The mountain palm is one of the most popular indoor plants. No wonder, because it is extremely easy to care for and has no special requirements in terms of location and substrate.
With the mountain palm, the ideal palm tree for the living room has been found. The palm genus comes from South America and consists of more than 100 species. The plant name "Chamaedorea" is derived from the Greek and means "gift" and "dwarf". In fact, the palm trees are rather small and do not grow higher than five meters even in the wild.
The dwarf palm is always a gift, because it is easy to care for and forgives inexperienced room gardeners some care mistakes. Find out now what should be considered when planting the popular houseplant.
Find the right location
Mountain palms thrive best in a bright but not too sunny location. While the blazing midday sun is not tolerated, there is nothing wrong with morning or evening sun. Even the winter sun has little effect on the plant.
» Tip: A bright location promotes growth.
Mountain palms also tolerate a rather dark and shady location, but will appear less eager to grow there. A west or east window proves to be the ideal location. If the mountain palm is allowed to go outside in summer, it should also be placed there in the shade. The blazing midday sun would burn the delicate palm fronds. Morning and evening sun, on the other hand, may hit the plants. Mountain palms tolerate some temperature differences. Temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees are ideal for he althy growth. The plants are not hardy and should move back into the house in late summer. If the thermometer falls below ten degrees at night, this could already damage the plant.
Warning: If the stalks of the palm fronds appear unusually long, the palm tree must turn conspicuously towards the light and should be placed in a brighter location.
If the winter stand is too dark, the palm fronds will fade. The winter location should not only be bright, but also warm enough. The thermometer should not fall below ten degrees.
Tolerate mountain palms, as beforementions some maintenance mistakes, including dry air in the room. However, when the tips of the palm fronds turn brown, be sure to increase the humidity, spray frequently, and place the plant in a tray filled with pebbles.
short:
- light
- Penumbra
- no blazing midday sun
- Temperatures between 18 and 24 degrees
- high humidity
Selecting the ideal substrate
The demands on the substrate are rather low. Since the plants do not tolerate waterlogging, it is important to ensure that the irrigation water can drain off well.
» Tip: The substrate can be made more permeable by adding coarse sand.
Mountain palms do not like soil that is too rich in nutrients. Unlike most palm species, the mountain palm prefers slightly alkaline soil. A pH between 8 and 14 tells you that the soil is alkaline. If dolomite lime is added to the irrigation water, the substrate can be shifted to the alkaline range.
» Reading tip: Measuring the pH value in the soil - This is how it's done
The plants also have no objection to slightly acidic soil (pH value 0 to 6). The mountain palm has a preference for clay soil. The addition of sand is particularly important here. The permeability of the soil must be ensured so that the palm tree can be provided with sufficient nutrients. If the substrate is not too fine, air can accumulate in the resulting cavities and the nutrient supply to the plant is improved.
short:
- permeable
- clay soil
- alkaline
- slightly sour
Planting mountain palms - explained step by step
❶ Select a suitable planter
❷ Attach drainage to prevent waterlogging on the bottom of the container
❸ Insert the plant
❹ Fill in the substrate
❺ Press the bottom gently
❻ Water the plant
Mountain palms thrive very well in compost that has been upgraded with leaf compost or peat. Sand, gravel or lava granules make the soil more permeable. Pebbles as drainage in the bottom of the planter protect the plant from waterlogging and ensure that the irrigation water can drain off easily.
Holding mountain palms in hydroponics
Mountain Palms are very suitable for hydroponics. However, if you plan to do this, you should be consistent and cultivate the plant accordingly from the start. If the mountain palms are first placed in potting soil and the idea of switching to hydroponics later is toyed with, thePlant lovers are usually disappointed, as the switch to hydro is often not tolerated by the sensitive roots. It is not uncommon for the plants to stop growing and die.
» Tip: A container with an irrigation system can serve as an alternative. The plants will not take offense at this change and it is possible at any time.