Areca care at home: a miniature palm tree for an apartment. Areca - care for tropical palm trees indoors Arica flowers

Beautiful interior premises with a large area complemented by green house plants looks very cozy and attractive.

Air in a room or office with green plants cleaner and oxygenated.

Decorative domesticated areca palms transport you to your homeland, into the tropical forests.

A plant with leaves that look like broad feathers looks very presentable.

Species areca palm

• areca catechu;
• areca chrysalidocarpus;
• three-stamened areca palm.

Areca catechu palm

The areca catechu palm species grows in the tropical forests of Asia, East Africa, and island countries. Pacific Ocean. This palm is sometimes called betel tree.

Together with betel leaves, their fruits are loved by residents of Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, India and Vietnam, due to exciting qualities. The seeds and fruits are poisonous and cause stomach and oral cancer if consumed regularly.

For landscaping of gardens and summer cottages this is a plant 20 meters high, with a stem thickness of 10 cm, feathery two-meter leaves, is often used. But they also take root well in large shopping centers, hotel lobbies and luxury cottages. Indoors they grow slowly and do not bear fruit.

Areca palm chrysalidocarpus

Homeland of chrysadocarpus yellowish - Madagascar island.

Trunk up to 10 meters high densely branches at the base, like a bush.

The dark green leaves, similar to wide feathers, grow up to two hundred centimeters long, 1 meter wide.

In the interior of spacious offices and hotel lobbies, data palm trees look elegant and graceful.

A tropical forest Malay Peninsula is considered the birthplace of this species of areca palm.

Several trunks grow up to three meters, with a diameter of 5 centimeters.

Leaves up to one and a half meters long look slightly drooping, white the flowers are very fragrant.

Plants suitable for this species only very warm rooms .

Features of areca palm care

The decorative areca palm is not a demanding indoor plant. Areca care, in home or office settings is very simple, which is why this palm-shaped exotic plant is in great demand.

The best place for areca palm in the room

If the palm tree grows only in the room, then in the summer it is best to place it at the east window, where the sun peeks in early in the morning, while the sun’s rays are not at all hot, oblique, very calm.

In winter, it is good to place a heat-loving plant at the south window, the warmest in the apartment. Here, on short winter days, the sun lingers longer.

If possible, the areca palm is removed in the summer. for fresh air.

It must be in a place sufficiently humid and well lit, but not exposed to direct burning rays.

Better to solar lighting it was scattered, not concentrated.

Lighting

The plant, born in tropical forests, loves well-lit rooms, but does not tolerate direct exposure to rays. Otherwise leaves begin to dry out and turn yellow.

Mature plant, who is already 6 years old, you can turn it once every fourteen days, and young ones more often, even once a day, or seven days.

Temperature

The tropical areca palm loves warm and humid rooms. It will tolerate temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius well, but it is better to create temperature 18-25 degrees Celsius.

Lowering the temperature to 16 degrees or raising it to 35 is possible only for a while. Otherwise plant may die.

For moisturizing leaves in a dry room It should be sprayed with water daily. A tray with wet expanded clay, sand or pebbles helps to create a humid microclimate.

Watering

Areca grows in soil that is moist, but not too moist. Water should not remain in the pot all the time. Watering areca need to follow up so that it wets all the soil and immediately pours out through the lower hole.

This home palm tree cannot be kept in dry soil either. Twice in seven days in summer and once in a week in winter - sufficient watering for good plant growth.

If the soil on top has dried up to 3 centimeters deep, it means it has already it's time to water the areca. A tray of wet sand or a pot with excellent drainage are best suited for maintaining the required moisture in the soil.

Spray the leaves with water daily in summer and less often in winter. The water is taken warm, room temperature, left for two hours, soft. If the water is hard, you can add a small a pinch citric acid into her. Use the same water for spraying.

Soil, pot and feeding

For an areca palm, the pot should be spacious, with a margin of up to four centimeters from the edges. In a pot must be mandatory drain hole so that the water does not stagnate, but quickly pours out after watering.

