How to Care for Parlor Palm?

The easiest tropical plant you can keep at home is Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans). While many tropical plants do not like the indoor environment, Parlor Palm can easily stay fresh indoors and does not require much care. From Victorian times to the present day, Parlor Palm has been a popular home-grown plant. These palms have even made their way to work offices, schools and shopping malls. Continue reading this article in TooPlant in order to learn more about how to grow and care for Parlor Palm.

Introduction of Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans)

Before addressing how to care for Parlor Palm, please allow us to give you a brief introduction about this houseplant.

It is very easy to understand why this plant is so popular. It is beautiful, evergreen and thick, and it also usually form bamboo-like ridges along the trunk as they age. In fact, if you are looking for a plant that looks like bamboo, Parlor Palm is the right choice, and if you want to experience a tropical paradise indoors and need a plant that does not take much time, then it is better to go to Parlor Palm.

If you meet the minimum needs of this plant, you will see that Chamaedorea Elegans is not a strict plant at all, and even the most novice gardeners can cope with it.

If enough light reaches this plant (which usually does not happen at home), Parlor Palm will produce yellow flowers in the spring, but if your plant does not flower, do not worry, this is a natural occurrence because your plant is indoors.

If Chamaedorea Elegans flower is planted outside the house, it can grow more than two meters and when it is indoors, it can grow up to one meter. The growth rate of this plant is low, so you should not worry about continuous repot. If you want to grow this plant outdoors, you should note that Parlor Palm does not like cold and frost at all.

Humidity for this plant should be a little above average, fertilized once every three or four weeks, provide a temperature between 18 to 25 degrees Celsius and have an environment with plenty of light but indirect.

In this article, we want to provide you with information about how to care for Parlor Palm, so stay tuned with Tooplant.

Care for Parlor Palm

In this part, we will focus on the most important aspects which you need to take into consideration while treating this houseplant. The best methods of how to take care of palm plant include as follows:

Parlor Palm Light Requirements: What light is best for Parlor Palm?

Light is among the first important issues to care for Parlor Palm. One of the best features of Parlor Palm is that it can stay fresh in low light or artificial light. A feature that most houseplants do not have. In any case, the best light condition for the better growth of this plant is to place it in a bright environment where light reaches it indirectly.

If Parlor Palm is to be by the window, it is better to have the west or east windows that reach the evening or morning sun. Of course, the northern windows are also suitable for this plant. When you see that the branches of the plant are too big and have small waves, it is a sign that the location of the plant is dark.

If you want to move the plant outside for a while, it is better in the hot season, you just have to be careful not to place it where direct light reaches it because it will burn the leaves. So it is better to put the plant in the shade and do not forget to bring Chamaedorea Elegans inside the house before the cold autumn or winter winds start. One of the advantages of Parlor Palm houseplants is that they can stay fresh under artificial light or low light.

So, as shown above, light plays a significant role to care for Parlor Palm.

Parlor Palm Watering: How often should you water a Parlor Palm?

In the rest, concerning the tips of caring for a Parlor Palm, it is better to know that Chamaedorea Elegans is a kind plant and can forgive your forgetfulness in watering, but if you water it too much, you will damage the plant. Therefore, watering is another important aspect in order to care for Parlor Palm.

If you give too much water to the plant, it will cause the potting soil to always be wet, and this will cause rot in the roots, which will lead to the death of the plant.

During the growing season, which is from spring to summer, you should usually water the plant once a week. When the plant is asleep and resting and growing more slowly in winter, it is better to give the relevant material every two weeks.

You can easily determine the time of watering yourself, to do this, dip your finger in the soil, and if you notice that a few inches above the soil is dry, you should water the plant. Pour the water until it comes out from under the pot.

Water is suitable for this plant:

• Do not be too cold. The water should be in constant contact with the environment.
• Does not contain sediment. If you think the water contains chemicals and sediments, it is better to let it rest for a while until the sediments settle.

In this way, to care for Parlor Palm, watering is considered to be of great significance.

Parlor Palm Soil: What is the best soil for Chamaedorea Elegans?

 Intending to care for Parlor Palm, the other crucial matter is soil. For instance to create the best conditions and performance, plant Chamaedorea Elegans in well-drained soil. If the plant soil is too heavy or retains too much water, the roots of the plant will suffer and you will lose your plant. The Parlor Palm indoor plant needs rich, well-drained soil, and when the topsoil dries a few inches, we need to water it again.

