Kentia palms are one of the most well-known and robust palm species. They are slow growing and non-toxic, making them ideal houseplants. They can only be propagated through seeds, although this takes a very long time. What you need to consider when propagating a Kentia palm.
How to propagate a Kentia palm?
To propagate a Kentia palm, you need fresh seeds that have been soaked in lukewarm water. Then sow the seeds in potting soil, cover them lightly with soil and keep them warm and bright. Germination takes several months.
Propagate Kentia palm through seeds
In contrast to the golden fruit palm, the Kentia palm does not produce any ground shoots. It can therefore only be grown from seeds.
Since Kentia palms almost never bloom in our regions, they do not develop seeds. You therefore have to get the seeds from a gardening store (€5.00 on Amazon).
Seeds only germinate when fresh
The seeds of the Kentia palm can only germinate fresh. The older it is, the more likely it is to sprout. So sow the seeds immediately. The best time for sowing is early spring.
Let seeds soak before sowing
In order for the Kentia palm to propagate successfully, you must first place the seeds in lukewarm water for a long time to allow them to pre-swell. You should replace the water regularly so that the water temperature remains constant.
How to sow
- Fill the seed tray with potting soil
- sow swollen seeds
- cover lightly with soil
- set up very warm
- choose a bright, not sunny location
- cover with plastic wrap if necessary
The germination temperature must be very high. 25 degrees is ideal. A window sill above a radiator is an ideal location for propagating Kentia palms.
Keep the seeds slightly moist, but not too wet. If you have covered the bowl with plastic wrap, you must ventilate it regularly. Otherwise the soil and with it the seeds will become moldy.
It takes months for germination
You need a lot of patience to propagate Kentia palms. It takes months until the seed has germinated and the first leaf tips become visible.
Once the plants have grown sufficiently so that at least two pairs of leaves are visible, repot them into individual pots and continue to care for them like adult Kentia palms.
Tip
The Kentia palm is one of the non-poisonous palm species. You can therefore grow the slow-growing palm tree safely, even if there are children and cats.
