Ptychosperma

Family. Arecaceae.

Origin. Australia.

Description. Ptychosperma is an elegant evergreen pinnate palm. The trunk is thin, grayish at the bottom, with rings left over from old leaves. The upper part of the trunk is green and thickened. The leaves are long - up to 2 m, on short petioles, consist of many hard, green, linear segments with longitudinal veins, up to 30 cm long each, form a lush, dense crown. During the flowering period, long, pendulous, branched inflorescences appear with many small white, male and female, fragrant flowers with long stamens. The palm tree looks most attractive during the fruiting period, when round, green fruits are formed, which turn red as they ripen. Unfortunately, flowering and, especially, fruiting are rare in culture.

Height. In its natural habitat it reaches 6 - 8 m; young plants are kept in cultivation.

Home care

Temperature conditions

Maintain a warm atmosphere all year round - within 22-25 °C.

Lighting

This palm prefers partial shade rather than bright light. Direct sunlight is allowed only in the morning and evening hours.

Care

A very hardy, easy to grow species. Remove dead leaves promptly to maintain a neat appearance.

Substrate

Easily adapts to most types of soil, but prefers well-drained soil with a sufficient content of coarse river sand and a neutral or slightly acidic pH in the range of 6.1-6.5. A mixture based on peat with the addition of leaf humus, sphagnum moss, pine bark, fallen pine needles and small pieces of charcoal is suitable. The substrate must allow water and air to pass through well. 

Feeding

Feed monthly, in spring and summer. Ptychosperma responds well to organic fertilizer. Do not fertilize in autumn and winter.

Purpose

An elegant large palm tree for landscaping large rooms - hotel lobbies and offices. 

Flowering time

Flowering very rarely occurs indoors.

Air humidity

Moderate to high. Use a tray of wet pebbles to increase humidity or a room humidifier, especially in winter when the heating is turned on in homes. 

Soil moisture

Water generously during the period of active growth. Keep the soil evenly moist, but drain excess water from the tray. In autumn and winter, when the plant is resting, water less often - the top layer of soil should dry out to a depth of 3 - 5 cm. Adult specimens tolerate drought well.

Transfer

Transplantation is carried out in the spring, only if necessary. Adult plants are transplanted on average once every 3 years, for large specimens the top layer of soil is changed annually. When transplanting, try not to disturb the root system unnecessarily - it is very delicate, with many small roots. After planting, compact the soil slightly to remove air pockets near the root system.

Reproduction

Propagation is by freshly collected seeds, but this process takes a long time - up to 6 years. If you still decide to take this adventure, sow the seeds in the spring in nutritious soil and put the pots with crops in a warm place with a temperature of about 27 ° C, cover the crops with a transparent cap or glass. Germination occurs within 2 - 3 months.

Pests and diseases

Leaves turn yellow when there is a lack of moisture in the soil or air. When overwatered, root rot occurs.

The main pests of the plant are mealybugs and spider mites.  

Note

Ptychosperma grows indoors for a long time with good care.