Description, types, recommendations for the care and maintenance of betel palms in residential premises, methods of reproduction, pest control and problems during cultivation. Betel palms have several other similar names - Chrysalidocarpus lutescens or Areca catechu. It is a common treelike plant that belongs to the variety of palm trees (Arecaceae), which includes more than fifty varieties of the Areca species. This type of palm is well suited for indoor cultivation. The homeland of this palm tree is considered to be the southern and southeastern territories of Asia, the southern regions of China, the western islands of Oceania, and the East African lands. This palm is grown for its grains (seeds), which are used for chewing by the local population or used to dye cotton fabrics.
Under natural conditions, the betel tree can reach 20 m in height with a leaf span of 2 m. The trunk at the base is covered with scars from old dried and fallen leaves and can reach half a meter in diameter at the base. The roots branch very strongly from the very base of the trunk. The crown of the areca is 8–12 compound plumose leaves, which are arranged alternately to each other. The bases of the cutting of the leaf tightly cover the trunk, and they also create a conical apex on the stem. The leaf blades are quite elongated, resembling elongated knives, covered with well-visible veins, reaching up to 60 cm in length.
The flowering process begins when the areca crosses the five-year line. The inflorescence consists of small flowers, delicate cream or milky shades, which at the beginning of flowering has the shape of an ear, and subsequently becomes panicle-shaped, reaching from half a meter in length to a meter in size. These inflorescences begin to form in the axillary buds of the leaves, which are located on the lower tier of the leaf crown. The peculiarity of this palm tree is that flowers of both sexes are located on the inflorescence - the female flowers grow from the bottom of the inflorescence, and the male ones rise above them at its top. Therefore, pollination is always inevitable, either the wind or insects carrying pollen are involved. Flowers with a pronounced pistil reach up to 7-8 mm in length, and flowers with stamens - 3-4 mm, they have a subtle aroma.
The fruit after the flowering process, which lasts up to 8 months, becomes an elliptical berry with a stone inside, which can grow up to 7 cm in length. The content of the red or orange berry is distinguished by a thick, dryish-fibrous pulp and bone, which has a structure and color similar to the bark of a tree, inside which there is a pale brown seed, which is popularly called "betel nut" or "betel nut". The bone has a size of about 2.5 cm.
When cultivating betel palms at home, you need to remember that the juice of the leaf plates is very poisonous, you need to make sure that they do not get to small children or pets. And if we discard the narcotic component for which this palm tree is valued in her homeland, then indoors it is of great benefit, since it destroys toxins and formaldehydes in the air, and saturates it with a huge amount of oxygen. But under the conditions of apartment cultivation, the flowering of the areca practically does not occur.
Conditions for growing betel palms in the house
- Lighting. Since the Areca loves bright lighting, it firmly tolerates the direct rays of the sun, which will illuminate it at any time except noon, therefore, if a tub or pot with a palm tree is installed on the south window, it will not hurt her in any way, you just have to slightly shade the plant …But the great thing is that she can just as well feel great in the partial shade of the room. If the plant is planned to be transferred to a more illuminated place, then it is necessary to accustom it to a change in illumination gradually so that a sunburn on the leaves does not turn out. It is also recommended to periodically rotate the pot with a palm tree so that its crown stretches symmetrically.
- Temperature for keeping areca. Since this palm is a resident of warm areas, then at home it is necessary to adhere to moderately warm temperature indicators so that the plant does not stop growing and does not get sick. The minimum temperatures that the betel palm can withstand is 16 degrees, and the maximum is not higher than 26. If the temperature begins to rise and the humidity of the air decreases with it, it will soon destroy the palm tree. Drafts will also not bring health to the Areca, it is recommended not to place it near windows or doorways. With the onset of cold weather, areca does not require a rest period.
- Air humidity. Betel palms in any season of the year gratefully respond to the high humidity regime, which is inherent in the natural growing conditions. Regardless of the change of year, areca is very fond of wet spraying of leaves on both sides. Water for spraying is taken soft, preferably rain or melt brought to room temperature. You can also wipe down the leaf plates with a damp soft sponge, or set small plants in the shower. To increase humidity, you can use humidifiers or place containers filled with water next to the plant.
- Watering the betel tree. Since the rapid growth of the plant begins in the spring-summer period, watering becomes abundant and frequent at this time. It is best to use melt water or collected from rain. But if tap water is taken, then it must be boiled or defended for several days, if this is not done, watering with such water can be the last for the plant. To forcibly soften tap water, citric acid is used (1/4 teaspoon per 1 liter of water or a few drops of lemon juice) or peat soil, a handful of which is put in a gauze bag, is dipped in water overnight. It is necessary to regulate watering by the state of the earth layer on top of the pot, if it has dried out by 3-4 cm, then the substrate should be moistened. You can also install a pot with a palm tree in a deep container with water and change it periodically to avoid flowering, but this option is good for rooms with stable warm temperatures. With a decrease in temperatures, watering is almost halved.
- Fertilizing areca. In the choice of fertilizers for betel palms, no special tricks are required; it is best to use fertilizing with a complex of minerals and organics. This procedure is performed once every fortnight. If the soil is selected correctly, then no fertilizer is needed for the plant. With the onset of cold weather, top dressing is reduced to once a month or they are abandoned altogether. Organics are best applied separately and only in late spring and early summer.
- Betel tree replanting and soil selection. A young palm tree differs in that the fruit is visible at the base of the stem, from which its germination began. In no case should these remnants be forcibly removed, since the areca will die after that. Only in the case when these residues themselves take on dark shades and can be separated they can be removed. In flower shops, betel palms can be sold in several pieces in one pot, transplanting and dividing young plants is also not recommended, if the roots are damaged, the whole "grove" will die.
