It can happen that you have a palm tree in your room and that at some point it no longer looks so beautiful! The palm starts to turn brown. How is that possible? This article explains what the possible causes are and what you can do about it.
What causes my palm tree to turn brown indoors?
For a palm tree it is normal for the lower leaves to become dry and die. But the rest of the palm should remain healthy. If this is not the case, then in this chapter we will go through the possible causes why your palm tree has brown leaves.
Not enough water
The most common cause of a palm tree dying is that the owner does not give the palm enough water. The palm tree then starts drinking its leaves, which causes them to become ugly and to break. They can no longer effectively absorb energy from sunlight, which causes further damage.
When this is done, you should remove the dry leaves. If the leaves are not too dry, you can leave them, otherwise it is better to prune them off. The palm should be treated extra carefully. It should not be too cold, and it should get enough moisture and nutrients from now on. Then it will slowly recover.
Too much water is also a cause of damage to palm trees. The roots can then rot and become damaged and cause damage. In the case of too much water, the rule is that excess water should be removed whenever possible. Indoors, or during autumn/winter periods, the soil should not be more than slightly moist. On very warm days, the soil may be very wet.
Not enough sunlight
It is possible that your palm tree is not getting enough sunlight. This is especially the case if it is in a dark place. Palm trees love sunlight. They can survive in a place where the sun shines less, but they do need a tiny bit of direct sunlight. If this is not the case, the palm can die.
If the palm has suffered damage from too little sunlight, you should remove the dead leaves, and trim the leaves that still have a chance, so that they are as healthy as possible. Furthermore, the palm should be placed in a sunny spot, and from then on treated well and carefully. So not too cold temperatures, because the palm needs to recover.
Malnutrition
Palm trees are complex plants and therefore need all kinds of nutrients, which are not standard in the soil, and also not in water. These nutrients ensure that the palm remains beautiful, strong and healthy. If the palm has a nutritional deficiency, you can do something about it:
Remove the thirsty leaves that no longer have a chance to live. Cut the healthier leaves until the healthy ones remain. From now on, give your palm good supplementary nutrition (bacterial food granules). And make sure that the palm is treated carefully because it is still in a recovery process.
Diseases
To determine whether your palm is sick or has pests, it is best to read this article: https://www.teeningapalmen.nl/verzorging/ziekte-verschijning-bij-palmen
This also explains what you can do about it.
To share:
Brown leaves on a palm tree after winter