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If you want to make a tropical statement, with long-lasting and (nearly) care-free features, the Kentia Palm will deliver for you. Here are some helpful hints on keeping your Kentia in great shape for years to come:
Watering
Remember, these palms were propagated in Hawaii, so the soil media is crushed lava rock. This gives the Kentia a very porous soil profile, making it pretty hard to overwater, but don’t let it sit in water. It should be watered thoroughly, around the entire soil surface, and allowed to dry down before the next watering. See our watering guide for more information.
Light
While this palm has strong tolerance for lower light levels, much better than most palms, it will thrive in moderate and high light. So, good filtered natural light or bright florescent light will keep this palm growing strong.
Nutrition
Like other plants right out of nursery production, you won’t need to feed this palm for at least 6 months after you get it. That’s because there is residual nutrients in the soil from when the palm was being propagated. After 6 months, it can be fed quarterly with a complete fertilizer formulated for interior plants. Please refer to our plant nutrition guide for details.
Cleaning
A occasional wipe down with a damp cloth will keep your Kentia looking good. That’s it.
Pruning
The older leaves on the Kentia Palm may turn yellow and brown. So sweat…just prune off the leaf as close to the stem as possible.
Bugs
The biggest bug problem for this palm is scale. They’ll show up as little brown bumps on the underside of the leaves and can be wiped off. Because scale insects form a waxy proactive coating over their bodies, you will need to apply a little more pressure to dislodge the little boogers from their happy little spot on the underside of the leaves.
Trouble
Give it a little light and occasional water, and you should be in pretty good shape.
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Sami Khader (verified owner) –
The plant was beautiful but was damaged during the shipping. Sue was very helpful when I informed her about it and provided a partial refund. But as for the plant it still needs to recover from its hard travel, its still very droopy and bent from places.