The variety of indoor plants is truly amazing. There is a huge number of flowers, ornamental shrubs and trees, from which each person can choose the most suitable option for themselves. But one of the most exotic species is the Hovea Forster palm, a photo of which will be presented later in this article. It is often used to decorate the interior of both residential and commercial premises. However, in order for a flower to please with its beauty, it needs to create suitable conditions of detention and provide proper care. This and much more will be discussed later in this article.
General information
If we talk briefly about Hovei Forster, then this plant is a representative of the palm family and belongs to the group of decorative foliage. In the wild, its greatest concentration is observed on the islands of Oceania and in some regions of Australia. The height of the palm tree can reach 15 meters, however, it grows very slowly. For todayday plant is widespread as an ornamental throughout the world. The stem is not too thick, intercepted by leafy rings almost along the entire height. The leaves are dark green in color and have a palmately lobed shape. In its natural habitat, flowering occurs in late autumn, but when grown in a room, it does not occur. Inflorescences in their form resemble massive brushes formed from yellow flowers. Later, a fetus about four centimeters long appears on them, resembling a chicken egg.
Features of cultivation
Let's take a closer look at this. Hovea Forster, which is not difficult to care for at home, belongs to ornamental plants, so she feels great not only in the backyard, but also in a city apartment. Since the palm tree grows extremely slowly, adding only a few centimeters annually, it does not require regular transplants. With reproduction also there are no special problems. It will be discussed in more detail a little later. The main thing is to create a suitable microclimate for the flower and carry out timely feeding. Nothing more is required for the plant. It is for its unpretentiousness that many flower growers choose it.
Optimal conditions of containment
Hovea Forster belongs to exotic plant species, so you need to create a special microclimate for it. The palm tree grows well at room temperature and normal humidity, and is also able to do without a lot of sunlight. However, in order tothe plant has adapted well to the new place; when buying, it is necessary to properly transport it. The rhizome must be wrapped in paper and film. At the same time, it is not advisable to allow the flower to stay in the cold for a long time, since in this case it can freeze and die.
Lighting
So what do you need to know about this? Despite the fact that the Howea Forter palm is an exotic plant, it does not require an abundance of sunlight. It grows well in partial shade, so flower pots can be placed even on the north side of the house.
But to create the perfect lighting, experts advise following these rules:
- The light level in the room should be between 35 and 80 percent;
- the ideal location for a palm tree is the darkened side of the house;
- young plants under five years of age should be kept out of direct sunlight;
- if you live in a region with a short daylight hours, then you need to create additional sources of artificial lighting for Hovea Forster;
- to achieve symmetrical plant growth, the pots should be rotated from time to time so that it receives the same amount of light from all sides.
If these recommendations are followed, there will be no special problems with the maintenance and care of the palm tree.
Temperature and humidity
This aspect should be given special attention. Palm Hovea Forster (Kentia) belongs to the group of heat-loving plants. But despite this, she is able to stay at low temperatures for some time, unless, of course, we are talking about severe frost. However, the level of humidity in the room must be monitored, because if it is very low, then the plant may be attacked by harmful insects.
To achieve the ideal microclimate, you must adhere to the following rules:
- in warm weather, the temperature in the room should be between 20 and 25 degrees, and in cold weather - at least 18 degrees;
- optimum air humidity - 60-70%;
- you need to spray the flower 2 times daily;
- in summer, palm pots should be taken outside or on the balcony. However, it is not advisable to leave them in direct sunlight;
- It is not recommended to allow the air temperature to drop below 12 degrees.
Adult Hovea Forster, whose photos look simply amazing, are able to withstand even short-term frosts, but young ones can die from them. Therefore, it is very important to constantly maintain an optimal microclimate.
Soil for planting
Palms do well in all types of soil, regardless of their nutritional composition, but loamy or purchased substrate is best suited for growing. In this case, a prerequisite is the drainage system at the bottom of the pot. An excess of moisture can lead to rotting of the rhizome and death of the plant. Forgrowing Hovea Forster, you can make a substrate yourself. To do this, mix two parts of turf and hardwood and 1 part of peat, river sand and organic fertilizers.
Plant transplant
To achieve the best growth of palm trees, they should be replanted every year for the first five years of life. The pot is selected depending on the size of the rhizome. The best time for transplanting is considered to be the middle of spring. In the process of performing work, you need to be very careful not to accidentally damage the root system. The transplant algorithm is as follows:
- First of all, you need to purchase a pot of the right size and lay a drainage system on its bottom.
