Does Areca Palm get root bound?
As we all know, this plant can grow big and become a tree if you take care of it regularly. Once you give it enough sunlight, water, and nutrients, the plant will exhibit robust growth for a long period.
But does this mean it can get rootbound quickly? If you want to know more about it, do check out the guide below. I have shared some insights on this topic, which should help clear some of your doubts.
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Do Areca Palms Like To Be Root Bound?
Yes, Areca Palms do like to get root bound. However, it won’t happen quickly.
Since the plant is known for its moderate growth rate, the roots will also show similar growth underneath the soil. They won’t grow so fast that they will get root bound in a few months.
The ideal period of repotting, though, is about 2-3 years for this plant. You can also repot the plant once a year if it has grown significantly.
If you have planted Areca Palm in a small pot initially, you may go ahead and repot it within a year as well. But make sure you choose a bigger pot for the transplantation. It will allow the plant to grow vigorously.
As for the root-bound nature, you can’t do much about it. It’s pretty much the part of this plant, and you will see similar characteristics in other indoor plants too.
So, don’t think too much about it, especially if you are considering this plant for your indoor garden. It will be a great addition to the garden for sure.
How To Fix The Root Bound Issue In Areca Palm
Here are some of the things you can do to address this issue –
Important: As you know, most plants get root bound at some point in time in their lifecycle. Therefore, it’s a pretty common thing to experience in your Areca Palm.
So, it’s not something that you should worry about a lot in the first place. Alright, now, let’s see how you can fix this issue.
1. Remove The Plant From The Pot
Since the plant is root bound, you will have to be careful while removing it from the pot. Make sure you don’t break something during this process.
Some of the roots may break into pieces while performing this task, and that’s completely fine. But you shouldn’t break the root ball or stem of the Areca Palm. These are delicate parts of the plants, so be a little gentle while handling them.
Quick Tip: Do water your plant a day or two before you carry out this task. When you water the plant, it makes it easier for you to take the plant out of the pot.
As the water gets into the soil, it loses its firm texture.
2. Trim The Roots
Removed the plant? Great!
Now, it’s time to trim the roots!
Yes, it may seem like a daunting task, but you will have to do it. It helps in freeing up space as well as signals the plant to produce new roots in the future.
If you are not sure about how to perform this task, you can check for damaged or dead roots. These roots should appear dark brown or black, which is a sign of root decay. Remove these roots, and you should be good to go.
Note: At this stage, you will not have to perform hard pruning. This technique is only essential when the plant is suffering from dry roots or root rot problems. Otherwise, you can just perform light pruning to boost the natural growth of your plant.
3. Clean The Root Ball
Sometimes, it gets harder to find the exact condition of the roots. In such cases, you can clean the root ball with the help of a water spray. Now, you may do this task before or after pruning the roots.
However, in a root-bound plant, you should try to do it afterward. It will allow you to examine the roots even more deeply.
The cleaning method is also useful if you are going to replenish the plant with new soil later. Generally, the repotting is done to provide nutrient-rich soil to the slow-growing plants. Thus, if you feel your Areca Palm lacks some growth, you should try to remove as much soil as possible during this stage.
Of course, do not remove all the soil if there is not much of a problem with it.
4. Transplant The Plant In A New Pot
When you want to address the root-bound issue, the transplantation technique can prove to be very effective. There are many benefits to this technique.
E.g.,
It boosts the growth of the roots and helps you understand the condition of roots. Also, when you replenish the soil, it gives you a chance to add more nutrients to it. But what’s the right method to follow?
Here’s a quick and easy guide –
- Get a new pot, which should be 2-3 inches wider than the current one.
- Add the fresh soil mix to this new pot.
- Place the Areca Palm in the pot.
- Add more soil to the top surface.
- Water the plant.
Done! That’s how easy it is to transplant the plant from one pot to another.
Check out the detailed repotting process in the following video –
If you want to get one step ahead, you can also add some fertilizer to it. There are many palm fertilizers available in the market, which you can use for this process.
If you don’t want to feed the plant with commercial fertilizers, try using homemade compost. It should serve the purpose.
FAQs
Yes, most palms like to be rootbound. It’s a typical nature of this type of plant. However, the good thing about these plant varieties is they don’t have a deep root system.
Therefore, even if you want to transplant them to another pot, you won’t face much resistance from their roots. The shallow root system will make this job easier.
Repotting an Areca Palm is a fairly easy process. It doesn’t require a lot of tools or effort either.
As for the process, you can simply remove the plant from the pot. Next, check the root system. If there is an issue with the roots, you should address it at this stage.
You may trim them a bit if the plant is root bound. Later, repot the plant with a new soil mix.
The best way to avoid root rot in Areca Palms is by reducing the amount of water your supply to this plant. There is no other way through which you can prevent root rot.
It applies to pretty much all plants in your indoor garden. If you water them too much, the roots will stop working efficiently. So, do keep an eye on the watering frequency.
As for the schedule, you can water this plant every 10-12 days. In summer, you may increase the frequency if needed.
Note: You may repot the plant if there is an overwatering situation in the existing pot. It’s a much better option to revive the plant from such a situation.
Areca Palms can live for 10 years or more, depending on the availability of nutrients and decent growing conditions. It can also be a great companion plant in your indoor garden.
No, the roots of this palm variety are not invasive at all.
As I said earlier, the plant depicts a shallow root system, which means the roots won’t go too far to search for water and nutrients. The plant, however, does spread a lot and is considered invasive in some of the states in the US.
You will have to check the rules and regulations if you want to plant them in your outdoor gardens.
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