Excess water harms the root system arecas. If the hole becomes clogged, it must be cleaned.

Suitable composition for soil:

• Coarse sand 20%;
• Peat 35%;
• Turf land 30%;
• Perlite 15%.

It is better to boil the soil in a water bath so that it no pests left. Be sure to place four centimeters of pebbles, foam plastic, brick chips or charcoal at the bottom to ensure good drainage.

Perlite will ensure good air supply to the roots.

At the age of under 6 years, the palm tree is actively growing. In winter, it must be fed with liquid ready-made fertilizers three times a month. Before fertilizing, water the plant to do not burn the roots. The palm tree should also be fed when it blooms.

• Gardener;
• Flower happiness;
• Green boom.

Transfer

Like any arnica plant doesn't like transplants. A young plant, which quickly becomes too small for its pot, is replanted once a year. A plant older than 6 years is replanted every three years. But you can't replant it at all, just change the top layer of soil by five centimeters.

To do the transplant by transshipment, to do not harm the roots. However, the root ball needs to be inspected and damaged, rotten and dried roots must be removed. The roots should be trimmed with a sterile knife, capturing 3 cm of a healthy part of the root. Sprinkle the cut area with charcoal crumbs.

Place new drainage and soil in a clean new pot, scalded with boiling water, place the root ball of the plant there, without going any deeper than in the old pot. After this, water the plant. It’s good to plant several palm stems in one pot to make it look fuller and richer.

Reproduction

Areca can be propagated by dividing a dense bush into smaller ones, by shoots or by seeds.

The seeds of this plant are poisonous, they must be stored in places inaccessible to pets and children.

Typical problems

Sometimes areca leaves turn yellow or dry out. This indicates improper watering of the plant. Adjust the watering and everything will return to normal. To prevent the leaves from drying out, protect them from direct sunlight.

The light should be diffused and uniform. Move the plant and turn it in different directions towards the light, one at a time.

To prevent the roots from rotting, do not overwater the areca plant frequently. This will cause brown spots to appear on leaves.

The browned ends speak about dry air or cold. Spray your palm tree regularly. Transfer to a warm place.

Pests

Dangerous for palm trees are: mealybugs, whiteflies and scale insects.

For removal from plants scale insects and mealybugs, alcohol treatment helps well. It is advised to replace the top part of the soil, spray the plant and water the soil with Aktara insecticide four times, every seven days.

Spider mite it is very difficult to defeat, alcohol treatment three to four times, every 7 days, will help best.

The whitefly will die, if you water the soil with a solution or sprinkle powder with toxic chemicals. The plant then becomes poisonous and the insect sucking the juices of the leaves will be poisoned. Suitable means: Aktellik, Commander, Tanrek, Admiral.

A well-cared for palm tree will brighten up your home!

Areca is a member of the Areca palm family, which consists of almost 50 various types plants native to tropical rainforests in Asia. The palm tree consists of a long and thin stem with a smooth surface and traces - rings (in the form of scars) in the lower part, left from large, hard fallen leaves of a rich green color. Another distinctive feature of this plant is its small white flowers, collected in inflorescences-cobs, and red-yellow fruits with white-pink seeds.

Types of Areca

Areca yellowing- a palm tree of medium height with large arched leaves ranging from one to one and a half meters long. The trunk diameter can reach 1 m, and the plant height can be about 10 m.

Areca catechu or betel palm- a tall plant, reaching a height of twenty meters, with a trunk diameter of about half a meter and two-meter segmented leaves.

Areca tristamen- a low-growing (two or three-meter) palm tree with a thin trunk (no more than 5 cm) and straight meter or one and a half meter leaves with drooping segments.

Location and lighting

The Areca palm is a capricious plant and is accustomed to growing in spacious conditions. A favorable place for it is hallways and office spaces with high ceilings, a large area and sufficient light. The flower container with the plant can be located in the center of the room, away from the window and natural light.

