Areca palm
(Dypsis lutescens) also known as Golden palm, Yellow palm or Butterfly Palm is a species of
flowering plant in the family Arecaceae, native to Madagascar and naturalised
in Andaman Islands, Cuba, Puer to Rico, The Canary Islands, South Florida,
Halti, The Dominician Republic, The
Leeward Antilles and The Leeward Islands.
It is grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, offices and Mall in
Tropical and Sub-Tropical regions and elsewhere indoor as a house plant.
The Areca Palm is a Medium sized palm tree, which can grow up to
20 meter in height. The trunk is small varying from 10cm to 15cm in diameter.
Its leaves can grow till 1.5 -2.0 meter long and have a pinnate shape. The
fruit is oval shaped, orange coloured and bear a hard single seed.
Growing and maintainance of areca palm in your home garden
You
can grow and maintained easily in your home garden by following instructions.
propagation
1.
Purchase
seedlings from nearest nursery or online.
2.
You may
propagate by off shoots cutting or by seed germination.
3.
Best is to
propagate it from cutting off shoots because it is very easy process of
propagation.
4.
For large
scale commercial production of seedlings, seed germination is best.
5.
Through seed
germination it will take 3 to 4 months to germinate.
By cutting
off shoots
6. If you want to propagate by cutting, examine tree base to find any off shoots that are growing side from main branch.
7.
To propagate
an Areca palm remove one of the off shoots that grow from its base keeping its
roots intact.
8.
Just dig
around base of the plant soil to reveal some of the roots of offshoot branches.
9.
Now use a
sharp sterilized knife to split this off shoot away from the mother plant.
10. For safety wear gardening gloves to protect
your hand.
11.
12. Now wash
off shoots with a dilute broad spectrum fungicide.
13.
14. Use potting mix like 35% coco peat + 35 % soil
+ 10% charcoal +10% leaves compose + 10%
sand.
15. Use 4 – 10 inches diameter clay or plastics
pots or growing bag with well drainage system.
16. Fill
your container with potting soil mix.
17. Now cutting off shoots ready to transplant in
potting medium by making a hole in the centre pot.
18. Press the potting mix by hand to firm the
cutting off shoot roots in potting medium and water gently.
19. Now pots are taken under semi shade area till
roots and seedling adjust with new potting mix.
20. You can purchase Areca palm seeds at a nursery or garden centre.
21. Now you
should to peel out outer fibrous layer to increase the success of germination.
22. To peel out the seed coat wet your seeds and
rub along the mesh until outer fibrous layer each seed washes away.
23. Now fill a bowel or cup with tap water and
place your peeled or clear seeds inside.
24. Change the water on a daily basis so the hard
outer shell of the seed can soften.
25. Soaked seeds are more likely to germinate
successfully.
26. Plant
the seeds 2 to 6 feet apart if you are planting outside. Or you may germinate
it in germination tray.
27. Dig a
small hole in the soil where you plant to grow, now bury your seeds beneath the
surface leaving part of the seed visible.
28. Now place your germination try in partial
shade and maintain consistent moist till seed germination.
29. Seeds will take 2 to 4 months germinate.
30. You should plant and propagate during any
season.
31. Soil temperature of 80 to 85 degree Fahrenheit
seems to be ideal.
32. Cold temperature can slow or prevent
germination.
33. Excessive bottom heat can be damaging to
seedlings roots.
34. If you want to grow in a container, choose a
container as per size of seedling.
35. To propagate by cutting off shoots use 4-6
inches diameter garden container for developing new seedlings.
36. You may grow it in growing bag.
37. Growing containers should have a good draining
system with 2-3 holes.
38. Now place your container where it can receive
at least 4- 5hours direct sunlight or partial shade sunlight.
39. You may kept indoors in south-east or east or
west direction windows of living room or hall where at least 3-4 our direct
sunlight available.
Light
requirement.
40. These gorgeous plants require a lot of light
to grow, but they do not like direct sunlight.
41. Areca palm best response to partial shade and
green house.
42. The leaves turn yellowish-green in direct
sunlight.
43. They need bright indirect sunlight from a
south or west facing window.
44. Without enough light the growth of the plant
will slow considerably.
45. Areca palm require good amount of water to
thrive.
46. Keep the soil moist constantly.
47. In peak summer seasons water the plants twice
in a day.
48. You should let the soil dry before next
watering done.
49. Keep in mind that water logging in container
may infect your roots.
50. Watering must be regular but limited in order
to not suffocate the plant’s roots.
Fertilizer
requirement
51. To established your young plants use nitrogen
rich fertilizer.
52. Use bone dust one teaspoon every three months
or use 5gm any nitrogen reach fertilizer (NPK 3:2:1ratio), every month.
53. You should just spread fertilizer on the top
of the potting mix. Regular watering slowly leaching down the fertilizer.
54. During spring change 2-3 inches top soil and
filled it with fresh potting mix.
Pruning
55. Areca palm should only be pruned to remove
unhealthy portions of the plant or to maintain a certain shape.
56. Leaves
should be cut away when they are completely brown and dead.
57. Don’t trim canes unless they are clearly dead
or damage.
58. If you prune too many live canes, it can kill
the whole plant.
59. This is a fast growing plant. It is best to
repot once every two years in a large pot.
60. Any time you can repot your plants but best it
to do this in spring.
Pest
management
61. Areca palm is not susceptible to diseases.
62. To maintain it is ad visible to remove old and
dead leaves.
63. Clean leaves with cotton cloth regular
interval if possible.
64. It can suffer from discolouring leaves if
there is too much water. Give less water during this time.
65. They are rarely susceptible to common
houseplant pests like mealy bugs, spider mites and scale insects.
66. Use Neem oil or insecticidal soap as foliar
spray every 15 days.
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