How to do kentia palm care? follow these steps

Before having a plant at home, it is essential to learn how to take care of it to grow and remain in good condition throughout its life cycle. Vegetables cannot express pain or complaint in a way that we perceive clearly, but they endure the outcomes of not having their necessities met and we can see it by their appearance, so it is convenient to learn a little about them before filling our house with plants. Having plants inside and outside the home is within everyone’s reach, but you have to be responsible for their care.

The unknowns about how to care for certain plants arise very frequently. This is the case of many palm trees that can be indoors and outdoors, such as the Kentia palm, scientifically known as Howea forsteriana and of Australian origin (eastern Australia, on Lord Howe Island). This is one of the most sought after palm trees to decorate homes, as its size and color add a tropical and refreshing touch to any corner. If you want to discover how to care for a kentia palm tree, we recommend that you continue reading this article about kentia palm care.

Steps for kentia palm care

The kentia palm is a plant that needs to be in high humidity environments. In summer, you should moisten its leaves with water using a sprayer. Similarly, do it in the winter months if you have it located in rooms with low humidity due to heating.

Spray the kentia with water daily or at least once a week. You must do it when the sun does not hit or hit it in the next few hours.

How to water the kentia plant

We suggest that you consider the accompanying tips about watering the kentia palm tree:

If it is planted in the ground, limit watering and keep in mind that it will need to be watered in places without frequent rainfall if it cannot get waterlogged and rot. Thus, in those areas with constant rains, you will not have to worry about irrigation.
The kentia palm doesn’t endure abundant water at the roots, so it always chooses to water just enough. Before watering it, make sure that the substrate is already dry a few cm deep, not just on the surface.
Either outdoors (in a place without heavy rainfall) or indoors, water the plant with the greatest recurrence of 2 times each week throughout the late spring months.
Water is abundantly twice a month in winter.
In cases where the kentia is planted in a pot and located indoors, including heating, you can increase watering frequency to twice a week in winter.
Keep in mind that a kentia with dry tips on its leaves can indicate a lack of water, so water it abundantly if you see this symptom before the entire leaves begin to dry and fall.

Light

The lighting required by the kentia palm tree is not excessive since it easily supports the lack of light. If you are looking for plants with this characteristic, you have to learn more about Indoor plants in low light. Still, if you place it indoors, put it near a natural light source, such as a window.

The youngest plants of this type need to avoid sunlight’s direct impact: try to keep it away from direct contact with the sun’s rays until it reaches 5 years of life. In this way, you will prevent their leaves from burning.

Pruning and fertilizer

Another common question about caring for this plant is how to prune a kentia palm. You could find dead foliage or in very bad condition from time to time, so to keep it in good condition, you should prune it twice a year, that is, every 6 months. To prune it correctly, use specific pruning shears: they must be sharp and disinfected before starting this task. Thus, you will prevent the plant from getting the fungal disease and you will cut safely.

Regarding the fertilizer for the kentia palm, indoors will need you to fertilize it once in spring and, at most, again in summer. In winter, it is not essential for proper maintenance.

Diseases and pests

To finish discussing how to care for a kentia palm, you have to look at the diseases and pests that it may suffer and other mishandling problems that can affect its health. Here we will look at the diseases and pests of the kentia palm. Below, we will discuss a common problem in its leaves if some of its basic care is neglected.