Fan palms actually come from the Mediterranean region. But they also thrive here with us. Provided you plant the fan palm correctly.
The fan palm has expressive ribbed leaves that feel at home both in the room and in the garden. Even if the fan palm originally comes from the Mediterranean region, species such as the Mexican Washington palm (Washingtonia robusta), California Washington palm (Washingtonia filifera) and the Chinese hemp palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) feel very comfortable in Northern Europe. But only if you plant them properly. After all, there are a few things to consider.
Buy a fan palm or grow it from seed?
The fan palm is suitable both as a container plant and as a garden plant. You can even grow a fan palm from seed. If you want to try it out, you should sow the seeds in early autumn or late summer. Of course, it is easier if you buy a ready-made fan palm directly. So you don't have to wait patiently for a beautiful plant to grow.
The right location for the fan palm
Originally from the warm regions of the Mediterranean, the fan palm prefers bright and sunny locations. Sunlight is essential for the formation of new palm fronds, but heat also fuels growth. The fan palm feels really good at temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. If it can develop freely and if the root ball is not limited by a planter, it will grow up to five meters high. Growing slower when kept as a container plant, making it less impressive.
The soil for the fan palm tree
To give the plant the best conditions, you should use loose soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7. Because aerated soil offers the roots the best opportunity to spread out and absorb enough water even in the event of a short period of drought. In principle, it also makes sense if you create a drainage layer on the bottom of the pot when planting in a flower pot. To do this, put a little gravel in the planter and place the bucket in a planter. The gravel then dissipates excessMoisture away from the roots and prevent them from rotting.
If you want to grow the fan palm from seed, moist soil during germination is very important. The following soil components are useful when growing fan palms:
- peat-compost mixture
- lava granules
- Sand
- Gravel
Mix a little sand, gravel and granulated lava into the mixture of peat and compost to create a loose soil. Then keep the soil permanently moist. However, make sure that no waterlogging forms.
Summary:
You can't make too many mistakes with the fan palm if you pay attention to the following points:
- best suited as a container plant
- bright, sunny location
- Temperature between 20 - 25 degrees Celsius
- Avoid waterlogging
- loose soil