Coming from Chile, the honey palm is hardy, but the plant first has to grow properly. With a growth of around 5 cm per year, it takes around 5 years before the honey palm is allowed to overwinter outside.
Is the honey palm hardy?
The honey palm becomes hardy from around 5 years old and can tolerate temperatures down to -15°C. Young palm trees should overwinter frost-free, e.g. B. in the winter garden, while older palm trees can overwinter in the garden, but the root ball of potted plants should be protected.
How do I overwinter a young honey palm?
A young honey palm should overwinter as frost-free as possible. This is hardly possible in German gardens. That's why you should give your honey palm a bright, not too warm winter quarters. This can be a frost-free greenhouse or an unheated winter garden. If the honey palm is very warm in winter, for example in a well-heated living room, then it must slowly be acclimated to colder air again in spring.
Grow your honey palm as a houseplant, then it can stand in the living room all year round. It doesn't need winter rest like some other plants. The warmer the honey palm is, the more it should be watered. With a honey palm as a houseplant, you don't have to make a difference between summer and winter, at least not when watering. You can certainly reduce the fertilizer application slightly in winter.
How do I overwinter an old honey palm?
An old honey palm can grow to over 20 meters high. At some point it will be too big to be moved to winter quarters. However, it is already winter hardy and can tolerate frost down to around -15 °C. Potted plants need winter protection, especially for the root ball. If this freezes, the plant will easily die because it can no longer draw water from the soil.
However, there is a risk that your honey palm will die of thirst if it doesn't get water in winter. Therefore, water the palm tree on frost-free days, as a lot of moisture evaporates through its leaves, especially on sunny winter days.
Interesting facts about the honey palm:
- young honey palms are not yet hardy
- older honey palms can overwinter outside
- Protect potted plants from frost (root balls)
- water less when it’s cold
- Do not fertilize honey palm trees in the garden in winter
Tip
Since the honey palm grows very slowly and is not hardy in the first few years, it is recommended to keep this palm as a houseplant until it is 5 years old.
