The right soil and the best location
The phoenix palm tolerates a slightly acidic and well-drained soil best. In addition, the soil should be fresh and slightly damp. But you don't necessarily have to buy expensive special soil for palm trees. Mix your substrate yourself. For this you need loamy garden soil as a basis, plus some sand and compost. To acidify the soil, add a little leaf compost or rhododendron soil.
also read
- Is the phoenix palm hardy?
- Is the Phoenix Palm Poisonous?
- Do I have to cut my phoenix palm regularly?
The nontoxic phoenix palm generally likes a sunny location, but as a young plant it does not tolerate that much sun and should rather be in partial shade. Rapid changes between extreme temperatures or light conditions are also not good for the phoenix palm. That is why it should slowly get used to a moderately bright room, for example a sunny balcony spot.
Plant the phoenix palm
Plant the phoenix palm in a large flower pot or container, as the phoenix palm is not very hardy. It can stand in the apartment all year round or spend the summer on the terrace or balcony.
Choose a tall pot or bucket because the phoenix palm has long tap roots. These grow straight down and take up a lot of space. A drainage at the bottom of the planter ensures that excess irrigation water can easily drain off. This is how you prevent waterlogging. Water the freshly planted palm well.
Water and fertilize the phoenix palm properly
Ideally, water your phoenix palm abundantly, but not too often. Only when the top layer of soil has dried out does the phoenix palm need water again. A few days of drought do her better than waterlogging. This is why the drainage layer in the planter is so important. You can fertilize your phoenix palm every two weeks from April to about October.
The phoenix palm in winter
The phoenix palm can only tolerate frost down to around -5 ° C, so it should not spend the winter in the garden, at least not in our latitudes. Before the temperatures drop permanently below freezing point, it is better to bring your phoenix palm back into the apartment or a winter garden.
The phoenix palm also benefits from winter dormancy as a houseplant; place your palm in a cooler but still light room for a few weeks, it will thank you with more vitality and resilience.
The care of the phoenix palm in brief:
- bright warm location
- rather slightly acidic soil
- medium to high water requirement
- Fertilizer is not essential for survival
- hardy to around -5 ° C
Tips
In summer you can place your phoenix palm well on the balcony. Get them used to the sun slowly.
