Like all palm trees, Kentia palms are not pruned. Cutting the top would remove the point of vegetation so that the palm tree cannot continue to grow and even dies. You may only cut brown, dried or diseased leaves.
How do I prune a Kentia palm correctly?
With the Kentia palm you should only cut brown, dried or diseased leaves and fronds. Do not cut the top of the palm as the growing point will be lost and the plant may die. Always use sharp tools and clean them before cutting.
Never cut the top of Kentia palms
The Kentia palm grows quite slowly, so it takes a while until it reaches a certain height. That's a good thing, because you should never cut the top of a Kentia palm if you want to continue to enjoy the palm.
Only the fronds are cut and the roots when repotting:
- Cutting brown leaves
- cut off brown leaf tips
- remove dry fronds
- shorten diseased fronds
- Pruning roots
If you want to cut whole fronds, it's better to wait until fall. Then the palm tree recovers over the winter.
How to properly prune a Kentia palm
If the leaf tips are brown, simply cut them off. However, the cut must not lead into the he althy foliage, as the leaves in these areas will dry out later.
Discolored fronds are only cut when they are completely dry. You should only remove infected fronds beforehand if there are a lot of pests on the palm tree. Cut it off directly at the trunk, leaving a stub of three to four centimeters. It frays and later gives the Kentia palm its typical appearance.
Always use sharp tools to cut the fronds. Blunt blades cause the interfaces to tear and thus provide a breeding ground for bacteria, germs and fungi. Clean the cutting equipment thoroughly before use to avoid spreading pests or diseases to the Kentia palm.
Pruning roots when repotting
If you want to slow down the growth of your Kentia palm, you can shorten the roots when you repot the palm. Just cut off a few side roots. Under no circumstances should you injure the long taproots. If these are damaged, the Kentia palm can die.
Tip
Kentia palms can also be grown hydroponically. However, you should only use plants that have been cultivated in water from the start. Later the palm trees are difficult to get used to.