Embrace the timeless elegance of the Kentia Palm, a symbol of tropical grace and sophistication.

With their graceful fronds and tropical allure, indoor palms are cherished for their ability to transform any indoor space into a lush oasis. Whether adorning living rooms, offices, or lobbies, these botanical beauties exude elegance and tranquility. While indoor palms like the Kentia Palm and Lady Palm are renowned for their adaptability and low-maintenance nature, providing them with the right nutrients can significantly enhance their growth and vitality. Read on to discover the best fertilizer for indoor palms and how to effectively fertilize these iconic plants for optimal health and beauty.

Understanding the NPK Ratio

The Best Plant Food for Indoor Palms

Can Fertilizing My Indoor Palm Help It Thrive?

When to Fertilize Your Indoor Palm

Understanding the NPK Ratio

Indoor palms are slow growers and, like other plants, have specific nutrient requirements essential for their growth and well-being. When choosing a fertilizer for indoor palms, it's crucial to consider the NPK ratio, which represents the proportion of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the fertilizer formulation. For indoor palms, a balanced, all-purpose liquid fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 10-10-10 or similar is recommended. This balanced blend ensures that your indoor palms receive the essential nutrients necessary for robust growth and vibrant foliage.

The Best Plant Food for Indoor Palms

While various fertilizers can effectively nourish indoor palms, opting for a high-quality, all-natural liquid plant food is ideal for promoting optimal growth and vitality. Our Boost Vitaminé is specifically formulated to meet the unique nutritional needs of indoor palms, providing them with the essential nutrients they need to thrive. Enriched with natural ingredients, Boost Vitaminé promotes healthy root development, lush foliage, and overall plant vigor, ensuring your indoor palms remain vibrant and flourishing.

Can Fertilizing My Indoor Palm Help It Thrive?

While indoor palms may not bloom like their outdoor counterparts, proper fertilization can significantly enhance their overall health and appearance. By providing your indoor palms with the right nutrients at the appropriate times, you can stimulate robust growth, vibrant foliage, and a thriving, verdant presence in your indoor space.

Elevate your indoor palms with Boost Vitaminé Plant Food – the ultimate nourishment for vibrant growth and lush foliage!

When to Fertilize Your Indoor Palm

Timing is key when it comes to fertilizing palms to ensure optimal growth and vitality. During the active growing season, typically from spring to summer, incorporate a balanced liquid fertilizer into your watering routine every two to four weeks. This regular feeding schedule provides your indoor palms with the necessary nutrients to support healthy growth and vibrant foliage. As fall and winter approach and your palms begin to receive less light throughout the day, reduce fertilization to once every two months to prevent overfeeding and maintain overall plant health.

At Léon and George, we're on a mission to bring the beauty of nature into your daily life. Our hand-selected, California-grown plants such as the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, Ficus Audrey, and Bird of Paradise are carefully chosen for their quality, health, and beauty. We believe in simplicity, fairness, and sustainability, sourcing our plants from trusted local growers who share our values. When you bring a Léon and George plant into your home, you're not just getting greenery – you're getting a piece of nature treated with our all-natural products and staged for optimal growth. We're here to make plant ownership accessible and enjoyable for everyone, fostering a connection between people and the natural world.

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Kentia Palms are great air-purifiers, safe for pets, and adaptable to different light levels.

So, you’ve got your heart set on a Kentia Palm. You’ve seen it in all of the magazines, and you know that it will be the perfect addition to your space. But before you dive into this gorgeous head-turner, there are a few things that you should know about the Kentia Palm. From lighting requirements to care instructions, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know before you buy a Kentia Palm.

The Kentia Palm Loves Indirect Light

Don’t have a sun-soaked home? Don’t worry! The Kentia Palm does not require direct sunlight in order to thrive. In fact, direct sunlight can actually be harmful to this plant. Instead, Kentia Palms love indirect light. This means that you should place your Kentia Palm in an area where it will receive bright, filtered light throughout the day. While some dappled and/or soft morning light is okay, in general you should avoid harsh direct sunlight, like that of a west-facing window. This plant can also adapt to medium light levels,  making it a great choice for the office.

The Kentia Palm is a Slow Grower

Don’t expect your Kentia Palm to grow quickly. This plant is a slow grower, and it can take years for it to reach its full height, making it a great choice for someone who doesn’t want to do a lot of maintenance over time. 

With their graceful fronds and striking appearance, Kentia Palms are sure to make a statement in any room.

The Kentia Palm is a Good Air Purifier

In addition to being a beautiful plant, the Kentia Palm is also a good air purifier. This plant is known for its ability to remove toxins from the air, such as formaldehyde and benzene, making it a great plant for anyone who wants to improve the air quality in their home or office.

