How do mexican fan palms do indoors?

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 5:50 pm

I'm thinking of buying a few smaller palms for inside the house to keep that tropical feeling alive through the winter months and thinking a Mexican Fan palm would be perfect. I've had certain palms indoors before and they were messy in that there was some sort of fallout that fell out onto the carpet and table it sat on. The fallout was somewhat sticky....

So questions:

1. Will this palm thrive indoors in a house without a humidifier?
2. Does it get like what I just described ever?

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 6:46 pm

I've had great success with Washy Robusta (Mexican Fan Palm) inside. I'll post a pic this weekend. Its about 6 years old now, spends each winter indoors in a west window. Probably about 5' tall. no bugs ever.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 6:47 pm

Yea,they will need quite a bit of sun inside though-to be happy.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:14 pm

Are we talking direct sunlight?

The windows where I'd move enjoy the plant are on the north... but there is a guest bedroom that faces south with huge windows....

Okanagan desert-palms · Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:35 pm

I would put it in your guest bedroom. Kent and Jim are right. They are a desert palm and need lots of light. They will decline quickly over a month or so with not enough sunlight. "No humidifier needed"! Keep Washy`s away from forced air registers, or better yet close it and they will grow through the winter just fine. Keep on the dry side. Water thorourghly then let it dry out again. I have several growing in our home through the winter. Hope this helps.

John

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:37 pm

Got one on order. We'll see how it goes. I'd like to put it outside eventually and get it going through my winters with protection... we'll see though!

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:52 pm

My wife did this for years, keeping it by a west window with good light. She also had a light on a timer over it. It would even start growing each March. Being a desert palm they tolerate dry indoor air better than many palms.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:01 pm

wheelman1976 wrote:Got one on order. We'll see how it goes. I'd like to put it outside eventually and get it going through my winters with protection... we'll see though!

A perfect micro-climate(like on the roof)is required with these the farther north you go.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:45 pm

Since I'm planning on parking this one in a pot for some time, what would be the best soil mix? I have some sand in a bucket from when I poured my concrete as well as a couple bags of potting soil. Anyone got some recommendations on mix ratios along with anything else I should mix in?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:34 pm

Unless you're on a tropical beach, sand stays too wet for too long in our homes/northern climates.

If you insist on using sand, I'd mix no more than 1 part sand to 5 or 6 parts soil potting mix (which has lots of perlite in it, the more perlite the better).

A lot easier on the back too when it's time to move it.

Barb

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:10 pm

So, the more perlite the better? I use it + vermiculite as additives to soiless potting mix.
My back prefers the perlite, so I wonder if there is such as thing as too much.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:01 pm

Anything that drains well--even cactus mix--is perfect because it doesn't hold water around the roots very long.
Try it with, say, a gallon pot (no plant) 100% sand and another pot with potting mix/perlite.
Equal amounts of water.
Tip it over in a couple of days and be amazed how wet the sand pot is.

But I wouldn't go so far as to use 80% perlite either...you'd have to water 3x a day.

I put sand only on top of palms etc. as a top dressing because the sun dries that inch very fast.
Supposedly keeps fungus gnat population down.

A cheaper alternative to perlite is unscented (and unused)

kitty litter.
Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:55 pm

I need to get my Filibusta off the porch....19F the other night.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:55 pm

Just got my palm today! I have to say it looks great, I think it helps they shipped it in the grow pot with all the dirt still in it. Looks like a nice healthy root system based on what was already growing outside of the pot.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:10 pm

shipped it in the grow pot with all the dirt still in it

That's a benefit...no root disturbance and the resulting set-back.
Shipping costs go way up though.

Would love to see a pic...

Barb

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:11 pm

heres a pic of my washington robusta (mexican fan palm). I said above that its 6 years old. I should correct and say that I bought it in 2005, so I've had it 6years. It was a tiny little thing when I bought it maybe 10-12 " tall. Its been a trooper over the years. I keep it in a west facing window and never had any problems with it.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:32 pm

It looks great as far as I can tell. I just bought a 200watt fluorescent bulb to put up over it to give it some full spectrum light during the day since my windows are on the North side. Trying to keep from putting it in a little used front bedroom that faces south.

wheelman1976 · Post by **wheelman1976** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:34 pm

How frequently should I water it? I planted it today and put a gallon of miracle grow infused water in. Everything is nice and damp. Soil is indoor potting soil from walmart.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 9:14 pm

Others who know more will chime in, but I let 'em get fairly dry as if to simulate the desert winter. They don't grow much for me until March and that is with light (like you are doing).

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:10 pm

That's a nice looking palm, wheelman.
And the light from glass door and opposite window is better than I thought you had.
Erik's correct, now let the palm dry out (probably for a couple of weeks) before re-watering a bit.

Re the 200w bulb, that's a lot of wattage.
Wouldn't put it too close to the palm...maybe 4 feet above (even at the ceiling).

Maybe take a bit of soil away from the palm's base...looks a tad high.

That nice specimen will be scraping a ceiling in a few years, LOL.

Barb