10 Reasons For Your Cat Palm Leaves Curling Problem

Are your Cat Palm leaves curling?

Leaf curl is one of the main problems growing Cat palms and other types of palms at home.

And it requires more attention than most of the plant care problems in the gardening world.

So, how do you fix this issue?

Let’s find out in the following guide.

10 Reasons For Your Cat Palm Leaves Curling Problem

Cat Palm, also known as Chamaedorea Cataractarum, is susceptible to leaf curl problems, and you can make use of the following suggestions to resolve it quickly.

1. You Are Underwatering Your Cat Palm

First and foremost, the underwatering issue should be the main point of focus while addressing the leaf curl issue.

If you have been providing less water to your plant, it’s going to create problems for the plant.

And it won’t be limited to the leaves curling or leaves damage. 

When the plant does not get enough water, it also affects the overall growth of the plant.

It will also damage the root system to a great extent.

Solution: 

The solution is simple – water your plant regularly.

That’s right!

Once you start watering your Cat Palm regularly, the leaves will start looking fresh.

And they will get back to their original sharp shape.

So, fix the watering schedule and watch how your plant reacts.

2. Thrips Problem On Cat Palm

Sometimes, you get unlucky, and the root cause of this problem might not just be the underwatering issue.

Thrips are a common pest problem in different varieties of palm plants.

These tiny insects spend most of their life cycle on the leave’s surface, and they take all the required nutrients and water content from the leaves only.

As their population increases, it becomes unbearable for the leaves to survive in such conditions.

This is also the time when the leaves start curling inwards. 

And that’s a good indication of something wrong with your Cat Palm leaves.

Solution:

There are a few ways through which you can control the damage.

Firstly, spray the fresh water on the plant’s leaves and try to eliminate as many visible insects as possible.

Later, you can put the plant under the sun, as the excess heat from sun rays will reduce the production of new thrips.

You will need to follow this process every few days until you don’t see any infestation. 

Of course, do keep an eye on overwatering issues as well.

The other most effective thing to do is to use insecticides.

Note: If the damage is too much, the leaves will not get the same shape again.

You will have to wait for the new ones to arrive in a few weeks or months.

3. Fungal Issues On Cat Palm

Similar to thrips, the fungal attack is another crucial factor in seeing leaf curl on palm varieties.

This issue generally happens when you water the plant too much or live in a tropical climate.

Fungi thrive in highly humid places and spread quickly when it receives apt conditions for growing.

Once it reaches the leaves, they either start curling inwards or bend over.

Solution:

Inspect the plant thoroughly and spray some fungicide on the affected areas.

On the first day of this process, you should spray it in limited quantities.

These fungicides are often considered too powerful for plants.

So, it’s better to use them in moderation.

You should also spray the fungicide as per the instructions given on the bottle or package.

It should give you an idea of how to use it effectively.

Note: For this purpose, you can use any general-purpose fungicide on the plant.

The fungicides are also available on some of the well-known eCommerce websites.

4. You Have Added Too Many Fertilizers To The Plant

Have you added any fertilizers to your plant recently?

Think about it because it could also be the reason for leaf curls or brown tips on the leaves.

If you have provided more than the required amount of fertilizer to the plant, it will harm it.

Even though fertilizers are the best way to increase the growth rate of your plant, they can prove deadly when used in high quantities.

Solution:

Limit the usage of fertilizers, especially if it’s an indoor Cat Palm.

You should only use it every few months or so.

And in general, the plant can do well without these additional elements.

5. You Keep Your Cat Palm In An AC Room

Have you placed your Cat Palm in your air-conditioned living room or bedroom?

If the answer is yes, your plant may not like these conditions.

AC units work on the simple principle of reducing the humidity in the room.

When the humidity level goes down, it helps in making the rooms cooler.

However, Cat Palm and other Palm varieties enjoy slightly higher humidity.

And when they do not get the desired conditions, it could lead to leaf curl and similar issues.

Solution:

If you can move your plant to your patio or somewhere outside, there is nothing like it.

The plant will love these conditions.

But if you can’t, try to place it near a sunny window.

It should help reduce the leaf curl issue on your Cat Palm plant.

6. Weather Conditions Are Not Favorable

As mentioned in the earlier point, Cat Palm can be a little tricky when it comes to weather conditions.

It doesn’t like extremes of hot and cold temperatures.

And when it gets exposed to such conditions, the leaves shrivel and start curling after some time.

But the good thing about this issue is it’s not something you can’t fix it.

Unlike the other leaf curl issues, you can fix this issue, and most of the leaves should regain their shape.

Solution:

Since weather conditions are not in your hands, the only thing you can do here is to move the plant inside the home.

When you move the Cat Palm indoors, it automatically protects the plant from harsh weather.

Apart from that, you will also need to provide artificial light to this plant.

Alternatively, you can place the plant near a window where it gets direct sunlight for a few hours.

As for watering, you don’t have to water a lot when the plant is inside the house.

7. There Is Not Enough Sunlight In The Room

The only downside of keeping the palm plants indoors is that they don’t receive enough sunlight per their requirement.

As you know, it is one of those plants that do well in direct sunlight.

However, when it doesn’t receive the required amount of sunlight for a long period, it affects the growth of the leaves.

And even if you take good care of the plant indoors, the leaves might start curling inwards due to the lack of sunlight.

Solution:

Thankfully, the fix for this problem is quite easy.

You just have to place the plant in your room, where it gets direct sunlight in the morning.

The morning sunlight is always beneficial for the plants.

Hence, you must find a suitable place for your Cat Palm in your living room or bedroom.

8. Your Plant Is Under Stress

Since a plant is a living being, it can also feel stress due to internal and external factors.

And there could be no. of factors that play a role in this issue.

For e.g.,

The plant will come under stress if the watering frequency is not consistent. 

And it could lead to several problems, including the leaf curl issue.

Similarly, there could be environmental changes or bacterial attacks that might contribute to this issue.

Solution:

In most cases, palm plants get stressed when there is not enough moisture in the air or soil.

If you can somehow fix this issue, your plant will do well.

For other issues, you will have to inspect the plant thoroughly.

Take a look at the leaves and stem, and see if you can find anything unusual regarding growth, spots, scratches, etc.

Once you identify the problem, you can fix it with the necessary solution.

9. You Need Better Soil Quality For The Plant

Soil quality can also be a factor for the leaf curl in your Cat Palm plant, though it’s not as significant as the ones I’ve discussed above.

You should only think of this factor when you eliminate the above possibilities.

Most likely, you will find the reason for Cat Palm’s curling problem in the earlier scenarios.

Solution:

If the soil quality is causing the leaves to curl, you can simply transplant the plant into a new pot.

This should help fix the problem for you.

Note: When you transplant the plant, don’t expect any magical changes.

You will need to give it some time before seeing some positive results.

10. Lack Of Nutrients May Cause Cat Palm Leaves Curling Issue

Like the soil quality, the lack of nutrients is the least possible reason for the leaf curl problem.

Usually, when the plant doesn’t get enough nutrients from the soil, it might display stunted growth in terms of frond size, stem size, etc.

And eventually, it may lead to the leaf curl or brown tips problem in some cases.

But this only happens when there is absolutely nothing in the soil for the plant.

Solution:

The solution to this problem is pretty straightforward.

You can change the soil or add some fertilizer every few months.

Note: If the lack of nutrients is actually the cause of this problem, you may not be able to see a great reversal in the older leaves.

And perhaps, you will have to wait for the fresh ones to see the lush green growth.

Alright, these are some things you need to consider while solving the leaf curl in Cat Palm.

In the following section, you will find the FAQs related to this topic.

FAQs