How often should a spittoon palm be watered?
So that a Euphorbia leuconeura can enjoy almost the same growth conditions indoors as in its natural habitat, its root area in the pot should never dry out completely. However, you do not get waterlogging very well either, so the spit palm should be watered relatively regularly with sparing doses. Watering should be done about twice a week between spring and autumn. In winter, on the other hand, watering once a week should be sufficient, especially if it is set up in a slightly cooler room.
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What should be considered when repotting the spit palm?
With the spittoon palm, you can influence the growth in size of the plant based on the selected pot size. If the developed taproot finds little space to unfold in a pot that is too low, the shape of the spit palm remains somewhat more compact and stocky. The maximum height of 1 to 1.8 m, on the other hand, can only be achieved under favorable growth conditions with a planter that is at least 30 cm high and sufficiently large.
Can the spit palm be cut?
As a rule, a spit palm grows unbranched and fairly compact in height, which usually makes a cut unnecessary. If the plant is cut anyway, the greater the cross-section of the cut, the greater the risk to plant health, the greater the damage to the plant.
Which pests can become a problem when caring for a spit palm?
The larvae of the sciarid gnats can be problematic for young seedlings of the spit palm. Otherwise, the spit palm is relatively insensitive to pests.
Are there common diseases of the spit palm?
Especially during the winter months you shouldn't panic if the leaves fall off the spit palm. This can happen with a lack of light and cooler temperatures. The plant usually forms a large number of fresh leaves on its own in spring.
How is the spit palm optimally fertilized?
When fertilizing, you should consider the following things:
- monthly fertilization between April and September is sufficient
- The nutrient supply with liquid fertilizer is uncomplicated
- After repotting in fresh cactus soil (usually pre-fertilized) there is no fertilization for six months
- no peat should be added to the substrate in the pot
What should be considered when the spit palm is overwintered?
Like most other euphorbia species, the spit palm is not winter hardy. It can either be overwintered at normal room temperature in any room in the apartment, or at least 10 degrees Celsius in a correspondingly cooler room. During the winter time, it is essential to ensure a regular water supply, as the spit palm should never dry out completely at the roots.
Tips
As the milky sap of the spit palm contains toxins such as ingenols, phorbol esters, diterpene esters and triterpene saponins, you should only carry out maintenance measures with suitable protective gloves, as with other poisonous species of Euphorbia.