An indoor flower prefers diffused lighting without direct sunlight, which can significantly damage not only its appearance, but can also spoil the future life of the entire plant. Bright light is especially dangerous for young palm trees in the first five years after planting.

The splendor and development of the crown depend on proper lighting, so it is recommended to turn the plant with opposite sides to the main light 3-4 times a month.

Temperature

Areca is a crop of tropical origin and therefore feels favorable at temperatures from 27 to 30 degrees Celsius. In indoor conditions it is difficult to maintain such a temperature range, but it is very important that the plant is not exposed to drafts and cold ventilation below 18 degrees Celsius. IN winter time it is advisable to place the flower away from entrance doors, balcony and windows.

Air humidity

Since the areca palm is native to humid forests, the humidity level in the room should always be high; it can be maintained by regular spraying with soft, warm water. For irrigation you also need soft water. This can be settled tap water, melt water or rain water.

Watering

The frequency of watering depends on the drying of the top layer of the substrate. It is necessary to water the palm tree only when the soil is dry to about 2-3 cm in depth. The plant will not survive excessive and frequent flooding, as well as drought and complete drying of the earthen coma.

The soil

The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral, light, nutritious, with good permeability of water and air. When purchasing a ready-made soil mixture, experienced gardeners advise adding peat, crushed pine bark, bone meal and charcoal. You can prepare a mixture for palm trees at home. It should consist of the following components: four parts of turf soil, two parts of leaf soil, one part each of coarse river sand and humus. Before planting, the bottom of the flower container must be covered with a three-centimeter drainage layer.

Feeding and fertilizers

Fertilizers intended for indoor flowers or for palm trees are recommended to be applied throughout the year: in the spring and summer months - every 2 weeks, and in the autumn and winter - every month.

Trimming

Since the trunk of this palm tree is not branched, the pruning procedure is simply unnecessary. Having removed the branches on the plant, only a stump will remain in the pot, which will not develop and will soon die.

Transfer

Replanting is necessary for the palm tree only as it grows. If the plant becomes cramped in a flower pot, then you need to water it, let the soil soak well and carefully remove the flower along with the earthen lump. The transshipment method will help keep the root part intact. When planting in a new container, it is recommended to pay attention to the level of the root collar; there is no need to deepen it.

It is not recommended to separate a plant purchased in a store, consisting of several specimens in one pot, and injure the roots. The palm tree may not tolerate such stress.

The most common method of propagation of the areca palm is by seed. Seeds are sown in spring or summer. The planting box is filled with a special soil mixture, moistened and sowed. After this, the box is covered with glass or thick film and is not removed until the seedlings appear. For full growth, young plants require greenhouse conditions.

Diseases and pests

• The main pests are mealybugs, spider mite, whitefly, scale insect. Control measures - chemicals for indoor plants.
• The main diseases are drying of leaves, rotting of the root part and stunting of growth.
• The tips of the leaves begin to dry in a room with dry air, low temperatures and lack of moisture in the soil.
• Root rotting occurs due to excess irrigation water.
• Stunting of growth, as well as a decrease in the decorative value of the plant in the form of limp and pale leaves, occurs when the level and duration of lighting is insufficient.

Attention! The fruits and seeds of the areca palm contain toxic substances that can be dangerous to humans and animals.

Areca Palm - caring for the plant after winter (video)

Even in small apartments, true gardeners who want to enliven their home with plants find a corner for at least one palm tree. It’s so nice to imagine that you are sitting somewhere in the garden, even if you live on the eighteenth floor! But to achieve the desired effect, you need to take a little care of the plant. In fact, for the most part, palm trees at home are not too picky. However, like any living creature, they require attention, care and respect.

