How to Care for a Palm

Nothing makes a room look tropical quite like a palm plant. Palm plants are slow growing, but fairly easy to care for once you know how. They can be grown as small tabletop or desk plants, or as tall floor plants.

Choose a palm according to how big you want it to be. A small palm will likely stay small. If you want a big plant, you must purchase a big one.

Give a large palm plant as much direct sunlight as is available in your house. Palms are native to brightly lit areas and large ones tolerate most high light situations in a home. However, small palms must be limited to two to three hours of direct sun per day. In the wild, small palm plants are shaded and only get full sun as they grow tall.

Water the palm once a week or slightly more often, keeping the potting mixture moist, but give the plant a two month period in the winter with less frequent watering. Good palm care calls for the plant to have a dormant period in the winter.

Use a salt-free water to water a palm. Palm leaves can become spotted and yellow from salts and minerals in tap water. To prevent this, use soft water or boil tap water. Let boiled water cool off to room temperature before watering the plant.

Keep the plant away from sudden changes in temperature such as drafts from doors or window air conditioners.

Move a palm into bright light for a couple hours three to four times per week if you want to keep it in a low-lit part of your house. Palms do tolerate low light conditions as long as they receive a couple hours of bright light frequently.