Having a bamboo palm indoors can bring warmth and colour to any space you want. You can have plenty of tropical delights to choose from. However, most of them require bright light to thrive and grow. But we have good news.
Bamboo palms are an exception to this. They can grow in low light conditions efficiently. And, if you would like them to grow taller, sunlight is always the correct answer.
The height of a mature bamboo palm varies anywhere between 4 to 12 feet with a span of 3 to 5 feet. These plants can also be planted outdoor. Here, we’ll stick to bamboo palm care indoors.
How to grow bamboo palm plants?
Now, before you dive into how to care bamboo palms, let’s have a look at how to grow bamboo palms indoors.
Growing a bamboo palm is a relatively easy thing to do if you start with a healthy plant. Talking about healthy palm plants, they have dark green leaves and an erect habit. Never go for a plant that has brown foliage or wilt.
It is always best to transplant the bamboo palm as soon as possible after buying them. Get a container for the palm 2 inches larger than the nursery pot. Make sure the pot has adequate drainage holes. Also, cover the drainage holes with a cloth to prevent the soil from seeping out.
Next, use only high quality and rich potting soil for the bamboo. Take your container and fill it one-quarter with potting soil. Place your palm tree in the centre of the soil. Fill the remaining pot with soil up to 1 inch from the rim of the container. Use your hands to gently firm the soil around the plant.
Use filtered water to water the newly transplanted plant immediately after you plant it. Choose a sunny place to place the pot that receives bright but indirect sunlight. Prevent placing your plant in direct sunlight or near an air vent.
How to care for a bamboo palm?
Bamboo plants are popular house or indoor plants. This calls from its features of being low maintenance and adaptable to different light conditions. Well, they’re not choosy. Bamboo does require consistent moisture. So, if you’re someone who tends to underwater your plants, you may think of skipping them. Also, don’t overwater them.
Light
Bamboo palms are the perfect tropical plants when we talk about medium to low light conditions. Unlike other palm plant varieties, bamboos do not demand bright light to thrive. They’ll do very well in different light conditions – right from low light up to bright light. Also, they’re capable of tolerating their location in north-facing windows. However, avoid hot and direct sunlight as it can burn the delicate leaves.
Soil
The next stop in bamboo palm care is the soil. Well, every plant needs soil to grow – except a very few. So, let’s talk about the soil requirements of bamboo.
For bamboo palms, well-draining but moist soil is the best. The ideal soil can be described as porous but humus-rich. Here’s a great DIY soil mix for these tropical indoor palms – mix standard potting soil with orchid bark, perlite and peat moss. And, watch the magic happen.
Water
Here’s the next one on the care list. Well, even humans need water to survive and so do plants. So, let’s go over the water requirements of bamboo palms.
The soil in which the bamboo plants are established should be evenly moist but never waterlogged. Remember that they are sensitive to both under-watering as well as overwatering. So, it is best to go on the under-watering part than its overwatering counterpart. To maintain the moisture without letting it too much – let the soil slightly dry between watering.
Humidity and temperature
As bamboo palms are tropical plants, they tend to admire the humid environment and warm temperature. They’re also hardy plants – this means that they require less watering. However, these plants hate frost.
Having a typical household or indoor temperature and humidity level is ideal. But, a dose of extra humidity is always appreciated whenever possible. You can place the palm on a pebble tray or near a humidifier to increase the humidity around the plant.
Fertilizer
During the growing season, you should fertilize your palms to encourage healthy growth. Time-release and granular fertilizers work best. Take the fertilizers, spread them on top of the pot and water them in. Do not fertilize during the winter and fall as the plant is in dormancy.
Propagating bamboo palms
Always consider the fact that bamboo plants are sensitive to trauma. Also, they can be tricky to propagate. You can take the offshoots of the mature bamboo plants and establish them as new plants.
While separating the offshoots, always use a sharp and clean knife. If the offshoots happen to have a root system, carefully separate them as well. Pot the offshoots in well-draining and loamy soil. Place them in a consistently humid environment until they’re established.
Potting and repotting
Bamboo palm indoor care involves potting and repotting as well. Once your plant outgrows its previous container, it is time for repotting. Also, do not re-pot them too often, as they tend to grow slowly. Also, the plant will grow as large as the pot it has. So, depending on the size of the plant you want, keep the pot size around that. This greatly helps in controlling the size of the bamboo palm.
Common pests and diseases
Another important thing in bamboo palm indoor plant care is to remember that they are susceptible to a variety of pests. They can be mitigated by using insecticides treatment – if required. However, make sure that you regularly watch out for your plant for pests to catch any infestations early.
And here you know how to care for bamboo palm. All you have to do is follow the simple tips and instructions. Bamboo palm plant care is not that tricky – you can get it right easily.
