How to Take Care of Areca Palm | Growing Guide

Here’s everything you need to know about How to Take Care of Areca Palm in India and keep this air-purifying plant indoors without any worries!

Areca palm adds a tropical dimension to interiors, thanks to its lush, and evergreen fronds. If you also want to include it in your houseplant collection, then here’s all the information about How to Take Care of Areca Palm.

Here are the best Indoor palms you can grow in India 

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Propagating Areca Palm

The best way to propagate Areca palm is through division.

Areca palm produces clumps of offshoots at the base. To take out these divisions, take the entire plant out of the pot and carefully snip away the offshoots, using a sanitized shears,  from the rootball keeping the roots intact. You can then plant them in a pot filled with a good quality potting mix.

You can also grow the plant from seeds but it is a time-consuming process and we would recommend you to get a plant from a nursery instead.

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What is the Best Pot Size for Areca Palm?

8-10 inches of pot with a drainage hole at the bottom will be a good starting point. Over time, the plant will grow and you may find it getting root bound. At that stage, re-pot it into a size bigger pot.

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How to Take Care of Areca Palm

Sunlight

Areca palm does well in bright, indirect sunlight. Putting it near an east-facing window will ensure that it gets the mild morning sunlight for 3-4 hours daily, which will be fantastic for its growth. Avoid keeping it near a south-facing window as the harsh afternoon Indian sun may scorch its leaves.

Watering

Areca palm like consistently moist, but not damp soil. Water when the topsoil feels dry to touch.  Overwatering can cause root rot and fungal problems, whereas, less watering may cause yellowing of leaves and stunted growth.

Soil

Areca palm requires a well-draining, porous, and slightly moist soil. Areca palm does best in a slightly acidic, peat-based potting mix. You can even DIY it by blending 40% of the garden soil, with 20% of cocopeat, compost, and sand each.

Temperature

Areca palm does well in the tropical, room temperature in India, within the range of 16°C -24°C.

Humidity

Areca palm is fond of high humidity levels. You can either use a humidifier or simply mist the leaves to keep them moist. Alternatively, you can also put the plant onto a pebble water tray for this purpose.

Fertilizer

Go for a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer diluted to half of its strength. You can fertilize the plant once in 6-8 weeks during its grwoth period. Avoid excess feeding, as it can lead to leaves yellowing problems in the plant.

Pests & Diseases

Be careful of whitefly, scales, and mealybugs. Use a neem oil solution to get rid of them.  In diseases, just avoid overwatering the plant to save it from any potential ones.