How much light do you need

All plants have their own requirements for lighting levels. Being essentially tropical, the areca loves good light. However, while the tree is young, it does not tolerate direct bright rays. At a young age, it can be kept even in partial shade - the palm tree will stretch upward, but the leaves will not begin to curl, curl, and will not receive dangerous burns. If urgent measures are not taken, the leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off. As the areca palm ages, it becomes more tolerant of excess light. After the age of six, it will no longer lose its crown, but its color will fade. So during peak times, it’s better to shade even an adult tree. Important note: if you want uniform, symmetrical development of the plant, regularly turn the pot with different sides towards the window. You can scroll it a little every day, you can turn it 180 degrees once a month, but this must be done so that a one-sided freak does not grow up.

We water correctly

Having a tropical origin, areca at home requires a certain watering regime. Both overwatering and drying out are dangerous for it. In cold weather, when the plant is in dormant mode, watering should not be frequent or abundant; in summer more water is given, but also only after the top layer of soil has completely dried. It is very important to maintain high humidity in the area where your areca palm is located. Caring for it includes regular spraying of the leaves. On especially stuffy days you will have to do this several times, and that may not be enough. If the tips of the leaves dry out, it’s time to buy a humidifier.

A drainage layer in the pot and holes in its bottom are required. Stagnant water leads to rotting of the roots and inevitable death of the plant. It is advisable to take a tray much larger than the pot, and fill the free space with expanded clay or coarse calcined sand. This filler is easy to keep moist, the main thing is that the water does not splash in the pan.

Importance of transplantation

Since indoor plants do not have the opportunity to spread their root system wider as they grow, their owner must monitor this. The young areca palm is replanted annually in the spring. The next pot is traditionally taken only slightly larger than the previous one. Replanting the tree is not difficult: it is simply transferred along with the root ball of soil into another container. It is very important not to bury the palm tree in the new pot any deeper than it was “sitting” before transplanting - it will take root with difficulty and will not grow for some time.

An adult areca palm does not need to change its place of residence so often. It is replanted after three to four years, when the roots have completely entwined the soil in the pot. Roots that are too tightly intertwined are cut off with a sharp knife.

If you accidentally replanted a palm tree into a container that was too large, refrain from replanting it for a couple of years. Just completely change the top layer of soil in the spring - that will be enough.

To cut or not?

There is controversy over whether palm tree pruning is really necessary. Needed at home. Although some inexperienced gardeners expect that the areca will become fluffier without it. In fact, old, darkened leaves, as well as broken ones, will sooner or later rot and can destroy the entire tree. Additional shoots also need to be removed so that the growth of the main trunk does not stop. You should not cut off yellowing leaves - the tree will still extract useful microelements from them. It is necessary to trim carefully, without catching the trunk, because this is detrimental to the entire plant. And, of course, you should not remove more leaves than new ones appear in a year. Otherwise, your areca palm will lose its respiratory organs, which are responsible for evaporating moisture and receiving light.

How not to make a mistake with the soil

To prevent rotting of the roots, select soil that drains easily. The water should drain from it into the pan in a few seconds. If you have to wait even a minute, the soil is not suitable. In order to improve the outflow of excess water, coarse sand, pebbles, granite chips or pumice are added to the soil. Fine-grained drainage is absolutely not suitable - it slows down the flow. You should also ignore components that are not capable of maintaining structure - they will cause the formation of a “swamp” in the pot where the areca palm grows.

How to feed the plant

It needs regular fertilization from mid-spring to late summer. The ratio of substances should be as follows: 9 parts nitrogen, 6 parts phosphorus and 3 parts potassium. If there is nothing suitable on sale, you will have to compose it yourself. Not enough nitrogen - the areca palm stops growing, and the leaves become very light, although they retain a green tint. A lack of potassium leads to the appearance of orange-yellow spots. First they attack old foliage, but with further potassium starvation they also attack young foliage. Then the edges begin to die off, the leaves curl and dry out completely.

During periods of intensive growth, feeding with microelements is also very important. A lack of magnesium, zinc or manganese will quickly affect your pet's health.