- Next, you need to carefully dig up the plant, save the earthen ball on the rhizome, and place it in a new container. In this case, it is very important that Hovea Forster is at the same level above the soil level as before.
- Free space is covered with earth and slightly compacted.
Adult palms over the age of five should only be repotted as needed, when the root system no longer has enough room in the pot. This is done by transshipment, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time and effort. Large plants contained in large flowerpots do not need to be transplanted at all.
Reproduction
Let's take a closer look at this. At home, you can breed the Hovea Forster palm tree by seed or by dividing the bush. Mostthe second method is common because it is more efficient and allows much better preservation of the characteristics of the mother plant. In addition, the plant in the apartment almost never blooms, so getting seed is quite problematic.
According to experienced flower growers, the most optimal time for dividing a bush is considered to be the middle of spring. In stores, a palm tree is sold in the form of a bush, consisting of several stems. So she looks more magnificent and beautiful. After the plant grows a little and reaches medium size, it can be divided into 2 or 3 parts.
The whole process is carried out as follows:
- Prepare a suitable size vase and a substrate consisting of one part soddy soil and two parts leaf humus and perlite.
- Carefully dig out one of the palm branches and carefully clean the root from the ground.
- Manually divide the roots into several parts. You need to do this quickly so that they do not have time to dry out.
- In a new container at the bottom, lay a thick layer of drainage and lightly sprinkle it with soil. Then place a plant in it, fill the free space with soil and compact it a little.
When all work is completed, the palm tree is abundantly watered and placed in a room where the air temperature is constantly kept between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius.
Care
It takes 1-2 weeks for a transplanted plant to root. Despite its exoticism, the palm tree is distinguished by its unpretentiousness,therefore, the algorithm for caring for Hovea Forster is quite simple. It consists in timely watering, top dressing and rejuvenation. Even novice flower growers who do not have much experience in breeding indoor plants can handle all this. Next, each item will be described in more detail.
Irrigation
So what do you need to know about this? As noted above, the palm tree is characterized by slow growth, but despite this, it needs regular moisture. This is due to the fact that the plant does not have a clearly defined dormant period, so it needs watering throughout the year. However, they should not be too abundant, because due to an excess of moisture, the leaves may begin to turn black and fall off. To achieve good growth of Howea Forster, it is advisable to care for her with the following watering recommendations:
- You need to moisten the soil as it dries to a depth of two centimeters.
- Water only with pre-settled water.
- It is not advisable to overmoisten the soil, as this can lead to rot damage to the rhizome.
- In the hot months of the year, the amount of watering is increased, and in the cold - reduced.
Also in summer, it is necessary to moisten the leaves with water from a spray bottle so that they do not turn yellow and do not dry out due to extreme heat.
Feeding
For her, it is best to use ready-made complex fertilizers with a balanced composition. If the palm tree grows on a nutritious type of soil, they will be quiteenough to keep her beautiful and he althy. Top dressing is carried out from mid-spring to the end of summer. The frequency of fertilization is 1 time in two weeks. Mature and diseased palms need fertilizer more often than young ones, so they are also applied in winter.
Rejuvenation
This aspect should be given special attention. Many novice gardeners are interested in the question of how to increase the vegetation of Hovea Forster. The answer is very simple - pruning. In addition, this procedure will give the plant more decorative, making it look much more beautiful. The essence of rejuvenation is that you need to remove all yellowed leaves. Trimming the trunk is strictly prohibited, as this can lead to the death of the palm tree. The amount of pruning depends on the number of leaves that have grown over a certain period of time.
General tips and tricks
Hovea Forster adapts well to almost any type of soil and is unpretentious in care. But, to make it even easier for yourself, you can follow these tips:
- In the hot season, the plant should be moved to a cooler room.
- If the leaves are covered with spots, then this indicates an excess of sunlight. In this case, the damaged areas are cut with scissors, and the palm tree is rearranged in partial shade.
- If the air temperature in the room exceeds 26 degrees, then it is necessary to increase the humidity level in it.
- In the summer, rooms need to be ventilated periodically, but notallow the flower to be in a draft.
- In order for the root system to develop well, it needs a sufficient amount of fresh air. To this end, the soil is fluffed up from time to time.
Here, in fact, are all the recommendations that will make caring for a palm tree simple and not time-consuming.
Conclusion
Howea Forster is one of the most hardy indoor plants. It does not require any special measures, rarely gets sick and is attacked by harmful insects, and also does not need frequent feeding. By following the recommendations in this article, you can grow a beautiful palm tree that will be a great decoration for your home or apartment.