Ready-made soils are often heavy, but you can use them with a combination of other materials that facilitate drainage. Soil mixed with pudding is the best soil. Some ready-made soils contain substances that also act as fertilizers over time. Therefore, it is better not to fertilize the plant for the first three months.

But you can make a good mix soil for Parlor Palm. You can use any of the following combinations:

• A section of potting soil with a section of sand.
• Mix one part pudding, one part potting soil and one part coarse sand.
• Mix one part compost, one part powder and one part perlite.

The most important part of preparing the right soil is to make sure it drains easily. If you see that water stays on the surface of the soil and sinks slowly, then our soil is heavy and needs to be repaired.

Thus, it can be said that, soil is another basic and important issue so as to care for Parlor Palm.

Parlor Palm Temperature Tolerance

Now, we come to a temperature which is assumed to be principal to care for Parlor Palm in addition to light, watering and soil that are mentioned above. Since we are dealing with a tropical plant, the best temperature for Chamaedorea Elegans is between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius. Temperatures below this range are suitable for it and can survive. But it is better not to experience less than 10 degrees.

You just have to know that stopping or slowing down the growth is a sign that the weather is too cold for it. Generally, if you are satisfied with the temperature of the house, Chamaedorea Elegans will also be satisfied. If your area has a cold winter, it is better not to place the plant next to a door or window so that cold wind does not reach this plant.

Parlor Palm Humidity: Does Neanthe Bella Palm like humidity?

Moisture is another thing which we need to inevitably pay attention to when talking about how to take care of palm plant. There is high humidity in the main habitat of Parlor Palm in the rainforest. That’s why you need to provide these conditions for your plant at home, which of course is easy.

By doing the following steps, you can provide the desired moisture for your plant:

• Use a fumigator. ‌
• Pour pebbles on the tray under the pot. This will allow the water coming out from under the pot to evaporate over time and provide moisture to the plant.
• If your bathroom is large enough and sunny enough, you can put the plant there.

If you want to spray the plant every day, do not worry, Parlor Palm has no problem with it. This is also beneficial for the plant because it washes the dust off the leaves.

In fact, by spraying water on the leaves of the plant, you contribute to both the health and the beauty of the plant.

In addition, in winter when you use heating devices, it is better not to place Parlor Palm near these devices because dry air is flowing next to the heating devices and the required moisture of the plant is not provided.

Keep in mind that if the humidity is low, the edges of the Parlor Palm leaves will turn brown. So, temperature is another important issue to care for Parlor Palm.

Therefore, please do not forget to take humidity into consideration in order to care for Parlor Palm in the best way.

Parlor Palm Fertilizer: What is the best fertilizer for a Parlor Palm?

When you want to care for Parlor Palm, one of the important questions that may come to your mind is “what is the best fertilizer?” In what follows, we will address how to fertilize this plant:

In addition to the nutrient-rich soil of Parlor Palm, proper and regular fertilization is also an important factor in caring for Chamaedorea Elegans houseplants.

If you initially chose soil that contained fertilizer, do not worry about re-fertilizing for about three months. These soils contain a type of fertilizer that slowly decomposes in the soil and provides the plant with nutrients each time it is hydrated.

If you want your plant to be fresh and healthy, it is better to fertilize your plant with water every three or four weeks. Just mix the fertilizer in your drainage container and then add it to the soil.

Another way to fertilize Chamaedorea Elegans indoor plants is to add granules to the soil. It is enough to scatter the granules on the soil surface and water them as usual. This causes the fertilizer to decompose slowly in the soil and meet the soil needs for about three months. Parlor Palm only needs fertilizer between spring and summer, which is the growing season. In autumn and winter, the plant needs sleep and rest, so there is no reason to fertilize it.

Fertilizers change the soil after a while. Accumulation of salt in the soil is one of these changes that causes the plant to burn. To solve this problem, the plant should be washed periodically with fresh water.

The process is very simple:

• For smaller plants, simply place the pot in the sink and pour the water into the pot for about five minutes, allowing it to drain from the bottom of the pot. Allow the pot to dry before returning it to its original position.
• If your plant is larger and you can not do this in the sink, it is better to transfer it to the bathroom or outside the house and gently pour the stream of water into the pot for five minutes.

As a result, we could say that fertilizer is regarded as one of the fundamental issues when someone wants to care for Parlor Palm.