If you follow all the rules and don’t forget to care for the plant, you will quickly grow a luxurious areca - the photo clearly demonstrates what stunning successes can be achieved with regular care of the plant.

Areca is majestic and beautiful plant, suitable for growing indoors. It is ideal for landscaping country houses, offices and shopping centers.

The areca palm (Areca) is not whimsical and does not require any supernatural care for it. The rules of agricultural technology for this plant are quite simple. It is necessary to create favorable conditions, select sandy soil and water abundantly, accompanying the growth of the palm tree with an abundance of sunlight. If you follow these rules, your home areca or chrysalidocarpus palm will delight you with powerful and rapid growth and the instant formation of a beautiful rosette at the top.

Look at the areca palm in the photos illustrating the variety of species grown at home:

indoor palm Chrysalidocarpus areca will feel great even in shaded areas of an apartment, house or office.

Chrysalidocarpus areca: description and photo of palm tree

In home floriculture, palm trees occupy an honorable position. Nothing else can brighten up large spaces and bring a touch of tropical warmth and the joy of an eternal vacation. In many countries, it is believed that if you grow the chrysalidocarpus areca palm as an indoor flower, it will bring good luck and ease of communication between household members. It is these plants that are a manifestation of the unbridled flow of energy and many popular beliefs and predictions are associated with them. All this determines the popularity of the Arecaceae (Palm) family, one of the brightest representatives of which is the Areca Palm.

According to the botanical description of the genus, its representatives possess phenotypic characteristics of the entire family. Simply put, this plant is the typical palm tree that all people are accustomed to seeing. In the photo below, you can see this.

The natural habitat of the Areca palm occupies almost all areas of tropical and subtropical zones.

The plant is a native of the tropics, so in home floriculture it is famous as being very picky. IN natural environment it can be seen in the Solomon Islands, the Malay Archipelago, India, Japan and China. Numerous species of the Areca genus are found in Madagascar and New Zealand. In the wild, the Areca palm grows in tropical forests with a humid climate. It got its name from the Indian coastline of the same name, where it was first encountered by the scientist who described it. There are about 50-55 species in the Areca genus, not many of them are used in indoor floriculture.

Look at the areca palm in the photo, which shows a variety of indoor flowers of this type:

Trunk, leaves and flowers

The plant is a perennial wild-growing palm tree, reaching a height of several meters. The Areca trunk is often single, but there are species that have several of them. They can twist among themselves or run parallel. Most often, at the base of the trunk there is a scar that encircles the stem in a circle. The leaf blades are pinnately dissected and look like feathers. The foliage is green in color and is concentrated at the top of the areca trunk. The leaves are collected in a dense apical rosette and reach 50-60 cm in length.

At home, the plant either does not bloom at all, or it is very difficult to achieve this. Areca flowers are arranged on the cob in this way: male on top, female on bottom. Inside is a white horn-shaped berry, which has certain properties (impact on the human psyche) and is poisonous. In China and Vietnam, it is used for the production of psychotropic substances, in particular, chewing gum, with an effect on the human psychosomatic system. It is used as a narcotic and is addictive. The seeds of the plant are poisonous and not edible. With prolonged use of them as food, stomach cancer occurs.

Three known species

In home floriculture, only three known species are grown, which are more or less adapted to home conditions as an indoor flower:

1. Catechu or Betel palm - easy to grow, but very finicky to care for
2. Yellowing Areca or Chrysalidocarpus - large perennial. At home it reaches 2.5 meters in height. Leaf blades are large yellow-green in color
3. Three-stamen areca - has several trunks (2-3), which grow up to 3 meters in height. The leaves of the plant are large, up to 1 meter in length. As a houseplant it either does not bloom or blooms very rarely.

Areca palm care at home

Keeping the Areca palm tree at home is very difficult, and not only because it is a finicky plant that requires certain care and microclimate. Before you organize care for areca at home, you need to know that the perennial, depending on the type, can take up quite a decent amount of space (although there are dwarf varieties up to 20-55 s, they are grown as a desktop plant). For this reason, it is not recommended for creating phytodesign in small apartments. As for caring for the Areca palm tree, you need to be as focused as possible on all the nuances.

