Large, strong palm trees with beautifully green fronds are the dream of many plant lovers. Unfortunately, after a while, disillusionment often sets in because the plant does not thrive as hoped and hardly produces any new leaves. Sometimes, but not always, there are errors in care. These can be easily put down so that the palm tree sprouts nicely again.
Why isn't my palm growing?
If a palm tree does not grow, the causes can be incorrect choice of variety, lack of light, lack of humidity, watering errors or root rot. For optimal growth, choose the right variety, provide adequate light and humidity, and water the plant as needed.
Causes can be:
- Wrong choice of variety
- Too little light
- Lack of humidity
- Too much or too little water
- Root rot
Choice of varieties
There are types of palm trees, such as the popular Kentiaplame, which grow very slowly even with good care.
Lack of light
Most palm trees are extremely light-hungry and require illuminance of 2,000 lux for vigorous growth. Window glass and curtains absorb a lot of light. Even if you place the palm tree a few meters away from the window, it may stop growing due to lack of light. If necessary, compensate for this with additional lighting.
How much light the plant needs does not only depend on the type of palm tree. The warmer the room the palm tree is in, the more brightness it needs.
Humidity
For vigorous growth, you should spray the plant regularly. Always use room temperature, lime-free water. You can also provide more humidity with an indoor fountain (€99.00 on Amazon) or humidifier.
Casting errors
When palm trees are in a pot, a pot ball that is too dry is often responsible for the palm not growing. Water whenever the top few inches of the substrate feel dry.
If you have forgotten to water for a long time, the soil can sometimes hardly retain any liquid. In this case, it is advisable to immerse the pot and leave it completely in the water until no more air bubbles appear.
Root rot
If you have been too kind to your green companion over a longer period of time, the excess moisture may have led to root rot. The root system can no longer transport water, the plant no longer grows and withers away.
Pot out the palm tree:
- Does the substrate smell musty or feel like a dripping wet sponge?
- Are the roots no longer white and crunchy?
Then you should act quickly. Remove the old substrate, cut back the diseased roots and place the plant in fresh palm soil. Water significantly less in the future.
Tip
Despite additional lighting and good care, palm trees often grow slowly indoors. Therefore, buy a copy that has already reached the optimal size for you.
Michaela Kaiser
