Bamboo Palm Care Tips: Watering Guide & Much More
Botanically known as the Chamaedorea Seifrizii, bamboo palms are not true bamboos. Where actual bamboos are grass belonging to the Poaceae family, Bamboo Palms belong to the Araceae family.
Native to Central America and Mexico, it is a beautiful, tropical delight that can add a healthy dash of style to any home or landscape. These palms are in sharp contrast to almost all other tropical palms.
They can thrive even in low-light conditions. Of course, on exposure to bright sunlight, they will grow even taller, but regardless, its beauty is one of a kind. They can add warmth and color to a space.
What’s more? The Bamboo Palms are air purifiers and find a place in NASA’s clean air varieties list.
Jump To
- How To Take Care Of Bamboo Palm?
- Bamboo Palm Problems
- Indoor Bamboo Palm Tree Care
- Why Is My Indoor Bamboo Palm Turning Brown?
- How Do I Know If My Palm Tree Is Dying?
- Bamboo Palm Benefits
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to look after bamboo palm? This guide below will discuss these and other essential bamboo palm care tips. Let us get started and help you learn how to care for bamboo palms.
Bamboo Palm Maintenance & Care Guide
Below, we will enlist some helpful tips that can help you take good care of your palms and ensure they grow tall and attractive as they are meant to be.
How Often To Water Bamboo Palms?
Bamboo palms love moisture, but they are sensitive to excess and too little moisture. Both extremes are averse to them.
So, too much water, especially one that waterlogs or collects on the pot, is not required. Hence, if you cannot decide when to stop, always opt for underwatering over overwatering.
It is one of the most vital bamboo palm care tips. Between your two waterings, you should ensure that the soil has dried. You can stick your fingers into the soil to feel the top layer and only water it once the soil feels dry.
As a general rule of thumb, once a week will suffice. But you can increase the frequency in the growing season and reduce it during the winters.
The answer to how often to water bamboo palm is also dependent on the temperature. When the air is hot, the temperature is dry. So, the watering frequency can be increased. Exposing the bamboo palm to the right temperature is also an essential aspect of the ‘how to care for bamboo palm’ guide.
The Right Temperature
Bamboo palms love tropical, warm climates, but they can tolerate the temperature in USDA hardiness zones 10-11. Of course, like the other palms, they cannot tolerate frost, and continuous exposure to cold weather can dry or kill the plant.
It is another one of the top bamboo palm care tips you must bear in mind. The plant thrives in temperatures between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do Bamboo Palms Need Direct Sunlight?
People usually believe that since the bamboo palm is a tropical palm, it must love direct and endless sunlight. But, this is far from the truth. So, how to take care of bamboo palms?
Bamboo palms are pretty tolerant and can thrive in several different lighting conditions. But, the plant thrives in low-light conditions. Hence, you must look for a spot where the plant can receive indirect sunlight or shade.
Direct and excessive sunlight is the worst for the plant. It can burn the leaves. Please bear in mind that this is one of the most essential bamboo palm care tips.
What About Humidity Levels?
The placement of the bamboo palms in a medium to high humidity environment is also essential for its growth and to correctly know how to take care of bamboo palm?
If the air lacks the necessary humidity, you will need a humidifier for your plant to thrive. In addition, you must frequently mist the plant to maintain requisite moisture.
How To Care For Bamboo Palm’s Soil Requirements
You must always plant your bamboo palms in soil with acidic to neutral pH. In addition, well-draining soil that does not retain too much water is suitable for the palm.
How to look after bamboo palm if the soil is inadequate? Add a rich organic matter content to the soil to increase its nutrition value. Bamboo palms cherish humus-rich, porous soil that can cater to the plant’s moisture requirements while simultaneously ensuring the air passes through the soil.
One of the most crucial bamboo palm care tips here is that you can add orchid bark, perlite, and peat moss to accentual the overall quality of the soil.
Fertilizer
How to care for bamboo palm? One of the most quintessential things is providing the plant with the necessary feed at the right time.
Provide the bamboo palm with the proper dose of fertilizer during the growing season – spring and summer. Slow-release, granular fertilizers are the best selections for the palm.
So, how to look after bamboo palms feed? When feeding the plant, opt for a dedicated fertilizer or any nitrogen-rich fertilizer, and use it as per the packaging guidelines. Do not overfeed the fertilizer as that too can have severe consequences. Further, fertilizer must be sprinkled on the top of the basal layer, and for its even spread and to seep it into the soil, you need to water the palm.
Related: Fertilizers for fruit trees, citrus trees, orchids, hydrangeas
How To Prune Bamboo Palm?
Pruning is a vital step in the bamboo palm care guidelines. But, how you prune is also necessary for the plant’s good health.
Follow the guide below to prune without damaging the plant.
- Firstly, take a sharp tool and prune the leaves that are brown and dead but on the plant. A single cut at the stem and leaf’s junction would suffice.
- Get rid of every dead, old, or overgrown stem right from the base.
- If you are pruning a damaged, infected, or diseased plant, disinfect the tool before using it on any other plant. It is one of the most essential bamboo palm care tips to ensure that the diseases and pests of one plant are not transferred to the other.
- Always wipe the blade with rubbing alcohol or a solution with 10 percent bleach between two uses.