The Kentia Palm is a Pet-Friendly Plant

If you have pets in your home, you’ll be happy to know that the Kentia Palm is a pet-friendly plant. This means that it is non-toxic to both dogs and cats. Of course, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on your pets when you introduce a new plant to your space, just to make sure that they don’t show any interest in it–if anything for the plant’s sake!

The Kentia Palm is a Great Statement Plant

If you’re looking for a plant that will make a statement in your space, the Kentia Palm is a great choice. This plant has a bold, tropical look that attracts the eye and beautifies any space. Whether you’re using it as a focal point in your living room or adding it to your office to liven up the space, the Kentia Palm is a plant that will not disappoint.

Avoid Buying Your Kentia Palm from a Garden Center

The health of your Kentia Palm is essential for its overall beauty and ability to thrive. The care it receives both before and after you bring it home is critical. While garden centers might offer a lower price, their plants might not have been well-tended or free from pests. Therefore, it's best to buy from a trusted and reputable grower who can provide the pick of the litter.

When you buy plants from a garden center, you might be getting a plant that has been watered and treated the same as every other plant in the store, regardless of its specific needs. Kentia Palms, for instance, cannot tolerate overwatering. When they receive too much water from the store's hose, their health can slowly start to decline.

Another problem with buying plants from a garden center is transporting them. The process of getting the plant into your car and taking it home can be stressful for the plant, particularly if you're using the car's air conditioning or heater. Environmental stress can be harmful to plants, and it can take time for them to recover.

To ensure the health and vitality of your Kentia Palm, it's best to buy from a supplier that specializes in these plants. They'll know precisely how to care for them and transport them safely to your home. The initial cost may be higher, but in the long run, it's worth it. You'll save both money and energy, and you'll be able to enjoy a beautiful, healthy plant for years to come.

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The Kentia Palm is a classically elegant statement floor plant with gorgeous fan-like fronds of vibrant foliage. With its height and full canopy, this plant packs a punch: they’re an ideal choice for any space that needs a statement plant with real gravity and a luxurious, jungle aesthetic. Native to Lord Howe Island, off of the east coast of Australia, they appreciate humidity. So when your Kentia Palm exhibits dryness in its fronds or frond tips, the source of the issue often comes down to moisture. Read on to learn more about how to keep your Kentia Palm vividly green from stem to tip of leaf, and steps for resolving any brown tips it may become afflicted with.

Brown Tips: Insufficient Humidity

Kentia Palms are big fans of humid environments, which can be challenging to recreate at home. If you can’t bring yourself to run a humidifier for the sake of your plant friends, consider the following: it’s important to keep your Kentia Palm away from running ACs, heaters or vents, and any dry drafts from windows and doors. Dry and crispy frond tips are a sure sign that your Kentia is craving moisture, so plan on boosting its misting routine as well. Misting your plant liberally (up to 3-5 times a week) will make a tremendous difference. And if your Kentia Palm is placed within a few feet of an appliance that emits dry air, you will want to consider moving it.

Brown Tips: Underwatering

Ensure that you follow a consistent schedule when watering your Kentia Palm: keeping its topsoil slightly moist and watering when the top 2 inches of soil are dry to the touch is best.

How to fix brown tips: Trim, Trim, Trim!

Don’t be afraid to clean up your Kentia Palm’s brown tips by trimming them. Simply cut the brown areas off with clean, sharp scissors or shears, while following the natural curve of the blade. Give the tips a misting when you’re done.

Plant Doctor Support

If you follow the steps listed here and and your Kentia Palm continues to exhibit frond tips, reach out to our Plant Doctor service for a detailed assessment and support. Simply log into your Léon & George account, select “Contact Plant Doctor”, and attach images of both the Kentia Palm as a whole and close-ups of its brown tips. The Plant Doctor team will reach out to you with their assessment and guidance for care within 2-3 business days.

Read our full Kentia Palm care guide here.

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Kentia Palm

Classic, lush featuring full, fan-shaped fronds, the Kentia Palm is a stunning statement floor plant with plenty of presence and an unforgettable aesthetic.

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The Kentia Palm

AKA howea forsteriana

Tall, full, and majestic, the Kentia Palm is known for its lush fans of foliage and tropical island vibes. An excellent air purifier, this popular houseplant is a slow grower which blossoms new fronds from the center of its narrow trunk. Though the Kentia Palm is a relatively easy plant to care for, it does require a certain set of conditions to thrive. Read on to find simple care tips and solutions for how to successfully care for and grow a Kentia Palm.

How much light do Kentia Palms need?

This plant prefers medium to bright indirect light, but can adjust to medium-low light. Keep in mind that it will scorch in direct sunlight.

How to water your Kentia Palm

Keep the just slightly moist — water when the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry. When watering, take care not let the plant become oversaturated or waterlogged, and regularly mist to boost humidity levels.

