A complete guide for Areca palms

by Ivy’s secret garden

How much light does my Areca palm need?

Areca palms prefer full sun, so keep your palm close the window, receiving 4-5 hours of sunlight.
East and west windows are good choices for this lighting requirement.

Remember Arecas are not dark green usually, but when in dark surrounding, all plants increase the amount of chlorophyll in their leaves to get the most out of the minimum light.

Thus, yellow green is the color of a happy Areca palm, with plenty of light!

How often should I water my Areca?

They prefer high water levels, better to keep the soil moist at all time, but not soggy.
Make sure your pot offers proper drainage by putting pebbles at the bottom, as well as water tray.

The foliage of your Areca will tell you if it needs water.  when the leaves droop, close up or dry up.
Running a humidifier or a daily misting would be good too.

Should I cut off dead or browned branches ?

Snip the dead branch where it meets the soil.
Only by cutting the ends or dead part off will not help the palm.
Pulling the frond from the root is also not a good way, as it may disturb the other roots and do more damage.

My Areca is not doing well, what should I do?

With a sick palm, remove canes where the crown pulls out, then remove the dead, rotting roots.
It’s easy to tell from fungi, if you have any living roots that aren’t rotten yet.
Sniff test will confirm if they are rotten.
Remove the dead tissue, top to bottom, and repot in new clean soil mix, do not give the palm any fertilizer or plant food until new growth has started.

My Areca is infested with some kind of pest/ fly, what should I do?

Mix together with some soapy dishwater, spray the entire plant twice a day for a few days.
If you are seeing any improvement, then continue for at least one week.
If the pest doesn’t seem to be going away, you might need to go for a pesticide which is safe for houseplants.

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