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Kentia Houseplant advice please?

jakeGZEH79SqjakeGZEH79Sq Posts: 6
in Problem solving
Hi all

I’m a new house plant parent and the first plant I got was a Kentia Palm. I’ve had it probably five or six months and have done okay I think as I think I’ve had new growth (see the brighter green leaves - I’m assuming that’s what they are) but there is a few things that I thought might be concerning. Some of the leaves have browning spots or tips - these are all areas which are closer to the window. I’ve also got some yellowing / drying stems that I’m not sure whether to be concerned about. 

In terms of placement it’s in the corner by an east facing window. Indirect light all day, bright for a few hours in the morning. 

I water weekly if the top inch feels dry, otherwise I might leave it for two weeks if it still feels moist. It’s planted in an indoor pot so I’ve got an inch or two of rocks at the bottom for additional drainage too. Whenever I water it I mist it too. 

The browning tips probably do get hit by a bit of direct sunlight to be honest so I’m less concerned by those. 

Hope this is sufficient info to go on and I’d really appreciate any advice!

Thanks, Jake. 
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Posts

  • rwest78rwrwest78rw Posts: 24
    Are you using tap water? 
  • jakeGZEH79SqjakeGZEH79Sq Posts: 6
    I am.. I did see something the other day about leaving the water out overnight before watering so perhaps I should do that. Do you think that is the issue? 
  • rwest78rwrwest78rw Posts: 24
    I had a kentia that was beautiful and healthy when I bought it. After six months it was starting to get all speckled, leaves would grow, open up but then go all dry after just a few weeks. In the end the leaves were dying quicker than they they were being replaced. I was being so careful with it that I couldn't understand what was wrong with it.

    Then I noticed a sort of chalkiness appearing on the soil surface and around the base of the plant. It dawned on me that it was basically limescale that you get in a kettle. 

    I switched to rainwater, initially giving it a really good flush through a few times when I could put it outside during the day so it would dry out a bit. Obviously flushing the soil through gets it soaking wet. I also replaced the top layer of soil with fresh compost to get rid of the crust the tap water had left. 

    Basically the salts in your tap water cling to the roots and stop the plant being able to soak up what it needs. Same reason some plants need acidic soil I believe. 

    I'm no houseplant expert at all but that would be my guess. It's not been long so if you stop using tap water now I'm sure it will recover quickly. Mine took two years to really get fully healthy again but I'd now looking great. 

    We have really hard water, so I can't use it for houseplants at all. If you do some research you might be able to use yours, or if you don't have a water butt there might be an alternative such as a Brita filter or mineral water?? Maybe ask on here? 

    Hope it all goes ok though. 
  • jakeGZEH79SqjakeGZEH79Sq Posts: 6
    That’s great advice thank you. I live in a flat so rainwater isn’t really an option :(. I refuse to buy bottled water for any reason so will try and find some way to make use of tap water. Thanks for the steer, really appreciate it. 
  • rwest78rwrwest78rw Posts: 24
    I'm sure there are work around if you do some research. Do you know anyone who could fill a 5ltr bottle with rain water for you once every few months? Live near a river? That would mean only buying a big bottle of bottled water once then reusing the bottle. Totally agree with you in general not buying bottled water. 

    Like I say, maybe ask on here about alternatives to rain water. Lots will be in the same position. 
  • jakeGZEH79SqjakeGZEH79Sq Posts: 6
    Thanks. Will do!  One of the stems has just started drooping now too which doesn’t seem like a good sign!!! 😩
  • MontysGalMontysGal Posts: 70
    It’s definitely down to tap water. Could you maybe pop a bowl on a windowsill or hang a bucket somewhere to catch a bit of rain? They do sometimes have an odd droopy stem, I just tie them in with a bit of string just to tidy it up xx
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    Would it help to soften or filter your tap water?

    (Question to others) 
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • jakeGZEH79SqjakeGZEH79Sq Posts: 6
    Ferdinand2000 said:
    Would it help to soften or filter your tap water?

    (Question to others) 
    I’m no export (clearly!) but my research has led me to believe this introduces additional salts which also isn’t good for the plants. Apparently rain water is best. I might try and get a family member to leave a bucket in the garden for me or something. For now my googling has led me to believe the best option is to leave tap water to breathe for at least 24 hours prior to using for plants as apparently much of the chlorine evaporates and some other stuff! Obviously still open to any other advice though!
  • MontysGalMontysGal Posts: 70
    I forgot to mention that they love a good misting too, at least once a day, if you’re not already doing so xx
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