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Kentia Information & tips - Plant Guide

Kentia Information & tips - Plant Guide

The Kentia belongs to a very special group of trees. This is due to the fact that they belong to the single seed lobed plants, which means that they have no thickness growth.
Kentia Information & tips - Plant Guide
  • Water frequently
  • Semi-shade, no direct sunlight
  • Strongly air-purifying
  • Nutrition every 2 weeks (summer)
  • Not toxic for animals
  • Repot every three year

Intro

The palm belongs to a very special group of trees. This is due to the fact that they belong to the single seed lobed plants, which means that they do not grow in thickness. Most of the palm species are found in the tropics or subtropics, especially the Amazon region. A palm can well be kept as a houseplant in a pot and is often used in the corner of living rooms for filling because they are large, broad plants.

Location

The palm does not like too much sunlight. If there is too much sunlight, the leaves will discolour and the ornamental value will decrease. Moreover, you should also give more water if the plant gets a lot of sunlight. For this reason it is best to place the plant at the window to the north. Here the palm gets enough light but not too much sunlight. It is also possible to place the plant on the east or west, but take a longer distance from the window.

Temperature

It is advisable to maintain a minimum temperature of 16 degrees Celsius during the day and 7 degrees Celsius at night. But the palm can also withstand a light frost temporarily.

Pruning

It is only necessary to prune when the leaf is completely brown/yellow or ugly.

Repotting

Always make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom. It is recommended that the size of the pot is always in proportion to the size of the palm. Usually you only need to repot after 3/4/5 years. It is wise to take the new pot a little larger than the old one. Otherwise, the palm roots will not be able to take possession of the new soil quickly enough. The result of this is that it stays too wet and that in turn has all kinds of diseases as a result. Repotting will be done in the spring so that the roots can grow again in the summer.

Watering

The use of pots with holes underneath is important for palms. This prevents stagnating water drainage or too much water that can be harmful to the roots. This can cause a lack of oxygen and the roots will rot away. It is recommended to water abundantly once every 3 days. Rainwater is actually the best, as the lime of tap water will affect the roots.

Origin

The first palm tree was created about 80 million years ago. This has been proven archeologically by fossil excavations. The first palm tree is not one of the palm trees we know today. These were created 60 million years ago. Nowadays you can find most species of palms in the Amazon region.

Diseases

Unfortunately, the palm can also suffer from various diseases and fungi. It is important to keep the growth point dry during the winter. If this does not happen, the growth point can be damaged and the result is fungi. The leaves of the palms can turn pale yellow, while the leaf attachment is just green. This indicates an iron deficiency. The cause of this is a calcareous soil or a high PH value.

If there are black or brown spots on the palm leaf, this indicates that the soil is too wet or too dry. This happens most often in the winter months.

There can also be different types of insects on the palms that damage the plant. It is then advisable to combat this with a biological or if desired a chemical pesticide.

Winter

Palms are generally quite cold resistant. This means that they will survive temperatures around freezing point. The palm should be dry and it should not freeze too hard or too long. It is advisable to pack the palm during a longer frost period of -6 degrees Celsius or colder with for example a warming ribbon or old sheets. The hardy palm tree called Trachycarpus fortunei, which originates from China, can even survive temperatures of up to -18 degrees Celsius.

Nutritional soil

The potting soil has several functions. It must contain sufficient air and water must be retained. Palms prefer a light type of soil. There are special bags of palm soil for sale. It is also possible to use standard standard potting soil. It is recommended to add 25% clay or 10% river sand.