Broadleaf Lady Palm Watering Methods and Causes of Yellowing Leaves with Solutions

Broadleaf lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) is a traditional and excellent potted foliage plant in China, very suitable for container growing. It has a distinctive form and unique shape, with very high ornamental value. If you can place such a potted plant in your home, it is not only a visual pleasure, but it is also a little expert at purifying the air. But for potted plants, the most important thing is to master its watering method.

How to water broadleaf lady palm

1. Watering frequency

Broadleaf lady palm grows quickly and has many leaves, so its water demand is relatively high. During the growing period, ensure sufficient water and keep the potting soil relatively moist. Never let it suffer severe water shortage or develop cracked, dry potting soil. Once the roots are damaged, it takes a long time to recover. Generally, water with clean water once every 2-3 days, about 2-3 kg per pot, so the water thoroughly soaks the potting soil without becoming waterlogged.

2. Misting

The leaves of broadleaf lady palm have strong transpiration. In the hot summer season and during windy spring and winter weather, pay attention to timely water replenishment. You can appropriately mist the leaf surface, evenly wetting all the leaves, preferably until water droplets drip down. Also raise the air humidity around the potted broadleaf lady palm to prevent dry and arid weather from damaging the leaves. Mist at least 2-3 times a day.

In short, broadleaf lady palm needs more water during its growing period from May to September, keeping the soil moist. It is better to keep it wet than dry, but it must not become waterlogged, otherwise root rot easily occurs.

Causes of yellowing leaves in broadleaf lady palm and solutions

1. Excessive light

When light is too strong, the water in the leaves quickly evaporates, causing the leaves to turn yellow and the leaf tips to dry up.

Solution: Broadleaf lady palm prefers shade. Keep it in a bright place, any corner of the living room is fine, and try to avoid direct sunlight. For leaves that have turned yellow because of excessive light, you can cut off the yellowed parts. After the plant grows new leaves, simply cut off the entire leaf, and it will not affect the ornamental appearance.

2. Alkaline soil

Broadleaf lady palm likes to grow in slightly acidic soil. When the soil becomes alkaline, the leaves will turn yellow. In addition, when the plant is not repotted for a long time, the soil lacks nutrients and may even become compacted, making it difficult for new roots to grow. The absorption capacity of broadleaf lady palm weakens, its growth becomes poor, and the leaf edges become scorched.

Solution: Repot every 2-3 years. When repotting, replace part of the soil with new soil to ensure the soil always has enough nutrients to supply the plant's growth. During care, you can occasionally water with a little diluted vinegar water or lemon water. The concentration should be low. On the premise of not contaminating the soil, change the soil's acidity and alkalinity. As for leaves that have already turned yellow, some will slowly recover after the soil becomes acidic.

3. Improper watering

Too much or too little watering affects the plant's respiration, thereby causing leaves to turn yellow. Of course, when the air is too dry, the leaves will also slowly turn yellow, especially in varieties with narrower leaves.

Solution: Controlling watering is essential. It cannot be too dry, nor waterlogged. The best state is when the potting soil is moist but not sticky to the touch. Mist more often to ensure sufficient air humidity. If the humidity in your home can be similar to that in a bathroom, broadleaf lady palm will grow very well. Mist frequently, and ventilate promptly when there is too much water.

4. Improper fertilizing

Not fertilizing for a long time or applying concentrated fertilizer damages the roots and weakens their absorption capacity. Many people think that more fertilizer is better, but in fact, when there is too much fertilizer, the concentration becomes high, which instead makes things worse. The roots get burned, causing the leaves to wither and turn yellow.

Solution: Fertilize appropriately. During the growing period, apply a thin liquid fertilizer once every 15-20 days. It is fine if the concentration is a bit low. Try to fertilize in the evening, and water appropriately the next morning to dilute the residual fertilizer in the potting soil. When pouring the fertilizer solution, do not touch the leaves to avoid burning them.

How to fertilize broadleaf lady palm

1. Apply good base fertilizer

Potted broadleaf lady palm is generally repotted once every 2 years. During this period, ensure the potting soil has enough nutrients to supply its growth. Base fertilizer is crucial. When repotting each year, add cake fertilizer to the soil and mix evenly, or add a certain amount of slow-release fertilizer. If the base fertilizer is applied well, the fertilizing cycle can be appropriately extended during later care.

2. Fertilizing frequency

Generally, fertilize once every 15-20 days by root drenching or applying granular fertilizer. Spray foliar fertilizer once every 10-15 days. Use these two methods alternately.

3. Fertilizing method

Fertilize broadleaf lady palm according to the principle of small amounts and frequent applications, with thin fertilizer applied frequently. Choose organic fertilizer and efficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and appropriately supplement trace elements. Every 15-20 days, one application of decomposed cake fertilizer or rapeseed cake fertilizer is suitable, 20-30 g per pot, with a small amount of 5 g ferrous sulfate.

You can also spray the leaves once every 10-15 days with an 800-fold aqueous solution of special flower organic humic acid active liquid fertilizer, evenly misting all the leaves, preferably until water droplets begin to drip down.

Precautions for repotting broadleaf lady palm

1. Placement location

You can place broadleaf lady palm in a bathroom with a window to ensure sufficient humidity and timely ventilation. As long as the light is bright, sunlight is not needed. After 2-3 days, move the broadleaf lady palm to a living room with a stable environment for care, increase humidity, and sprinkle water frequently.

2. Observe potting soil moisture

You can test it yourself with your finger. Insert your hand into the soil. If the soil is wet but your finger basically does not stick to soil or only picks up a small amount of soil, then the humidity is about right for the soil moisture requirement after repotting.

3. Spray more and prune leaves

When spraying, point the nozzle from the middle of the plant outward to reduce the amount of water falling into the potting soil. If vermiculite has not been mixed into the soil, it does not matter if the water lands in the pot when misting.

4. Pruning

After repotting, the plant will show a certain degree of wilting. If the situation continues to worsen after repotting, it is recommended to cut off part of the leaves, or shorten the lower leaves. After new leaves grow later, completely cut off these shortened leaves so as not to affect the ornamental effect.

Broadleaf lady palm prefers a warm, humid, and semi-shaded growing environment, and its water demand during the growing period is also relatively high. However, broadleaf lady palm is not tolerant of waterlogging, so it is enough to keep the potting soil moist. Too much or too little watering will cause plant problems.