Overwatering is probably the reason why your Kentia palm is dying. Kentia palm might appear sick due to underwatering. A severe thrip or spider mite infestation can also harm your Kentia palm.
Kentia palm is also known as paradise palm or thatch palm which is a tropical plant and it is a great indoor plant as they are hardy slow-growing plants and doesn’t require much attention but still, there are certain aspects that you need to take care of
Kentia palm crispy leaves and leaf splitting?
When the air is too dry the Kentia palm leaves start to become crispy and the leaves start to split. Generally, the kentia palm requires humid conditions for best growth.
To meet Kentia palm’s humidity needs you will need to fill a spray bottle with water and mist the palm’s leaves several times a week.
Tip: Regular misting helps keep spider mites and Mealybugs in check.
Why is my Kentia palm drooping?
Your Kentia palm will show drooping symptoms because of Underwatering which leads to wilting of palm and leaves begin to droop.
If the plant doesn’t get adequate water, it loses its turgidity, and leaves begin to droop. Eventually, the plant dies if it’s not watered.
Kentia palms can tolerate moderate drought conditions. During warmer months they will need to be watered every week.
In the winter the palm becomes dormant and doesn’t put on any new growth. In this phase, you may just need to water your Kentia palm once in a couple of weeks.
Test the soil by sticking your bare fingers into the soil. If the top 3 inches of soil is dry then it’s time to water your palm and if it still has moisture then you will have to wait till it dries out.
Kentia palm Root rot and yellow stem?
In Kentia palm that is infected by root rot, the foliage turns brown, roots begin to rot, and the stem turns yellow. This happens when soil or potting mix is heavy and you overwater it,
Not only overwatering lead to root rot, but some soil microbes also decay the root.
Mix your potting mixture or soil with equal proportions of sand(1:1) which makes the soil light and soil doesn’t retain too much moisture
How does an overwatered kentia palm look like?
When your palm is overwatered it leads to root rot and the root begins to decay and the foliage turns brown and also stem turns yellow and yellow spots can also be observed on the leaves.
Can you overwater kentia palm?
The Kentia palm should not be overwatered. No plant should be overwatered it is not good to overwater plants.
When you overwater your plant the soil is saturated with water and the roots cannot respire due to the absence of air and roots cannot grow and they begin to rot and this causes root rot
Avoid overwatering your Kentia palm
If your palm show root rot symptoms even when you follow things mentioned above try repotting your palm into new soil but make sure that you do not disturb the roots.
Do not forget to water your palm 24hours before repotting. Doing so would help your Kentia palm handle the transplant shock.
Kentia palm leaves curling?
Kentia palm leaves may curl due to low humidity or underwatering. Kentia palm leaves also curl due to a severe thrip infestation.
Mist your palm frequently to optimize humidity around your Kentia palm. Take care of your Kentia palm’s water requirements.
Use water-soluble fertilizer on your Kentia palm. Spray on the foliage rather than on the soil to prevent salt buildup in the soil.
A salt build-up in the soil is harmful to your Palm because the salts inhibit water absorption by the roots. This eventually shows in the leaves of the affected Palm.
Why is my Kentia Palm leaning and how do you keep it straight?
The palm leans because of the heavy weight of the top of the plant. There is nothing to worry about leaning of your palm if you water it properly.
You can simply manage this by staking your palm to support the weight of the palm. But if you do not water it properly this may also cause your palm to lean.
You may want to get a pot that balances the topweight of your Kentia palm.
Kentia palm sunburn
Kentia palm doesn’t tolerate bright, direct sunlight, especially in the summer. Place your Kentia palm in partial shade if possible.
Browning of leaf margins and yellowing or darkening of areas between the main leaf veins are the symptoms of sunburn.
Kentia palms tolerate lower light conditions, so you don’t have to worry too much about the light requirement.
Place your palm by a south-facing window which is generally the sunniest but make sure that the light is filtered through a curtain.
You just need to place your Kentia palm in a place where it gets indirect, bright sunlight.
Kentia palm spider mites
Tiny white mites suck the plant juices and they can kill the palm if the infestation is high and left unchecked, their presence is indicated by the presence of white webbing covering the leaves.
- Regular misting keeps spider mites in check.
- Spider mites can be wiped off by using a damp cloth.
- If there is serious infestation you will have to use insecticidal soap mixture or neem oil spray. If you are against the use of chemicals you can use neem oil as it is a organic
How do I know that my Kentia palm is dying?
If the tall brown frond is the newest frond from the stem or growing tip and when that frond dies then the palm will gradually die.
But, if the newest frond is not brown i.e., green then your palm still got chances to survive!
What do you do with brown leaves on kentia palm?
You do not have to remove the brown leaves as the plant still absorbs the nutrients present in the brown leaves and you can probably wait until the brown leaf separates on its own.
But if you cannot watch your plant with brown leaves and want it look green you can remove them
Kentia palm leaves turning brown and tips turning brown?
The tips of leaves start browning because of dry air or sun burn or due to potassium deficiency. Browning foliage could also be the result of palm not getting adequate water. It could also be due to over fertilizer application to the palm.
Flush the salt-filled soil with a lot of water to rid the soil of the excess salts. Do this once in a couple of months if the soil is susceptible to salt buildup.
Happy Growing 🙂