At the slightest mistake, the plant begins to get sick. Most often, the perennial dies even if the microclimate deviates slightly from the norm. This is especially true for young specimens. With age, Areca's immunity increases, and she becomes more resistant to changes in temperature, lighting and other shortcomings in caring for her.

First of all, when organizing the care of the areca palm, pay attention to the fact that it tropical plant, which grows wild in hot zones. The comfortable temperature for it is +35 degrees. But such an indicator is very difficult to establish in room conditions. Therefore, you can limit yourself to the mercury column at +23 - 25 degrees. The most important thing is that in summer the temperature does not fall below +23. Sudden changes are harmful for young palm trees, so even if you take the plant out into the fresh air, do not leave it overnight.

When caring for the areca when ventilating, watch out for drafts, which can also interfere with the normal growth and development of the palm tree. Young plants die when the temperature drops briefly to 0; adult plants, older than 6 years, can endure several days indoors at -10 degrees.

If the areca plant dries out...

The areca plant prefers to grow in places with a humid microclimate. In order for her to feel comfortable in room conditions, the air humidity should be at least 60-70%. To maintain it, it is recommended to spray the plant daily with soft melt water at least 2 times a day. Instead of this procedure, you can place the palm tree in a tray with damp expanded clay, moss or pebbles. If the areca or its leaf tips dry out, then measures are needed to increase air humidity.

Automatic humidifiers can be used for the plant. At a young age, dry air is dangerous for plant life. Especially if it is additionally exposed to direct sunlight. As soon as the foliage begins to curl in young trees up to 6 years old, the palm tree can be disposed of, since it will no longer be possible to save it.

Watering areca flowers

Pay great attention to the quality and frequency of watering the areca palm tree. She does not like swampy heavy soils. When watering, keep an eye on the accumulated moisture in the pan - it must be removed from there immediately. Frequent heavy watering leads to rotting of the root system; if this happens, the young plant sheds its leaves and dies. Experienced gardeners water the plant only when the root system dries out a little. Use soft water to water areca flowers. If you constantly fill it with running water with a high content of chlorine and lime, the perennial will quickly die.

If you collect rain moisture, you also need to let it sit for 24 hours. The best option- use of bottled water. When waterlogging occurs, the first signs that should alert the grower are darkening of the leaves and trunk. This indicates that the roots have begun to decompose.

Lighting plays a big role in the life of the areca flower. Despite the fact that it easily tolerates light shading, it is recommended that it be located near southern windows. At a young age, the leaves and trunk of the plant may suffer from direct sunlight. If the foliage of a perennial has withered and begun to curl and there are burns left, then there is no chance of saving it. Mature plants can easily tolerate direct sunlight, but it should be limited. Do not leave the palm tree “roasting” in the sun all day long. When an adult Areca tree is burned, the palm simply changes color.

Areca transplantation at a young age (up to 6 years) is needed annually. This should be done in April or early May. Adult plants are replanted less frequently and as needed - as soon as the roots fill the pot. Transplantation is carried out by transferring with an old earthen lump. Do not under any circumstances change the soil level for the plant. After transplantation, the plant is fertilized once every two weeks from the beginning of April to August (the period of active growth). You can use flower fertilizers.

Areca is a typical representative of palm trees, which can not only be observed in the tropics or on the Mediterranean coasts, but also grown at home. The plant looks very exotic and cannot go unnoticed thanks to its beautiful dissected leaves of huge size. Since this flower is very expensive in its adult state, it is often placed in offices or shopping centers, emphasizing the high status of the organization. At home, you can also grow a worthy specimen that all guests will appreciate.

