Mountain palms are among the most popular houseplants because they bring a touch of exoticism into your own four walls. They originally come from Mexico and Guatemala. In their original home they have adapted to special environmental conditions.
How do I prune a mountain palm correctly?
When cutting the mountain palm, you should avoid cutting the tips so as not to damage its delicate growth habit. Instead, carefully remove brown leaf fronds at the base and optionally trim flowers to encourage leaf growth.
Unnecessary cutting measures
When cutting, Chamaedorea elegans proves to be sensitive because the plant does not tolerate such interventions. Basically, you should treat the houseplant with scissors as little as possible, because then it will thrive magnificently and bushy.
Avoid cutting tips
The palm crown is formed by leaves that emerge from the upper part. The leaf sheaths form the stem of the plant. Like all palm plants, mountain palms do not have a cambium and are not capable of secondary growth. Their only point of vegetation is at the top of the palm tree. Since the palm tree will then die, you should refrain from pruning.
Cut off flowers
Mountain palms begin to flower from the second or third year of life. As soon as the inconspicuous yellowish inflorescences sprout in the leaf axils, the ornamental plant puts all of its energy into developing the reproductive structures. Leaf growth stagnates at this time, which is why it is worth cutting off the emerging flower spikes in good time. However, it will not harm the plant if you leave the flowers until the end of the flowering period. This is how you can get seeds from your mountain palm.
Removing leaf fronds
If the mountain palm has brown leaves, you can help with an aesthetic procedure. However, this is not absolutely necessary. Cut the leaf fronds as close to the base as possible. Make sure that at least three centimeters of the leaf stem remains on the trunk. This ensures that the trunk tissue remains undamaged. You can also just cut off individual leaf parts if they have turned brown.
Avoid brown leaf tips
Brown tips indicate that the air is too dry. This phenomenon mainly occurs in winter when the plants are in heated winter quarters. To prevent this, fill a large flower pot (€27.00 on Amazon) with water and place pebbles on the bottom. Place the bucket with the mountain palm in this larger container. The moisture gradually evaporates, creating a humid microclimate between the leaves.
Tip
Spray the palm fronds with water regularly. This should be lime-free to avoid unsightly limescale stains.
Prevent yellowish and brown discoloration
If the leaves have light spots that extend over the entire leaf surface over time, this indicates too much sunlight. The exotic plant cannot tolerate the blazing midday sun because the soft leaf tissue dries out too quickly.
The right place to grow:
- Place on the east or west window provides morning or evening light
- North windows are also suitable, but lead to slower growth
- Place the pot on the south window with a minimum distance of 1.5 meters in front of the pane
