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House Palm

andy.starrandy.starr Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hi all, we have enjoyed having a house palm for a few years but it’s starting to look sick. I don’t think I have helped by pruning it a little aggressively about a month ago. Any idea how we can save it please? Not sure if we are over or under watering.
Please see pics.
Thanks 
Andy

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    What makes you say it looks sick? The one I have only keeps two leaves alive at a time so as a new one grows an older one dies off. I usually let it go quite brown before pruning it off so it reabsorbs the nutrients. Otherwise it's a bomb-proof plant that I totally neglect but it thrives anyway.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited October 2022
    andy.starr said:Not sure if we are over or under watering.

    Unless you are sure, anything could happen.    Plants can be killed by both over and under watering.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Arthur1Arthur1 Posts: 542
    It wants to be a tree, growing ever upward.  It's natural habit is to lose the lower leaves and concentrate its energies on the new leaves coming from the centre.
    Only you know if you have over or under watered. Avoid 'little and often'. Water really thoroughly then allow compost to dry.
    The root system looks healthy from the photo.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    If it's been in the same pot for a few years, although it doesn't look pot bound, I'd consider repotting it in a slightly larger pot and use fresh compost, ideally a houseplant compost or your own equivalent mix.  It could be that salts have built up in the compost over time and are affecting healthy growth.  To minimise this, use rainwater or filtered water rather than tap water when you water your plant. 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • andy.starrandy.starr Posts: 3
    wild edges said:
    What makes you say it looks sick? The one I have only keeps two leaves alive at a time so as a new one grows an older one dies off. I usually let it go quite brown before pruning it off so it reabsorbs the nutrients. Otherwise it's a bomb-proof plant that I totally neglect but it thrives anyway.
    Thanks for that info. I assumed it was sick because a few
    leaves went brown at the same time. 
  • andy.starrandy.starr Posts: 3
    Thank you all for the excellent advice. I’ll repot it with fresh compost and use rain water too.
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