When the roots of the fan palm appear, it's time to repot them. To protect the plant, you have to pay attention to a few things.
If the fan palm receives all the nutrients, enough light and moisture, it will grow relatively quickly. In nature, the palm trees sometimes even grow up to five meters high! They also develop a respectable diameter. Although growth is slower in ordinary tubs, it is still important that you repot the fan palm from time to time. So that the fan palm also thrives in the new pot, you have to pay attention to a few things when repotting.
The best time to repot
When do fan palms have to be repotted? The question is easy to answer: if they are too big. At the latest when you discover the roots just below the top layer of soil or the first root fragments are growing out of the drainage hole, time is of the essence. The same applies if stability is no longer guaranteed. If the palm tree wobbles because you hit the trunk lightly, it needs a larger planter.
However, you should not put the fan palm in a new planter at some point, but take advantage of the growth period. This period extends from spring to summer. By moving to a different planter, you weaken the plant first. However, if a large part of the growth phase still lies ahead of her, she can recover over the next few months and lose none of her growth. This means: the sooner you repot the fan palm, the better it will thrive afterwards.
How big does the flower pot have to be?
The flower pot can hardly be too big. So feel free to switch to a flower pot that is several centimeters wider in diameter than the old one. In addition, the bucket should be as high as possible. The roots of the fan palm grow deep and vertical, so a deeper pot provides better conditions.
Bet on this soil mix
The larger fan palms get, the harder it is to prevent waterlogging. Large planters can no longer be raised so that excess water can drain off. Therefore, create drainage right away and make sure that the actual planter has ahas drain. This will prevent the roots from standing in water all the time and starting to rot.
The soil should also consist of a mixture of peat, sand, gravel and compost. These components ensure a loose, airy soil with a good pH value of 5 to 7. The roots of the plant feel most comfortable in this environment. Incidentally, the gravel goes directly to the bottom of the planter and is used to drain the water.
Tip: If the drainage hole is too big, the gravel will fall through. You can prevent this by covering the bottom of the pot with larger stones and putting the gravel on top.
How to repot the fan palm correctly
Many plant lovers remove the old soil completely from the root ball when repotting. Don't do that! Leave the root of the fan palm in the soil layer if possible. There are two reasons for this. For one, you could damage the root by tapping it off. The fan palm is quite hardy, but a damaged root weakens the whole plant and is an ideal target for parasites and pests. On the other hand, tapping creates gaps in the ground between the root strands that are difficult to fill again.
Carefully place the fan palm in the new pot and add soil. The root must be completely covered by the soil. Then water the fan palm and add a dash of complete fertilizer to the water so that it has all the nutrients it needs to recover. Then maintain as usual (instructions here).