How often to water areca palm

The interval

An areca palm is watered about every 6 days in the growing season and about every 12 days in winter. Growing season means the warm, bright months from spring to early autumn, roughly March to September in the northern hemisphere and September to March in the southern. Winter is the cold, short-day part of your own year. The Royal Horticultural Society says that in summer a palm's compost should never dry out but must not stand in excess water, and that in winter the surface should be allowed to dry slightly before watering.

Test by finger and by weight. Push a finger into the top 3 cm of compost and water when it is dry there. Then lift the pot. The RHS notes that a drier pot feels lighter than a wet one.

Water from the top until water runs out of the drainage holes, wait ten minutes and empty the saucer. Use rainwater where the tap water is hard. The RHS lists dry air and underwatering as causes of brown tips, and NC State Extension says to keep the soil moist but not soggy during the growing season. Humidity is high for this plant. Mist it about every 3 days, or stand the pot on a tray of gravel with the water kept below the surface of the stones.

An overwatered palm yellows its lower fronds and, in compost that stays soaked, the roots rot and the whole plant fades. An underwatered one browns at the tips first, then along the edges of the leaflets. Dry air does the same, so check the compost before you blame the watering.

What is particular to this plant is how it is sold. A shop bought areca is a dozen young seedlings crowded into one pot, and palm roots resent disturbance, so it is repotted rarely and the pot fills with roots. That makes the compost dry quickly in summer and stay wet in winter when the plant is resting, so keep the winter watering light and the position bright.

Related guides

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