Care for Your Bamboo Palm
Palms give a wonderful tropical feeling to the indoor garden. They are bold houseplants that command attention without needing the attention of care.
Ease of care: Easy!
Water: Watering thoroughly, keeping the soil moist during the growing season (May-October). Water less frequently during the winter.
Light: Bright indirect light. Can tolerate morning/eastern direct light.
Propagation: Remove side shoots with roots and re-pot in regular potting mix. Keep soil moist.
Growth Habit/Height: Tall plants (about 6 feet in maturity) form clumps of stems with long, arching leaves. Individual leaflets are short, broad and curving. This palm has a narrow growth habit that is appropriate for most homes.
Soil: Regular potting mix.
Repotting: Every 1 or 2 years. Many palms have fragile root systems and can be easily damaged, so care should be taken when re-potting the plant.
Toxicity to animals: Not toxic. Katie’s cat Mango approves!
Fertilizing: Fertilize during the growing season, every two months. Use a slow-release palm fertilizer with an analysis like 12-4-12 or 8-2-12.
Does a Bamboo Palm sound like a great plant for your home? Click here to see if we have any in stock!
Water Wisely
July flew by in a beautiful buzz, and August is coming in hot (quite literally). With warmer temperatures and longer sun exposure, your plants are thirsty! Now is the time to introduce water wise techniques in your urban slice of earth.
Water is a precious resource and absolutely vital for keeping your vegetable garden happy. Wise watering techniques conserve water, save money, produce bigger yields and promote healthy plant growth. Here are five general guidelines to keep your garden thriving during these warmer months:
Healthy Soil: Establish retentive soil that slowly releases water to the plants. A top layer of mulch will also reduce the amount of water and weeding needed.
Timing: Water before 10AM. This will lead to less evaporation and more water absorbed by the plants. Leafy greens love an evening watering to cool down their soil and prevent plants from bolting.
Water Slowly: Water slowly, deeply, and less frequently. This allows plants to develop large root systems. Focus your watering into the soil, not onto the plant.
Be Consistent: Group plants by their watering needs. This is a great way to make watering easier from the get-go. Each vegetable or annual flower plant should receive about 1-2 gallons of water per week, spreading it out so you water the same amount every couple of days.
Equipment: A leaky hose is the quickest way to waste water. Be sure your hoses and faucet are in good working order. Simple dial timers and drip irrigation are great for very direct and accurate watering. Rain barrels are also a great way to water the natural way.
Next, we’ll talk about Xeriscaping! This is the use of drought tolerant, often native plants in your landscape. (Don’t picture a desert, we promise there are colors and flowers involved!)
Links:
The Seattle Conservation Corps Rain Barrels and Supplies for Sale
Tilth Garden Alliance
Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash
Care for the Prayer ~Maranta leuconeura~
Caring for you Prayer Plant and identifying potential issues. For more information come chat with us at the shop!
Common name: Prayer Plant
Scientific Name: Maranta leuconeura
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Marantaceae
Native Range: Brazil
Zone: 11 to 12
Height: 6”-12”
Spread: 6”-12”
Bloom Time: Produces white flowers, though rarely blooms indoors
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Your Prayer Plant prefers:
Temperatures that do not dip below 60 degrees F. Zero tolerance for frost.
A soil-based potting mix.
Bright indirect light but not strong direct sun.
→Too much sun will bleach out the attractive leaf colors.
Consistently moist but not soggy, well-drained soil but, drier soil during winter dormancy.
→Keep in mind, however, that dry air can also be a problem in winter; therefore, placing the prayer plant among several houseplants can help create more humid conditions, misting daily with warm water.
A humidified room and/or standing in a tray of wet pebbles to increase humidity.
→However, do not allow the prayer plant to sit directly in water.
To be fertilized monthly during the growing season, but a reduction in soil moisture and substantially reduced fertilizer applications from autumn to late winter.
→Use warm water and feed prayer plant houseplants every two weeks, from spring through fall, with an all-purpose fertilizer.
To be propagated by cuttings or division of the rhizomatous root structure
What’s wrong with my plant?!?
Exposure to bright, direct sunlight will cause browning at the tips of leaves. Move plants to a shady spot where the suns rays cannot come into direct contact with leaves.
Over watering is a VERY COMMON problem for houseplants and the Prayer Plant is no exception. Over watering can cause older, lower leaves to turn brown and die off. Try letting the plant dry down over a few weeks then begin watering regularly with minimal applications every two weeks. If the leaves begin to wilt, water moderately. Make sure there is good drainage in your pot or planter. If not, consider switching to a pot with better drainage OR come in and take advantage of our POT DRILLING SERVICE at Urban Earth Nursery!
Chlorosis: Iron chlorosis affects many kinds of plants and causes unsightly yellow leaves and eventually death. So it is important to correct iron chlorosis in plants. The most obvious symptom of iron deficiency in plants is commonly called leaf chlorosis. This is where the leaves of the plant turn yellow, but the veins of the leaves stay green. Typically, leaf chlorosis will start at the tips of new growth in the plant and will eventually work its way to older leaves on the plant as the deficiency gets worse.
What Does Iron Do for Plants? Iron is a nutrient that all plants need to function. Many of the vital functions of the plant, like enzyme and chlorophyll production, nitrogen fixing, and development and metabolism are all dependent on iron. Without iron, the plant simply cannot function as well as it should. Rarely is an iron deficiency in plants caused by a lack of iron in the soil. Iron is typically abundant in the soil, but a variety of soil conditions can limit how well a plant can get to the iron in the soil. Iron chlorosis in plants is normally caused by one of four reasons: Soil pH is too high; soil has too much clay; compacted or overly wet soil; too much phosphorus in the soil
Bring your plant in to Urban Earth Nursery if you suspect over exposure, over watering or chlorosis, we have a team of plant people ready to help identify problems and discuss solutions!
Spider mites, mealybugs and aphids are all pests that enjoy munching on your prayer plant so keep and eye out for insect activity and send us pictures of the damage if you need advice on how to exterminate these little critters!
Sources and Resources:
Missouri Botanical Gardens:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b604%22
Read more at Gardening Know How: How To Grow Prayer Plants & Prayer Plant Propagation https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/prayer-plant/maranta-prayer-plant-peacock-plant.htm