Areca Palm

[Sassismom]

Does anyone know anything about these? My grandson planted one at school, just a small one and it seems to be drying up quite quickly, he said he's watered it only once a week. Now he's sent it over to Granny to save.

[LouisW]

Palms require sandy, nutrient poor, well draining, soil. it may be that the roots rotted (if potted in potting soil)and now the plant cant get water. Same thing we see with orchids sometimes.

[jerrymeola]

Areca react badly to being transplanted but seldom die from it. It can drop a lot of leaves and then in the spring you can have a surprising growth in new shoots.

How small was it to be a school project. I seldom see them in Florida in less than a 3 gallon pot. There are some beautiful 20 foot tall ones on Pine Island in Bokellia.

[lmartiny]

These are typically a house plant (though they don't like being inside as too dry and too dark) I have a number of them here in FL and do nothing for them and they are fine. Two in pots, the rest in the ground. All outside. Mine are pretty mature and I don't protect them from the cold anymore and they survive. But they will freeze. I note you are in Ontario.
(the only reason I have so many is it was an idea/project that took another direction eventually and I had to move them so I stuck them in the ground here and there)

[FLBob]

I use arecas for privacy screening they can become very large (15' x 8') clumping palms. I believe they are a zone 10 palm. They grow best when well watered, in well drained soil in full sun. Like most palms they require manganese and magnesium so a fertilizer with essential minors is a must.

[Sassismom]

I'm not sure what essential minors means, maybe you could just suggest a fertilizer for me, it's in a 4" pot, and is maybe 6-8" tall. Should it be potted in sand then? It does appear to just be in potting soil.

[FLBob]

Originally Posted by Sassismom

I'm not sure what essential minors means, maybe you could just suggest a fertilizer for me, it's in a 4" pot, and is maybe 6-8" tall. Should it be potted in sand then? It does appear to just be in potting soil.

essential minors are all the other components listed in the guaranteed analysis of a fertilizer. Low grade inexpensive fertilizers will only have the 3 majors Nitrogen, Phosphate, Potash (N-P-K). Your better quality fertilizers will have minors such as Magnesium, Boron, Copper,Iron,Manganese,Zinc.
The orchid fertilizer I use has all these elements.
When a palm suffers from a shortage of Magnesium it will have yellowing of it's leaves throughout the plant. Older leaves will yellow and die as the plant grows, while the newer leaves remain green, this is normal. Overall yellowing is seen during drought or nutrient deficiency

[Sassismom]

I don't think the leaves were ever yellow, they are just dried up, not all but some and the tips of others.

[LeftCoastAngler]

I think more than a weekly watering is needed. They like fairly moist soil. They like a little shade when young, but once they're in like 3gal's you can get 'em in full sun. I've got two out back, in partial shade that should grow above the roof line to catch the FULL SUN in a year or two...

~LCA.