How to grow a parlour palm? Detailed guide to care methods

The parlour palm, also known as dwarf coconut, dwarf palm, miniature palm and dwarf palm, is an evergreen plant of the genus Chamaedorea in the Arecaceae family, native to Mexico and Guatemala. Because it is shade-tolerant, it is very suitable as a small to medium-sized indoor potted plant, decorating indoor environments such as living rooms, studies, meeting rooms and hotel reception desks. Let us take a look at the care methods and precautions for the parlour palm!

Parlour palm growth habits

The parlour palm prefers a warm, humid and semi-shaded environment. The suitable growing temperature is 20-30°C. At 13°C it enters dormancy, and the minimum winter temperature for overwintering is 3°C. The growing medium is best as a well-drained, moist, fertile loam. For potting, a mix of leaf mould and peat soil with 1/4 river sand and a small amount of base fertiliser can generally be used as the medium. It has low fertiliser requirements; generally, apply liquid fertiliser 1-2 times per month during the growing season, and apply little or no fertiliser in late autumn and winter.

Parlour palm propagation methods

1. Sowing: spring to summer is the suitable period for sowing, and sowing immediately after harvest is best. The suitable germination temperature for seeds is 30-35°C. At higher temperatures they germinate earlier and the germination period is shorter. At 35°C they germinate about 1-1.5 months after sowing; at 30°C they germinate about 1.5-2 months after sowing; below 25°C germination is delayed to 4-6 months. When sowing in winter, heat preservation treatment is needed. Before sowing, soak in water at room temperature for 1-2 days. After sowing, cover with about 1 cm of soil, water to keep it suitably moist, and after about 1-2 months they germinate into seedlings. After 2-3 rounds of transplanting and fertilising, plant out in the final position.

2. Division: for propagation by division, use a mixed medium of peat and perlite, with a plastic flower pot of 15 cm to 20 cm in diameter, and add ceramic granules at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer. Take a soilless potted parlour palm more than one year old and divide it in spring together with repotting, then plant it in the flower pot with the above mixed medium, planting 3 to 4 plants per pot.

Parlour palm care methods

1. Potting soil: for potting the parlour palm, a mix of leaf mould and peat soil with 1/4 river sand and a small amount of base fertiliser can generally be used as the medium. Well-drained, loose and fertile loam is best for growing it.

2. Watering: the principle for watering is to keep it moist rather than dry; keeping the potting soil consistently moist is enough. When the air is dry in summer and autumn, spray the plant frequently to raise the ambient air humidity; this benefits its growth and also keeps the leaves dark green and glossy. In winter, reduce the amount of watering appropriately to help it overwinter.

3. Fertilising: the parlour palm has low fertiliser requirements; generally, apply liquid fertiliser 1-2 times per month during the growing season, and apply little or no fertiliser in late autumn and winter. Repot once every 2-3 years in spring.

4. Temperature: the suitable growing temperature is 15-30°C, of which May to September is 19-30°C and October to April of the following year is 13-16°C. In summer it can tolerate high temperatures of 35°C. When the temperature exceeds 35°C, appropriate shading or measures such as spraying water and ventilation should be taken. In winter, maintain an ambient temperature of no less than 5°C, otherwise, with temperatures below 5°C for a long time, it is prone to freezing and leaf drop.

5. Location: the parlour palm is very tolerant of light, but a semi-shaded spot with 50-60% sunlight is best.

6. Diseases: under high temperature and high humidity, the parlour palm is prone to brown spot disease. If brown spot disease is found, promptly treat it with 800-1000 times diluted thiophanate or carbendazim. When the air is dry and ventilation is poor, it is also prone to scale insects. If scale insects are found, they can be scraped off by hand, or sprayed with 800-1000 times diluted omethoate for control.

Precautions for the parlour palm

1. The parlour palm prefers a relatively shaded environment, so when grown indoors it should be placed near a north window or east window or in another spot with bright indirect light. The parlour palm fears direct strong light most; even short exposure to the sun can cause the leaves to scorch and turn yellow. Conversely, if kept in a too dry and dark place for a long time, the leaf colour will also fade and lose its gloss.

2. The optimum growing temperature for the parlour palm is generally 20-30°C. In winter the indoor temperature should be between 12-14°C, and the minimum temperature must not be below 10°C.

3. When growing the parlour palm, maintain the surrounding air humidity and spray the leaves frequently to increase air humidity.

4. The potting soil for growing the parlour palm must not use acidic soil, and a small amount of clay should also be added.

5. The parlour palm needs repotting once every 3 years.

6. During the seedling stage, the parlour palm only needs 3-4 applications of dilute liquid fertiliser in spring and the two seasons of spring.