At good care Areca shows fast growth rates, so you only need to wait a couple of years to get a beautiful bush. The main thing that needs to be done at this time is to follow all the rules of cultivation and care, which are not complicated.

general description

Areca is a large family containing specimens with one or more slender stems. A characteristic feature is scars in the lower part of the stem, resembling dark rings.

Areca is native to the tropical zones of Asia and Oceania; in addition, it can be found in India and China, the Solomon and Philippine Islands and Malaysia. There are 50 species that grow in the wild, but the number grown at home is much smaller.

A bright green crown forms high above the stems, resembling a cascading stream of greenery or feathers. IN natural conditions Areca growth reaches 5-30 m, but the indicators of indoor specimens are more modest - 0.35-3 m.

Flowering occurs with the appearance of inflorescences-cobs, which develop under the crown. As a rule, the size of a flowering shoot is about a meter. Flowering occurs no earlier than the third year of the plant’s life after the formation of an extensive crown. White or cream-colored flowers appear from the opened buds, on which fruits subsequently form - orange drupes.

Areca fruits are poisonous, so tasting them is strictly prohibited.

Varieties for home cultivation

The main challenge when growing at home is recreating the tropical conditions that the palm tree needs. It is especially sensitive to air humidity, so only those varieties that can withstand relative dryness inside apartments and houses are grown at home.

These areca varieties include the following:

• Areca tristamen. The foliage has a glossy finish and looks very impressive. In indoor conditions it can grow up to 3 m in height, so it needs a lot of space, which should be taken into account when starting this variety. When flowering, it forms inflorescences that emit a pronounced lemon aroma, which is why the flower should not be placed in the bedroom or office where a person spends a lot of time. The main advantage of the species is its good tolerance of hot rooms in winter.
• Yellow areca (Chrysalidocarpus). The variety has a light green crown, closer to a salad color. When living in a winter garden, where root growth is not limited, it can grow up to 10 m in height, but when kept in a tub or pot, its size depends on the volume of the container, which limits the development of the root system. Black dots may appear on older leaves, which is not a sign of disease.
• Areca catechu. It is characterized by slow growth, but eventually reaches the largest size - 20 m. For this reason, it is chosen to decorate hotels, winter gardens or the halls of shopping centers. It blooms and bears fruit extremely rarely.

Growing at home

Caring for areca is not too difficult, but you will have to pay attention to this palm tree. It should be noted right away that this plant is not well suited for the role of an indoor flower, which is grown on a windowsill, since its crown is very high and voluminous. It is worth understanding from the very beginning that the palm tree will need enough space to grow.

Sowing seeds

A formed specimen can be purchased at a flower shop or garden center, but their price is quite high. For those who do not have enough money, but really want to start this plant at home, there is an excellent option - propagation by seeds. Recommendations for growing areca from seeds are rare, but doing it yourself is quite easy.

The main difficulty is finding fresh seeds. They can be purchased in store or online. Before planting, it is necessary to carry out pre-sowing preparation: cut the seed a few millimeters with a knife and soak in warm water for 3-6 days. After this, the seeds are planted in small containers to a depth of 2-3 cm in palm soil with the addition of chopped moss, which perfectly retains moisture.

The pots are covered with film and glass and placed in a warm place with a temperature of 26-30°C; bottom heating can be used. The seedlings should “hatch” in 1.5-2 months, after which they must be ventilated daily for 5-10 minutes.

Seedlings are dropped into separate pots very carefully after their first leaf appears. After the formation of the second true leaf, a careful picking is carried out, during which the fragile root is carefully monitored. After the picked plants take root, the film or glass is removed. If you take good care of young palm trees, then by the next time they will have formed an average crown with a diameter of about 30 cm and a height of 50 cm.

Lighting

The need for lighting at home largely depends on the age of the specimen. Young bushes cannot tolerate direct sunlight, since bright rays cause burns, from which the bush may not recover and die. For this reason, areca plants under 5-6 years old should be shaded if they are in an area exposed to sunlight.

