Washington (palm): growing at home, photo

Washington (palm) is a special plant that has won the hearts of gardeners with its beauty. This kind of palm trees is mostly greenhouse, but lately people have been trying to grow such a miracle at home. In order to do this, you need to work hard, because the tree is quite capricious. Palma, the photo of which can be seen here, prefers bright sun rays, since its homeland is the Mediterranean. We will describe this and other features in our article.

general information

So, before you grow this exotic miracle, get acquainted with it. Washington is a palm tree that came to us from South America. Also, this plant is found in the north of Mexico. While the palm has become accustomed to the subtropical climate, it can withstand a short drop in temperature to twelve degrees below zero. Referring to the family of arekov, the tree likes to be in well-lit areas. It looks beautiful on a veranda or balcony on the south side, especially if the company has neighbors like myrtle, oleander or laurel. In addition, Washington can also be grown in production areas, since the tree tolerates polluted air fairly smoothly.

If we talk about the appearance of plants, then the palm tree can grow up to thirty meters in height. It depends on its kind. Also, it has large leaves with cuttings up to 1.5 meters. The trunk is large and covered with fibers and dry fallen leaves. When the time of flowering comes, the tree lets out long three-meter flower stalks on which there are flowers. They look like panicles. And after this period ends, the place of flowers appear black berries. This is a favorite treat for birds.

Types of palms

The tree in question here is of two kinds. They differ from each other, and therefore recommend reading the description of both types:

1. Washington is thready. It is also called the fan palm of California. The fact is that it was in California that this beauty was first noticed, and also there you can see whole plantings and forests from plants like her. The maximum height of a palm tree can reach twenty meters. The leaves have a gray-green color, and you can see on them a lot of white strips (strands). It was this feature that gave the palm its name. The tree prefers a cold winter with a temperature of 6 to 15 degrees and a lot of light.
2. Washington is powerful. Just like the first species, it has a second name - a Mexican mighty palm tree. This tree got its name because it grows on the border of Mexico and the United States. In free growth, a palm tree can stretch up to thirty meters in height, and this should be taken into account when planting a tree. Unlike the Californian beauty, this plant has light green bright leaves without any strips, and on the petiole of each leaf there is a sharp spike. The crone has a more neat appearance compared to the filamentous one.

Care instructions

Many people are interested in the question: how does the Washington palm grow at home? She grows well, but she needs special conditions.

• The lighting should be bright enough. South room, veranda, balcony - all this is suitable for a tropical miracle. While the plant is small, it needs constant supervision and care, and only becoming an adult, the tree can grow and in a place with a lower illumination.
• Watering the plant should be regular, but take into account seasonality. In summer, when the weather is hot, the palm should be watered once a week. In winter, when it's cold outside, watering should be cut and do it only as the soil dries completely. During this period, the tree rests, but still you can not let it wither. This will lead to the inevitable death of the palm.
• The humidity in the room where the palm grows should be between 55 and 75 percent. To maintain this moisture, sprayers must be used. In winter, it is also practiced to wash the leaves with a damp cloth.
• As the tree grows, you need to rotate it relative to the light source. This is necessary for the proper formation of foliage.

Top dressing

Palma, the photo of which is shown here, needs replenishment. Like any other plant, it needs to be fertilized. It is best to do this in the spring and summer, as in the winter it rests. Every self-respecting horticulturist knows that you can not disturb a plant in a rest period. As for the type of fertilizer, specialty stores sell compositions that are suitable for trees such as palm, yucca, dracaena. Read the instructions carefully and act according to it. Carry out feeding is recommended twice a month, you can slightly less often.

Transfer

If you are growing Washington (palm), then sooner or later you will need to transplant it. The fact is that while the plant is young (up to three years old), it must be transplanted every year. Then, as you grow up (three to five years), - once every three years. And quite adults (more than five years) - every five years.

In order to transplant the tree, you will need a pot with high sides, and in no case a low wide vessel. The transplantation process is best done at the beginning of the spring period. As an ideal soil, a mixture of turf, leaves, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1 is suitable for such a plant. This advice applies to those who want to make a mixture. For the rest, the finished palm soil is sold.

Methods of reproduction

Of course, our readers are also interested in the question of how Washington is multiplying. Cultivation from the seed is the way in which all the palms grow. For this procedure, you need to prepare the soil. This is an equal proportion of such components as peat, sand and sphagnum. You can also take compost land, but it must be decontaminated before that. For example, steaming it in a microwave oven.

Seeds are planted in the centimeter depth. The room needs to maintain a temperature of about twenty-five degrees. Closely monitor the drying and waterlogging of the soil. It is good, if it is possible to arrange the heating of the container from the bottom. In a couple of weeks you will notice the first sprouts. Waiting until they grow up and get stronger, you need to transplant them into separate pots.

Pest Control

The biggest problem in growing this tree is its growth. Think about where you can put an adult plant when it reaches its maximum height. But that is not all. Also, a tree can suffer from pest attacks. It is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the tree and respond to changes in time. Shield, tick and mealybug are the most frequent guests on the palm tree.

In addition, if it is wrong to water or tolerate temperature changes, then the leaves of the plant can darken, curl up, and stains appear on them. The main thing in this case is to see the problem in a timely manner, assess the state of the tree and eliminate it. In this case, the affected leaves are removed.

Interesting facts about the plant

Washington (palm) is used in the world not only as an ornamental decoration. In the places where the tree came from, it is used as a food product. Palm seeds are used for making flour, but, for example, stems from leaflets are eaten both raw and boiled. Moreover, baskets are made from the fibrous material of palm leaves.