The mountain palm is a houseplant that is hardy and easy to care for. Nevertheless, the plant can be weakened with incorrect care and thus be more susceptible to diseases and pests.
The mountain palm (Chamaedorea) can without a doubt be described as an easy-care and robust plant. The rather inexperienced room gardener accommodates the palm tree with a fairly high tolerance range in relation to one or the other care mistake. Even if nobody "kills" a mountain palm so quickly, the exotic plant is not free from pest infestation. The occurrence of diseases, on the other hand, is extremely rare.
Mountain palms can be attacked by the following pests:
- Red Spider
- spider mites
- scale insects
The Red Spider - small and mean
Recognize:
It will be difficult to spot the red spider with the naked eye, as the pests only grow to about half a millimeter in size. When the air is too dry, the mini spiders come into their own and their webs cover the palm leaves.
» Tip: Red spiders don't always have to be red. Depending on the season, their color varies between green, orange and dark red.
The females use the underside of the leaves to lay eggs. The red spider can lay up to 150 eggs during its lifetime. The round, light colored eggs laid in groups can only be seen with a magnifying glass.
If the infestation is already advanced, the green leaves disappear and affected palm leaves appear yellowish to brownish.
Fight:
If the infestation is noticed, the mountain palm should be given a shower immediately. Use lukewarm water and don't skip the underside of the leaves.
» Tip: Showering off the plants can reduce the number of pests, but not eliminate it completely.
Red spiders are quite robust and cannot be combated with conventional home remedies that act against aphids. The most lasting successes can be achieved with systemically acting toxins. These are added to the irrigation water and quickly penetrate the plant's root system. QualityUsers have also had experience with products based on neem oil. Repeated applications are recommended.
» Tip: If you can't get rid of the infestation, the red spiders have already developed resistance and you should resort to various means.
Spider mites - annoying and persistent
Recognize:
Springtime attracts more spider mites. Here, too, the cause is often to be found in insufficient humidity. A first sign of an infestation is mottled leaf markings. In the advanced stage, the fine webs also become visible. The previously only lightly speckled leaves appear silvery and develop large, bronze-colored spots and finally fall off.
Fight:
If the infestation is recognized in time, you can help yourself by showering. So that the pests do not get into the substrate when showering, the root ball is first placed in a plastic bag and tightly closed. Pay special attention to the undersides of the leaves.
» Tip: This simple method can reduce the infestation by up to 95%.
If the infestation has not progressed too far, the leaves can also be treated with a washing-up liquid solution. This needs to be repeated more often to catch any eggs laid in the corners of the leaf veins as well. A natural way of controlling pests is to make a vegetable decoction from garlic, onions or nettles. The brew should steep for at least 24 hours and can then be used to shower off or added to the irrigation water. Natural predators such as ladybugs, lacewings or gall midges can also be used to control spider mites.
Scales - inconspicuous and unyielding
Recognize:
You have to look twice to spot a scale insect on the mountain palm. The pests are almost as difficult to control. It is often not the animals themselves that catch the eye first, but rather their excretions, the honeydew.
» Tip: Honeydew also occurs when there is an infestation of mealybugs or aphids.
Fight:
If the infestation is noticed, immediately separate the mountain palm from the other indoor plants, because the infestation can quickly spread to your entire population of green plants.
» Warning: Don't just scratch scale insects off the plant. It could be a female laying her eggs or even larvae that have already hatched under theCarapace and thereby spread over the plant.
Scab bugs can be removed with a cloth soaked in washing-up liquid. Alternatively, you can moisten a cotton swab with alcohol or spirit and soak the scale insects with it.
With an advanced infestation, it becomes difficult to do without chemicals. You can opt for sprays or sticks. The poison is absorbed directly through the roots and the pests are fought sustainably. The use of contact poisons, on the other hand, would have no effect. The pests are protected by their hard armor.
Brown palm leaves - what now?
The mountain palm tolerates a lot, but too much is too much. Brown tips on the leaves are a clear sign that the air is too dry. This can be reliably avoided by regularly spraying the plant. A cold shock can also trigger a similar effect. At temperatures below ten degrees, the tropical plant no longer feels well and shows this with a yellowish-brown color of the leaves.
He althy mountain palms by avoiding care mistakes
It doesn't take much for the mountain palm to thrive and stay as he althy as possible. However, if the site conditions and the desire for high humidity are not respected, the otherwise almost indestructible plants will be permanently weakened and thus susceptible to diseases and pests.
Note the following:
Air humidity should be increased by regular spraying.