Older bushes become more hardy, but after June they should also be moved so that direct rays do not damage the foliage. It is allowed for direct light to fall on the crown in the morning or evening. The older the bush gets, the better it can withstand excess light.

Another important nuance related to lighting: to form a correct, uniform crown, the pot or tub must be rotated once a week in relation to the light source. If this is not done, the stem will become curved, and the side that is constantly in the shade will become “empty.”

Temperature

The temperature regime is slightly different in winter and summer. In summer time optimal temperature it will be 26-30°, and in the cold season – 17-18°C. These palm trees do not require a period of rest, but specimens older than 10 years can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature of up to 6°C, while this will destroy a young bush.

For areca, the supply of fresh air is extremely important, so when growing at home, provide frequent ventilation without drafts.

Placement near cold or drafty windows is unacceptable.

Air humidity

This parameter is key when growing a plant. The optimal air humidity should be at least 60%. In the air of apartments, and especially with central heating in the winter months, it is practically impossible to maintain it at this level all the time, so regular spraying from a fine spray bottle comes to the rescue. This must be done once every day or two. Laying moss on the surface of the soil, which must be periodically moistened for subsequent evaporation of moisture, is also suitable. You can periodically turn on a humidifier next to the tub.

Water for spraying must be warm and settled. Increased hardness leads to the appearance of salt stains on the leaves, which negatively affects not only appearance, but also on the condition of the bush, so for spraying it is better to take purified or distilled water.

It is impossible to place areca near heating radiators, since the air there is constantly dry in winter, and even spraying will not be enough to maintain the required level of humidity.

Watering

It is often believed that palm trees like more watering than other plants. This opinion is completely unfounded, since flooding is just as destructive for areca as drying out. Watering should be moderate but timely. The main indicator is that the soil has dried out 3-4 cm deep; this can be easily checked by immersing your finger in the soil.

The bush will quickly react by deteriorating its condition when watered with hard water. The ideal option would be rain or melt water, but if this is not possible, then you can use softened or settled water. tap water, which should be softened by adding a few drops of acetic acid or a couple of citric acid crystals.

Feeding

Since this plant is characterized by rapid growth, especially during the first years of life, it needs a constant supply of nutrients. Both root fertilizer and foliar application are used. In the warm season, the frequency is once every two weeks, and with a decrease in temperature it is reduced to once a month.

Areca cannot be fertilized on dry soil. The day before fertilizing is applied, it is watered. Among all the mineral complexes, it is worth choosing fertilizer for palm trees.

The soil

To grow at home, areca needs to be provided with neutral or slightly acidic soil; in alkaline soil this plant dies. The basic requirements for soil mixtures are permeability and fertility. For simplicity, you can purchase soil for palm trees at a specialized store, but you can make it yourself. To do this, you will need the following components: peat, pine bark, vermiculite, bone meal and activated carbon.

This composition will satisfy all the needs of areca and allow it to develop quickly.

Transfer

The most suitable time for transplantation is spring; at other times of the year it is done only if absolutely necessary. Before planting, the bottom of the pot or tub is laid out with a drainage layer 5-8 cm thick, which is enough to drain excess water well. To do this, pour expanded clay or broken shards on the bottom. The roots are placed freely throughout the entire volume of the pot, after which the remaining space is sprinkled with soil.

Trimming

An important point in home care is pruning. It is used in two cases:

• For specimens that form additional stems and bush, if this is not part of the owner’s plans. The more shoots in the pot, the slower the growth of the main shoot, for this reason people who want to get a tall palm tree can trim off excess stems.
• When old leaves dry out. They need to be cut only after final drying has occurred, since the yellowed leaf releases nutrients to the mother plant.

Possible problems

A common problem is drying out of the tips of the leaf blade. This serves as an indicator of increased air dryness. To restore a healthy appearance, you need to spray more often.

Areca is often affected by fungus. These appear as red or brown spots that get larger over time. Help consists of treating with fungicidal solutions and not spraying until recovery.