Palm family. Homeland Yu. Asia, New Guinea, Polynesia, Australia. Liviston's palm is fast growing, we can say about it that it is rather unpretentious. The most common problem is the drying tips of the leaves, which do not need to be cut in winter, this is done in spring, with the beginning of growth. The leaves are cut only when they are completely dried.
- Livistona southern Livistona australis - In nature, this palm tree reaches 25 m in height, at home it will easily grow to the ceiling. The trunk is thickened, consisting of the remains of old leaves tightly adjacent to each other. Leaves on long petioles, up to 50-60 cm long, covered with black sharp spikes. In structure, the leaves are fan-shaped, but the segments, of which there are more than 50, are not separated to the very base.
- Livistona Chinese Livistona chinensis is similar to the previous species, the difference is that the tips of the segments on the fan of the leaf are drooping.
Livistona care at home
Temperature: Moderate in summer, liviston palm tolerates the heat well if the room is often ventilated. The optimal winter temperature for liviston palm is 14-16 ° C, at least 8 ° C. And due to the large size of the plant, it is difficult to provide uniform high-quality lighting, so in a warm room in winter the palm tree suffers, dries, the leaves turn pale.
Lighting: Very bright place, direct sun is useful. For uniform development of the crown, the liviston palm is periodically turned with different sides to the light. In summer, if possible, the palm tree is taken out into the garden, the place is chosen protected from the wind. But of course, a large plant can be problematic to put even on the balcony. Therefore, it is worth considering how to organize additional lighting for the dark season.
Watering: Watering should be uniform, in summer after the soil dries, in a day or two, in winter moderate - after the soil dries, in a few days. If the plant is dried out, the leaves droop, the tips of the wai dry. If the soil is waterlogged, the leaves droop, dark brown spots appear on them, rot on the stems. And yet it is better to water the leviston palm less often, it tolerates drying more easily than waterlogging.
Fertilizer dressing should be carried out only from April to the end of August, weekly, because liviston palm quickly consumes nutrients during growth. With a lack of nutrients, there is a slowdown in plant growth and yellowing of leaves.
Air humidity: Livistona loves regular, preferably twice a day spraying from a small spray bottle, as well as from time to time it is useful to shower or wipe leaves from dust with a damp sponge.
Transplant: Transplant only when the roots fill the entire pot or tub and begin to crawl out of the container - after about 3-4 years. When transplanting, part of the roots forming the felt layer are cut with a sharp knife so that the plant fits in a new pot, and if the pot is already too large, then after pruning the roots, plant it in the old one.
Drainage in the pot should be very good, at least 5-7 cm high and large holes at the bottom of the container. Nutritious soil: 2 parts of light clay-turf, 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of well-rotted compost, 1-2 parts of sand and a handful of charcoal.
For more on palm cultivation and cultivation, see Palm trees