Parlor Palm Toxicity: Is Parlor Palm poisonous to humans and pets?

In order to care for Parlor Palm, toxicity is considered to be a major issue because it directly relates to your health especially children and pets. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, neanthe bella palm is safe for cats and dogs. Parlor Palm is non-toxic to children and pets. So, you can safely keep this plant at home because no danger threatens you and your pets.

Parlor Palm is non-toxic to children and pets.

Hibernation

Parlor Palm is not very active in winter and goes into hibernation. During this time it is better to move the plant to a cooler and brighter place.

Temperatures between 13 and 18 degrees are suitable for this time. During this period the plant does not need fertilizer and only a planned watering is enough.

Parlor Palm Pruning: How to prune Parlor Palm?

Another thing to keep in mind when caring for a Parlor Palm is pruning it. Parlor Palm, like other palms, needs a little pruning. Palms can trim themselves, which means that the old leaves turn brown and fall off without the need for outside help. But in any case, you can cut the dead or damaged leaves from the end yourself.

You should be careful to use clean tools because you do not want to transfer the contamination to the plant at all. It is enough to clean your tools with alcohol so that you do not have to worry about contaminants.

It is indeed unpleasant to see brown, dead leaves on a houseplant, but it is better to allow the plant to shed its dead leaves naturally and not prune them, especially when they are still slightly green.

All types of palms can get nutrients through them until the last moment of leaf green, so removing these leaves, even if they are a little green, damages the flow of nutrients needed by the plant.

Pot

Parlor Palm can be found in different sizes. In small ten-centimeter pots to large 20-liter pots. Since Chamaedorea Elegans grows slowly and the plant roots do not fill the pot space quickly, you should not worry too much about changing the pot in the short term.

Of course, it is clear that very small pots need to be replaced faster than larger pots to provide enough space. If you are going to change the pot, all you have to do is choose a pot with a larger size. Avoid choosing pots that are too large, as this will leave more water in the soil and the soil will dry out later.

Do not worry about choosing the type of pot, any type of pot with a hole in the bottom is suitable, but earthenware pots have an advantage over plastic pots, and that is the soil inside this type of pot dries faster.

If you are using a decorative pot with a tray under it, it is better to empty the tray under the pot after watering and do not allow the pot to sit on the water as this will damage the roots.

Parlor Palm Repotting: How to repot Parlor Palm?

Repotting is another significant issue to care for Parlor Palm. Palms do not welcome shock to the roots. In fact, because their root systems are weak and sensitive, the constant change of pots can have devastating long-term damage to the plant. Nevertheless, the young Chamaedorea Elegans must experience changing pots once a year until it reaches puberty and stability. Because it grows fast and will need more space. Only replace mature Chamaedorea pots when the soil is weak to affect the watering of the plant. That is, when the soil passes water rapidly and remains constantly dry; Or vice versa, it acts like a sponge and is always wet and damp. These happen to Parlor Palm every 2-3 years.

A larger size pot is an ideal choice. But if you find that the pot does not need to be replaced, just remove the old soil from the pot and replace it with new soil. When placing the Chamaedorea in fresh soil, be sure to secure the root ball in place. Squeeze the soil a little and press it, it will not move. Your hands will get dirty. So if you have sensitive skin, use gloves. Spread a newspaper on the ground and remove the plant from the pot. Then shake it to remove the dirt that sticks to the ball. Do this slowly, because Chamaedorea Elegans root is delicate.

Pour a layer of fresh soil on the bottom of the pot and then place the plant exactly in the center of the pot. Then fill the rest of the pot with soil. Gently press the surface of the soil with your hand to secure it well. Then water the soil thoroughly and place the Chamaedorea Elegans house plants in a bright place away from direct sunlight. It takes about 2-4 weeks for your palm to get used to the new conditions.

To continue caring for Chamaedorea Elegans houseplants, we need to repot them.

• Choose a pot of the right size with a hole in the bottom, fill one-third of it with the right soil and water it.
• Remove the plant from the old pot and check the roots. Make sure the roots are not tied together, and if so, gently and carefully untie the roots with your finger.
• Move the plant to a new pot and fill the remaining space of the pot with soil. Make sure the plant is planted at the same depth as your previous pot.
• Water the plant until excess water comes out from under the pot and return it to its proper place.

Parlor Palm Propagating: How to propagate Parlor Palm?

