How to Propagate Areca Palm? A Detailed Guide to Propagation Methods
The areca palm (Dypsis lutescens) has an elegant appearance and stays green all year round. It is often used as a courtyard plant in South China. Because the areca palm is very shade-tolerant, it is well suited to indoor growing. However, since the areca palm plant is fairly large, indoor cultivation requires frequent pruning. If your areca palm has grown quite large, you can consider propagating a new pot of areca palm by division.
Areca Palm
1. Sowing method: The seeds used for sowing are mostly imported from abroad, as it is difficult to collect mature seeds domestically. Sowing is usually done in pots, with a soil covering one times the thickness of the seeds. Keep the potting soil moist. When the seedlings reach 8-10 cm tall, they can be divided and transplanted.
2. Division method: This is generally done in spring together with repotting. Choose a plant with many tillers, remove part of the old potting soil, and use a sharp knife to cut it from the base connection into 2 to several clumps; each clump should not be too small and must have 2-3 stems, with the root system kept intact, otherwise growth after division will be slow and the ornamental value will be affected. After dividing and planting, place them in a warmer environment and spray water frequently to help them recover growth.
How to Grow Areca Palm
The areca palm is also called yellow palm and purple palm. Its color is mainly yellow-green. It likes warm, humid, semi-shaded and well-ventilated environments, and it fears the cold, so its cold tolerance is relatively weak. Many people like to grow young potted plants as indoor decorations, venue arrangements, and so on. Besides being ornamental, the areca palm is also a medicinal plant, with good therapeutic effects on diseases such as bloody stool and abnormal uterine bleeding. So how should the areca palm be grown?
How to Grow Areca Palm1. The areca palm is a cold-sensitive plant and will freeze to death at temperatures below 5°C, so when growing it you must take good insulation measures. In the hot summer, cooling measures must also be taken.
2. The soil used for potted areca palm should be slightly acidic sandy soil rich in humus. For the humus soil, you can use a mix made of leaf mold, peat, sand and organic fertilizer.
3. When planting, plant the roots slightly deeper, then decide the amount of watering according to the growth stage. From May to October is the vigorous growth period, so watering and fertilizing should be increased appropriately, but be careful that no water accumulates in the pot.
4. Place the areca palm in a ventilated environment, otherwise it is prone to pests such as red spider mites and scale insects. Also pay attention to regularly spraying pesticides; the pesticide can be 800 times diluted omethoate.
5. Do good daily maintenance, regularly rotate the flower pot, prune the lower branches and buds, clean up withered leaves, and tidy the crown shape for ornamental purposes.
How to Grow Areca Palm
The areca palm likes warmth, fears cold, and is shade-tolerant. It can only overwinter safely at room temperature above 8°C. Below this temperature, the branches and leaves are prone to frost scorch, and in severe cases the whole plant may freeze to death.Normally, the areca palm can be kept for a long time in a bright, ventilated indoor space for cultivation and viewing, but it should not be exposed to the scorching sun outdoors. During the optimal growth period of 20-35°C, apply a light fertilizer 1-2 times per month. In winter the potting soil should be on the dry side and avoid moisture; in the summer growth period, water to prevent drying out.
Every 2-3 years it needs to be repotted and the soil changed once. The potting soil can use 1/3 mountain soil mixed with 2/3 river sand; or use river sand and fermented sawdust mixed in equal halves. Use clay pots or glazed pots to facilitate drainage and air permeability. The growing soil must have good drainage; it is best to use soil with a relatively high organic matter content. For potting, you can use leaf mold or peat soil plus 1/3 river sand or perlite plus a small amount of base fertilizer to make the growing soil. When planting, bury it slightly deeper to encourage new shoots. In the vigorous growth months of May-June, apply fertilizer water once every 1-2 weeks. A slow-release compound fertilizer is preferable. Stop fertilizing after late autumn.
Watering should follow the principle of "dry thoroughly, wet thoroughly". During the growth period, water promptly to keep the potting soil moist. In summer, when growth is vigorous, water twice a day. After late autumn and on rainy days, control watering. Keep the air humidity around the plant relatively high at all times. In summer, also spray water on the leaves and ground frequently to increase air humidity. In winter, keep the leaves clean; you can frequently spray a little water on the leaves or wipe the leaves. The suitable growth temperature for the areca palm is 25-35°C. Its cold tolerance is weak and it is very sensitive to low temperatures. The overwintering temperature should be above 10°C. If it is below 5°C, the plant will certainly be harmed.
The main reason areca palms die in winter and spring in the north is that the temperature is too low. In summer, 50% of the sunlight should be shaded out; direct scorching sun is most taboo, as even short exposure can cause the leaves to turn scorched yellow and it is very difficult to recover. Indoors, place it in a bright spot; too dark a location is bad for the growth of the areca palm.