominent midribs and veins. The leaves are very narrow as well on the E. precatoria, E. ‘ orange crown shaft’, and E. oleracea. I got the E. oleracea as a one gallon, so it was way beyond the seedling stage. The next leaf on Benediks palm might confirm wether it’s a Euterpe or not.

Here are some photos of the three palm leaves.

Tim