Young areca plants require annual replanting, adults can be disturbed after 3-4 years. Sometimes it is enough to just slightly update the soil in the pot - this applies to those cases when the palm tree has grown to impressive sizes. Transplanting takes place only by the transshipment method, since the root system is very sensitive and fragile. When transplanting, for the pot in which the areca will be located, it is imperative to arrange good drainage to drain excess water. At the bottom of the container, a quarter of the volume of the pot of small expanded clay or pebbles is poured. A layer of substrate 1–2 cm high is poured onto expanded clay. The palm tree is carefully pulled out of the old pot and placed in a new container, without shaking off the soil from the roots, after setting the plant, all cracks are filled with new soil mixture. It is important that the plant does not go deep during transplanting and the soil should not cover the root collar of the plant. Until the palm tree takes root and shows that it has taken root, the temperature should fluctuate between 22-25 degrees. Moderate humidity of the air and substrate is also maintained around the plant. Drying out the soil in the pot will have a detrimental effect on the palm tree.
The acid reaction of the soil for betel palms should be neutral or slightly acidic, light and nutritious. For the normal growth of a palm, you can independently compose a soil mixture based on the following components: sod light soil (4 parts), leafy nutritious soil (2 parts), one part of humus soil and coarse sand. Part of the black peat is added to this composition for lightening and acidification. You can also take commercially available palm soil and lighten it with softwood bark, crushed charcoal, medium pebbles, processed bird or animal bones (bone meal).
If, during the growth process, the roots of the areca began to appear from the ground, then to maintain moisture, it is recommended to cover them with sphagnum moss, which will delay the evaporation of moisture.
Betel Tree Self-Propagation Tips
There is only one way to propagate this kind of palm - using seed. This method is rather complicated, as it requires constant heating of the soil and a high moisture content in the air. To do this, take areca seeds and plant them in a previously prepared moist substrate based on sand and peat. The temperature of the soil into which the seeds are sown should be constant at 25-27 degrees. The dishes with seeds are covered with a plastic bag or glass to create the conditions for a mini-greenhouse. In this case, the seedlings are constantly sprayed and ventilated. If these conditions are met, the sprouts can only be seen after 3-4 months. Months with warm temperatures are more suitable for the breeding procedure.
Betel tree pests and possible care difficulties
The pests that affect the areca can be called spider mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, scale insects, thrips. All these pests can infect a plant when the air humidity has become very low. The presence of pests is sticky spots, whitish bloom on the leaf plates of a palm tree or deterioration of the leaves without disturbing the lighting or watering regime. To begin with, you can wipe the leaves with a soap or oil solution (water mixed with any dishwashing detergent or household or green soap dissolved in it). If after a short time there is no improvement, then it is necessary to treat the plant with modern insecticides. When fighting mealybugs, they use wiping the leaf plates with tincture of calendula or horsetail, bought at a pharmacy, and also arrange a hot shower for the plant. If these funds do not work, then treatment with antiparasitic drugs is required.
If the leaf plates began to fall off from the very bottom of the leaf crown, then their lifespan may have come to an end. If the tips of the leaf plates or the edges around the entire perimeter began to acquire a brown color, this means a small amount of moisture in the air or soil.
Most often, areca is affected by putrefactive diseases, with such a lesion, brown spots with a reddish tint appear on the leaf plates, which begin to grow in size day by day. To combat such problems, the plant is treated with fungicidal preparations. Spraying the plant is stopped until it recovers.
Spots of round shapes with brown edges indicate a sunburn of the leaves. If the color of the leaves begins to fade, then too high light intensity leads to such changes. If the leaf plates change their color to yellow, then this means poor watering, the presence of calcareous compounds in the water or a minimum amount of nutrients in the substrate.
Types of betel palms for growing in an apartment
- Areca three-stalked (Areca triandra). In natural conditions, it can grow up to 3 m in height. The beautiful bottle-colored leaf plates with barely discernible longitudinal stripes measure half a meter in length. The shape of the leaf plates is broadly elongated, with a slight sharpening at the apex. The trunk is usually single, but may branch slightly. When branching, feathery leaves can begin to grow right from the very base of the stem. When blooming, the scent can resemble that of lemon. The buds are colored white in opening, the fruit reaches 2.5 cm in length.
- Areca catechu. It is considered the most common species of all arecs. The trunk can stretch up to 30 m with a leaf crown span of up to 5 m. The trunk and leaves are cast in a rich green color. The trunk at the base differs in a gray-green tint from dried and loose foliage. The leafy stems, under the weight of the green mass, bend in majestic arches and emerge from one peak. The leaves are shaped like very narrow, pointed knives. It is preferable to grow the plant in special winter greenhouses or in open areas. This palm tree grows very slowly, fruiting is extremely rare. The most common varieties are: Areca catechu f. communis and Areca catechu var. batanensis, Areca catechu var. longicarpa (native to the island territories of the Philippines), Areca catechu var. alba (homeland of the plant Sri Lanka), Areca catechu var. Delisiosa (subspecies of Areca catechu native to India), Areca catechu var. nigra (areas of the island of Java), Areca catechu var.silvatica (wild form of palm).
- Areca yellowing (Areca lutescents). The plant reaches a height of 10 m and has a trunk of 1 m in girth. The length of the leaf can vary from 30 cm to 40 cm, arched and rather short. Leaves are painted in light green tones with black speckles. Their shape is elongated and elongated with a visible dissection at the top of the leaf. It grows and develops very well in indoor conditions. Flowering occurs on fairly long flowering stems, which are very branched. They are completely covered with yellow flowers blooming in rows with the same number of petals and stamens. This palm tree reproduces completely seamlessly in an apartment or office environment. Seeds are also used for reproduction, but their similarity is only 30-40 days.
How to care for Areca after winter, you will learn from this video:
