AboutDarlene K. Kittle Expertise I have been a Master Gardener for 20 years and I raise around 300 houseplants a year including tropicals, succulents, and cacti.
Experience She is also studying the Japanese art of bonsai with tropical plants and is President of the Fort Wayne, IN Bonsai Club.
Education/Credentials I am not a hortculturist. I am a Purdue University Master Gardener for over 20 years. I have studied plants on a personal level by growing hundreds of plants annually for the last 35 years. I have also studied under several nationally known American Bonsai experts.
Question QUESTION: I just purchased a palm tree. It is about 5' tall.It is in indirect light & I water it about every 10 days when it feels dry. The leaves are turning brown & I have had to snip off whole branches. What am I doing wrong.
ANSWER: Eleanor,
What kind of palm is it? Some of them like the sun. Is it in a pot with a drain hole and a drain tray under it? Did you repot it? If you did how large was the original pot and how large was the pot you moved it into? When you water it hou much water do you give it? Let me know and I will give you my best analysis of the problems.
Darlene
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QUESTION: Hi Darlene, I am not sure what kind it is. I got it a Walmart, I think it is a very common variety, long slenter leaves,about 5' tall & 3' wide. It does have a drain hole & drain tray. I did not repot it. I think it is a 10" pot & I water it til it comes out the drain hole, about 1-1 1/2 cups. I water it with a solution of Miracle-Gro all purpose liquid houseplant food 8-7-6. Thanks for your help
Answer Eleanor,
I would move it to a brighter location maybe where it would get a bit of sun in the morning only. Also empty the drain tray an hour after watering it so it is not left sitting in standing water as though it was sitting in a swamp, palms hate swamps. Then check it every 4-5 days to see if it is dry and needs watered again. It may need more frequent watering but not allowed to sit with water in the drain tray. The feeding sounds fine. Good luck.
