Expert: Darlene K. Kittle - 6/20/2006

Question
I recently brought an indoor paml tree, unknown species, and it was about 3 ft high.  I put it in a large pot that had no holes in it, which I've heard I',m not suppost to do.  I also trimmed the roots because it was living with another dead plant when I transferred it.  The plant died and my question was did cutting the roots kill it?  I left quite a bit and I also left about 8 inches per root.  or did I water it too much or too little?  a glass of water every other day depending on how dry the soil was.  I let the soil get pretty dry.  or was it the non-draining pot it was in?  

Answer
Jason,

It was the combination of no holes in the pot and too much water. When you repotted it you should have used a very sandy cactus soil.  (Palms do great in Florida and Hawaii where the soil is sandy!)

When you water it you should give it enough water that all the soil in the pot is moist and a bit goes into the drain tray under the plant. (Without a drain hole and drain tray this is impossible!) Then do not water it again until until it feels very dry and light weight. This gives the roots a breathing spell so you don't end up with root rot.  Water well approximately once a week. I'm sure the soil felt dry on the surface but I bet if you unpotted the dead plant you would find a lot of moisture down in the pot and you might even find really soupy soil.  The best way to tell if a plant is dry is by weight. Pick it up or tip it. If it is light it needs water, if it is heavy it doesn't.

When you must prune roots never prune away more than 1/3 of the roots.

If you get a replacement ask questions first. Good luck.

Darlene