Gardening expert shares ‘best place’ to grow beautiful palm areca plant

Beautiful palm plants require consistent care to continue looking gorgeous in your home.

If you notice browning tips, it could be indicative of numerous problems, said Russel Bitchell, the landscaping specialist at Hedging UK.

“Browning tips or leaves on a palm areca plant often indicate underwatering, low humidity levels, or fluoride in the water,” said Birchell.

“You should ensure consistent watering, increase humidity with a humidifier or pebble tray, and use distilled water to prevent further browning.”

Delving further into plant care tips for a palm areca, gardening expert Birchell explained: “Palm areca plants in the UK need to be watered approximately once a week.”

He added: “Leave the top inch of soil enough time to dry out between waterings.”

As for lighting levels, the “best place for a palm areca plant is a spot with bright, indirect light”.

Birchell elaborated: “Direct sunlight can cause leaf burn, so the placement has to be just right. Position it away from drafts or heating vents to maintain a stable temperature.”

When happy indoors, the palm areca plant can grow up to eight feet tall, which is why “regular potting and proper maintenance work can help support healthy growth”.

Repotting when needed also helps to prevent root-bound issues, but you need to be on the lookout for any pests and signs of browning leaves.

Birchwell said: “You can care for your palm areca plants by fertilising them on a monthly basis throughout growing season [in the spring].

“Pruning is unnecessary for palm areca plants unless you’re removing dead or damaged foliage.

“Over-pruning can stress the plant and inhibit growth, so focus more on standard plant management routines.”

Gardeners’ World recommended misting areca palms “a few times a week” to increase humidity levels.

As for watering, “areca palms are sensitive to the chemicals in tap water”, so better alternatives include:

• Distilled water
• Rain water
• Purified water

With a passion for horticulture and expertise in interior design and landscaping, Russell Birchell established family-run Hedging UK in 2008.

Russell’s vision and dedication have shaped Hedging UK into a leading provider of quality hedging plants and instant hedges specialising in high-quality container-grown evergreen and deciduous hedging plants.