Plant Care
Watering
Like many palms, areca palms like moist soil, but they are sensitive to overwatering and cannot tolerate being waterlogged or sitting in a water-saturated potting mix. So let the soil or potting mix dry out slightly between watering. Areca palms also are sensitive to fluoridated water, so use distilled water or collected rainwater.
Light
Outdoors, these plants like bright, filtered sunlight, but they also can tolerate full sun. Indoors, areca palms do best with bright light exposure from a south- or west-facing window.
Temperature
Indoors or outdoors, this plant does best in average temperatures of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It will do fine planted in the garden in regions where outdoor temperatures don’t dip below about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. When grown as an indoor plant, keep the leaves away from cold windows, air conditioners, and heat sources. And if you place potted plants outside during the summer, be sure to bring them in before temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Sudden cold bursts can cause dark spots on the leaves.
Fertilizer
The areca palm is a heavy feeder and requires fertilizing from spring to early fall with a liquid fertilizer, following label instructions. Do not feed during the late fall and winter when the plant is dormant.