How fast does the Kentia Palm grow?

The Kentia Palm is a slow grower and will take many years to reach the majestic heights it’s known for. Fertilize your Kentia Palm 1-2 times per month in the spring and summer with indoor plant food, and consider foliar feeding year round.

Common problems with the Kentia Palm

Yellow leaves - overwatered

• Symptom - yellowing leaves

• Cause - too much water, potential root rot

• Remedy - Allow the soil to air out (aeration could help for minor cases) or change the soil entirely to reduce the risk of root rot. You may cut the yellow leaves off at the base.

Brown tips- underwatered

• Symptom - leaves turning yellow or brown at the tips

• Cause - most likely underwatering, but could also be a result of too much fertilizer

• Remedy - Be sure to keep a consistent watering schedule to ensure the plant’s soil does not dry out too much between waterings. You may also mist the plant weekly to boost moisture levels, and make sure it is not placed near any air vents, heaters, or air conditioners.

Heavily drooping leaves - overwatering or underwatering

• Symptom - fronds drooping more so than usual

• Cause - overwatering or underwatering

• Remedy - Depending on your watering schedule, this could be either! If you suspect it’s underwatering, take your plant out of its decorative pot and place outside or in a bathtub or shower to give it a deeper watering, allowing all the roots to drink evenly. For overwatering, follow the instructions above.

How to maintain a beautiful and healthy Kentia Palm

Take care of your Kentia Palm and it will take care of you! Below are simple tips to continue caring for and growing your Kentia Palm over time.

Pruning your Kentia Palm

Kentia Palms don’t love to be tampered with too much. If you have yellowing or old fronds, you may cut them at the base with clean, sharp pruning shears. Otherwise, avoid pruning.

Cleaning your plant

Take each frond between two soft tissue cloths and wipe off the top to reveal a healthy shine (also helps the plant soak in more light!). Regularly misting will also help to keep your plant clean and dust-free.

How to repot a Kentia Palm

Avoid repotting the Kentia Palm unless absolutely necessary (risk of root rot, for example). Kentia Palms have delicate roots and do not like to be repotted.

• When to repot - Only when your plant is at risk of root rot

• Pot sizing - if you want your plant to grow wider, find a nursery pot that’s 2” in diameter larger than the current pot. If you want your plant to stay the same size, you can reuse the same pot and simply change the soil.

• Get your hands dirty - spread out newspaper on the floor, remove the plant from the pot and shake off as much of the old soil as possible so that you have clean roots. Be gentle with the delicate root ball! Place the plant in the center of the pot, add new soil and pat down firmly. Water the soil thoroughly and place the plant in an area with bright indirect light. Your plant will take 2-4 weeks to settle from the shock and adjust to its new home.

How to propagate the Kentia Palm

The only way to propagate a Kentia Palm is by germinating the seeds. However, this is incredibly difficult to achieve indoors, and unfortunately, propagating is best left to growers.

Illustrations by our talented plant stylist, Kailie Barnes

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Ah, the Kentia Palm. We love it for the effortless tropical vibe it creates, striking beauty, and easy going attitude, but yellow leaves are never fun and sadly they can be quite common on this variety. Discoloring fronds won't change back to green so you'll have to trim them off, but here are a few things that could be causing them, plus adjustments you can make to keep your palm lush and green.

Overwatering

Yellowing spots are more often than not the result of stagnant moisture in the soil, typically due to watering too much. Try drying out the soil a bit before the next watering - this could take a few weeks. If the yellowing continues, root rot may have set in. Check the soil and if there is plenty of moisture, offer your Kentia a soil change and trim damaged dark and soft roots. Healthy roots will be white and firm.

Lack of Moisture

Browning tips are typically caused by under watering, but a thirsty Kentia Palm may also show some yellowing or dying fronds. This plant loves a humid environment, so make sure to water when the top two inches of the soil are dry and add misting to your routine.

Too Much Fertilizer

Kentias are slow growers and don't require much fertilizer. If you overdo it on the fertilizer, this may cause discoloration or fertilizer burn on the leaves. Moving forward, fertilize only in the growing season (spring and summer), and never more than once a month.

Light Imbalance

Kentia Palms are prone to sunburn, so keep them out of harsh direct sunlight. Instead, try soft dappled light, indirect light, or medium light (see our light guide if you’re not sure!). Keep in mind the more light your Kentia gets, the thirstier it may be and vice versa.

A Note on Leaning

Leaning branches are common for Kentias as the fronds can get top heavy. Stake or loosely tie the branch back into place, and make sure to rotate your plant regularly for even growth on all sides.

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KENTIA PALM

With long majestic leaf fronds rising up from the bottom, the Kentia Palm is the ultimate statement plant. Surprisingly resilient and easy to care for.

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