When you want to care for Parlor Palm, another important question that may come to your mind is “how to propagate it.” Parlor Palm indoor plants are propagated by seeds. Chamaedorea Elegans produce yellow flowers in the spring that contain black seeds, and these seeds are the cause of plant propagation (although Parlor Palm usually does not flower at home). If you have never shot one you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

You can buy Parlor Palm seeds from reputable stores, but you should note that the fresher the seeds, the better their chances of growth. It is better to plant several seeds to make sure that some of them will eventually grow. The process of planting and growing Parlor Palm seeds is very simple and the best time to do this is when we are in a warm season and you can provide this warm environment indoors.

Planting Chamaedorea Elegans in pots

– Make a small 10 cm pot with a hole at the bottom to drain the water and fill it with light pot soil.

– Add a little water to the soil to settle.

– Plant the plant seeds 5 cm deep in the soil and cover it with soil, then water again.

– If you sow several seeds together, it is better to have a few inches between each one.

– You can cover the pot with a clear plastic to create the necessary humidity and temperature as well as to prevent insects from laying eggs.

Planting Parlor Palm in the garden

If you are going to plant Parlor Palm seeds outdoors, choose the warmest place for it. The best temperature for seed growth of this plant is between 30 to 35 degrees. If you keep the seeds indoors, provide a temperature of about 30 degrees.

Always keep the garden soil moist but do not wet it too much and if the soil surface dries, water it again. Like many palms, it takes several months for the seeds to germinate.

Common Pests and Diseases

After a description of taking care of a Parlor Palm, we will explain the problems and their solutions:

If the growing conditions of this plant are suitable, you will not face any particular problem or disease. But overwatering is the biggest enemy of the Parlor Palm, which can cause root rot and, by nature, plant death. This condition, when mild, causes the plant’s leaves and body to turn brown and soft. In severe cases, the roots become slimy and rotten.

To solve this problem you must:

• Only water the plant a few inches above the dry soil.
• Grow the plant in a bright environment.
• Drain well and do not let the soil get too wet.
• There should be a water outlet hole in the bottom of the pot.

When you notice such problems occurring, stop watering and allow the soil to dry completely. If the soil is too heavy and does not allow water to drain well, you should replant the plant with lighter soil and remove the damaged roots from the plant. Like many houseplants, the biggest pests that threaten Chamaedorea are mealybugs and spider mites.

One of the reasons that causes pests in this plant is that the plant is in a dry and too hot environment in winter. Fortunately, both of these pests are very easy to detect and you can fight them before your whole plant is affected by these annoying pests.

Common Pests

Spider mites:

This small pest covers the leaves of the Parlor Palm with something resembling a spider’s web. These annoying creatures drink the sap of the leaves, and if we do not act quickly, the leaves of our plant will become colorless and in the worst case, they will kill our plant. These pests hate moisture, so it is better to keep the environment around the plant moist and spray water on its leaves. Covering the plant with a clear plastic also helps to eliminate the pest.

Mealybugs:

These micro-organisms cling to the leaves of the plant or to the junction of the leaves with the stem and drink the leaf sap like spider mites to make the leaves colorless. The smaller our Parlor Palm indoor plants, the more damage they will suffer.

Safe ways to fight these pests:

When the contamination is low, wipe the leaves of the plant with a soft, clean cloth and then wash the leaves with special soaps.

Caring for Parlor Palm: Common Problems With Parlor Palm

After a description of taking care of a Parlor Palm, we will explain the problems and their solutions:

Why Are Chamaedorea Elegans Leaves Turning Yellow?

As “leaves turning yellow” is one of the common problems that you may face when you want to care for Parlor Palm, we will try to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details. Yellowing of palm leaves can sometimes – but not always – be a concern. In fact, we need to be able to tell if this yellowing is normal or not.

As Parlor Palm grows and produces new leaves, it must lose its old leaves. These old leaves are at the bottom of the plant. They will turn yellow first and then shed, which is normal. But if the yellow leaves are delayed in shedding, are in the upper part of the plant, or have appeared abnormally, something important may have happened.

Sometimes Parlor Palm leaves change color due to a lack of essential nutrients for growth. Elements such as nitrogen, magnesium and manganese are vital for plant growth. In fact, these elements help the plant to stay green, healthy and stable.

If it weren’t for the lack of elements, fungi and pests might have attacked Chamaedorea Elegans house plants. These uninvited guests also cause the leaves to turn yellow. Now that we have explored this a little, it’s time to learn how to deal with it:

Check the soil. This way you can accurately detect the lack of elements. You can usually find one in a mall, though they may not be fully stocked.

