The Bamboo Palm/ reed palm (Chamaedorea Seifrizii) plant is beautiful, compact and boasts of its nativity to Mexico and Central American. It is the ideal plant for areas with low light. When planted indoors, the plant can achieve a maximum height of about 5-7 feet and 3-5 feet worth of width with the inclusion of some reed –like stems growing in clumps. 

Each stem of a given bamboo palm contains 10-15 fronds, and each carries 10-14 pinnate/feathery leaflet that is dark green in color variation. A tan of dark-coloured fiber that looks like bamboo is used to cover the base of every stem of the bamboo. The bamboo palm is considered to be much hardier than Areca palm and more affordable when compared to kentia palm. It has been listed by NASA as one of the clean air plants. The plant is considered by some people as poisonous. Hence care and distance should be maintained about pets and children. 

Care

·      Although the perfect lighting condition for the bamboo palm for faster growth is bright indirect light, it can still survive in the medium and even low light. Just take care not to over-water.

·      Water the plant with distilled water once a third of the soil has dried. The soil should be maintained moist but not soggy. When a plant is under-watered, the new growth of leaves and tips will turn brown. Yellowing of the leaves can be as a result of both under watering or over watering. Care should be taken when dealing with problems of watering a bamboo palm by checking the whole soil. 

·      During summer and spring, the bamboo palm plant should be fed monthly with fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen. It should also be diluted at half the recommended strength. Don't fertilize the plant when it is resting or when the soil is dry.

·      Temperatures of between 65-80 degrees are the perfect environment for the growth of bamboo palm plant. 

·      Just like any other palm tree, bamboo palm needs an environment with high humidity.

·      The Bamboo Palm/ reed palm plant have a high susceptibility to spider mites, scale, and mealy bugs. Pests can be prevented by spraying the bamboo using a biodegradable mixture of liquid soap and water. For serious infestations, you can use insecticidal soap.

·      A basic potting soil that is well aerated and good drain abilities is the ideal soil for the bamboo palm.

·      The browned bamboo leaves should be removed by cutting using wet bamboo scissors and bare stalks removed. Use alcohol to clean the plant tools to avoid the spreading of the disease among the plants.

·      The propagation of the Bamboo Palm/ reed palm plant is done using seeds. It’s a slow plant and takes generally2-3 years to reach a decent size. It’s advisable to buy established plants and leave propagation to the professionals. 

·      Bamboo palm is a perfect plant when it comes to cleaning and getting rid of harmful chemicals in the air.

·      Although there is disagreement among experts on the safety of the plant, we regard the plant as highly poisonous with level 1 toxicity level. 

FAQs

What should I do with the fine webbing on my bamboo palm that is reddish?

The webbing is as a result of the infestation by spider mites. The remedy for this is spraying the entire plant with water that contains soap. If the infestation persists, you can opt to use insecticidal soap.

Why are the leaves on my palm tree turning brown while the new leaves are failing to open?

The browning of the leaves could be as a result of the application of too much plant food or insufficient watering of the plant. The failure of the leaves to open could also be as a result of under watering. To resolve this, the first step should be giving your bamboo palm enough water.

If this is the plant you are looking for, contact Toronto Office Plants today for more information.