- Also, before pruning, you must fertilize the plant well and prune it only after a week. It will ensure good growth for the pruned plant.
Propagation
Sensitization during propagation is mandatory for the proper care of the bamboo palm. Of course, bamboo palms are sturdy, but poor handling can damage the plant. Unfortunately, can cause a little stress to the plant.
So, the easiest way to propagate is waiting for the offshoots or the small, secondly palms to grow out. Since every offshoot already has a solid root system, it can surely survive on its own post-separation.
Hopefully, with our guide above, you have a substantial idea of how to care for bamboo palms.
How To Take Care of Bamboo Palm Problems
Here are some common concerns of a bamboo palm, which can inhibit its growth. We have also provided relevant solutions for each problem to help you save your palm.
Diseases and pests
Just like every other indoor plant, even the bamboo palm is susceptible to problems related to diseases and pests, such as scale insects, mealybugs, whiteflies, and aphids.
If left untreated, they can kill the plant, but there is a fool-proof solution to overcome this problem. You can put some neem oil on the plant or spray an insecticide to kill the pests.
Scorching heat damage
Even though the bamboo palms love and enjoy warm weather, the scorching, harsh heat is not for them. Also, they do not appreciate the bright, full sun. Hence, when the sun is harsh during the afternoon, it is best to bring the plant indoors. You can also place it in the shade.
Root rot
Bamboo palms love moist soil. But, soggy soil with high moisture content can be dangerous for the plant. It can result in root rotting and become a breeding ground for fungal infections. Hence, before your next watering, always check the soil. Only if it is dry should you water it again.
Related care guides: Date palm, Ponytail palm, Areca palm, Sago palm, Parlor palm, Cat palm, Madagascar Palm
How Do You Care For An Indoor Bamboo Palm Tree?
Above, we have discussed the detailed care guidelines for the bamboo palm. You can follow the instructions to the T, and your palm will thrive. Broadly, the idea is to replicate the native growing conditions of the plant, and you will have no trouble with the growth.
In addition, to know how to care for bamboo palm you can follow the below-listed bamboo palm care tips:
- Instead of propagating a plant from the seeds, buy an already established plant from the nursery. It can save you a lot of time and effort.
- Do not keep the plant near a vent or door that leaks cool air.
- Keep the plant away from the window where you receive direct sunlight.
- If the environment air is dry, use a humidifier.
- Also, if you furnace during the winters, continually mist the plant at least three to four times a week.
- Avoid using tap water for the plant. Distilled water is a better alternative.
- Repot the plant if it outgrows the existing container.
Why Is My Indoor Bamboo Palm Turning Brown?
The bamboo palm might be turning brown because of direct or excessive exposure to the sun. To prevent this, you must immediately bring the plant to the shade. Also, overwatering or underwatering might result in brown tips.
How Do I Know If My Palm Tree Is Dying?
There are a few straightforward ways to assess a dying palm.
Some giveaway signs include:
- The palm’s nucleus changes color. It becomes brownish or dark.
- Palms are self-cleaning. So, the older fronds will fall off eventually, but if the younger ones start losing their color or fall before time, it could indicate a problem.
- Similar to the other tropical plants, even the bamboo palms are susceptible to pests and insects. These can cause holes in the trunk that can kill the palm.
- Fronds turning yellow, brown, or wilting is another sign of impending death.
Bamboo Palm Benefits
Bamboo palm is known to have more than a few health benefits.
- Bamboo palm has a fresh and pure smell. So, they leave the environment feeling fresh, odor-free, and pleasant.
- They are visually appealing and add a tropical touch to the environment.
- Bamboo palm has excellent ornamental value. Their beautiful and graceful appearance can add a dash of style and color to any setting.
- They suck the pollutants and toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde, chloroform, carbon monoxide, and benzene, leaving the air in your surroundings clean and healthy.
- It is a mess-free, low-maintenance plant. The bamboo palm does not shed unnecessary leaves and will not attract pests to the same degree as the other indoor palms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques 1. Are bamboo palms poisonous?
Ans. ASPCA regards the bamboo palms as non-poisonous for dogs and cats.
Ques 2. Why is my bamboo palm dropping leaves?
Ans. If the plant is overwatered, the leaves start detaching from the plant and fall off. Hence, please keep your watering frequencies in check to avoid young fronds dropping from the plant.
Ques 3. How long do bamboo palms live?
Ans. Typically, bamboo palms can survive a century if planted outdoors. The indoor bamboo palms can last a decade.
Ques 4. Does bamboo clean the air?
Ans. Yes, bamboo palms are prevalent in air purifying indoor plants.
Ques 5. Should I mist my bamboo palm?
Ans. Bamboo palms love humidity. So, misting the bamboo palm three to four times a week can be beneficial.
Ques 6. How tall do bamboo palms grow?
Ans. Bamboo palms usually grow 4-12 ft. tall and 3-5 ft. wide.
Ques 7. Do bamboo palms spread?
Ans. Yes, the bamboo palms do spread. But, their pruning and maintenance are very straightforward. You can chop off any errant shoot and curtail the plant’s spread to your desired space.
Hope you now have all the answers you need regarding bamboo palm like how often to water bamboo palms and how to look after bamboo palm indoors & outdoors.