If you do not have access to such an experiment, you can replace the way of thinking! Think for yourself:

• When was the last time you fertilized Chamaedorea?
• Did the fertilizer contain the elements we mentioned?
• Is your fertilizer suitable for palms at all?
• How many years ago did the last time the soil was changed?

The later you change the soil, the more likely you are to be deficient in nutrients.

Fertilize based on the above test results or the answers to your questions. If you do a special test of the soil, you will notice the exact lack of each element. So it is easier for you to choose the best fertilizer.

• You need to make a detailed plan for fertilizing Chamaedorea Elegans houseplants. Usually 3-4 times a year fertilization is enough for it.
• Drying of the root ball is another reason. If the soil is completely dry, you should water the plant more.
• If the soil and fertilizer were good, you should look for signs of pests and fungi. Withered leaves and rotten roots are a sign of a fungal infection. Such an infection occurs due to overwatering. Allow the soil to dry completely. Then water so that the soil surface is slightly dry between each time. However, to treat rotten roots, it is necessary to remove the damaged parts and replant it.
• If you see blurry nets or sticky liquids on the surface of the leaves, a pest has attacked Chamaedorea Elegans. You need to identify the type and try to remove it. But in general, if the insect is visible, you should remove it by hand. Then spraying a soap and water solution can be helpful.

Why Are Parlor Palm Leaves Turning Brown?

Since “leaves turning brown” is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for Parlor Palm, we will try to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details. There are many reasons for this. When the leaves of the plant are naturally old and about to die, they begin to brown from the edge until they reach the junction of the leaves with the stem. This is a natural occurrence and the plant itself removes and drops this brown leaf from the stem at the right time.

Another common cause of palm plant brown tips is overwatering or excessive salt accumulation due to fertilization in the soil. In these cases, the roots are damaged before anything appears on the leaves.

If the problem is not fertilizing and only the soil is too wet, stop watering until the soil is completely dry. If the soil is too heavy, it is enough to replant the plant in lighter, well-drained soil.

It is better to check the roots to see if they are rotten or sticky or not, if so cut the damaged roots gently and carefully. If there is no problem with watering and fertilizing causes salt to accumulate in the plant soil, it is sufficient to wash the plant soil with fresh water and allow it to dry, as mentioned above. Fertilize Chamaedorea Parlor Palm every three or four weeks, preferably in the water. Also, wash the plant soil every four months.

Since palm plant brown tips is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for palm plant, we tried to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details.

How Do I Get my Parlor Palm To Bloom?

In the rest, concerning the methods of caring for a Parlor Palm, we will address how to get your Parlor Palm to bloom.

Apartment Parlor Palm can produce beautiful yellow flowers continuously. But it must be mature enough. The flowers of Chamaedorea Elegans are very small as if the leaves have been sprayed with yellow paint and there is no news about the volume of the petals!

Depending on your particular type of Parlor Palm, you may have these flowers all year round. These yellow flowers weaken and fall off after a period of life. In fact, the floor may be filled with yellow grains. If you are sensitive to cleanliness, we recommend that you remove the rest yourself after a few flowers have fallen. Do not forget that flowering occurs only when the adult plant receives a lot of sunlight.

The leaves of Parlor Palm have faded and lost their greenness. What is the reason?

The old leaves will eventually disappear. But before they are completely browned and close to extinction, the plant empties all the useful parts inside the leaves and sends them to other parts of the plant or stores them as energy to make new leaves. As a result, the leaves become pale and no longer green like the first day. This process occurs very quickly in some plants, but in Chamaedorea Elegans it can take weeks or even months.

The color difference between the involved leaves and the young leaves is significant. But fortunately, there is nothing to worry about and this is quite natural. But if the color of the leaf turns yellow, you should see it with another eye and follow the problem.

“Leaves losing color” is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for Parlor Palm, so we tried to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details.

Infographic Of How To Care For Parlor Palm

In this article, we tried to explain to you in an infographic the essential tips on how to take care of palm plant, so that you can briefly and usefully learn the methods of caring for this plant.

In The End

In this article, we tried to provide you with the necessary information about the methods of caring for a Parlor Palm.

However, if you have any questions regarding this indoor plant or you need to get advice from our houseplant experts, please share your questions with us through the comments section below.