Over or under watering? Browning areca palm

[poisonedcandi]

Hi all,

Looking for some help with my poor palm. Does this look like over watering?

I was watering once per week, recently reduced slightly but it hasn't seemed to make a difference. The soil does seem almost completely dry between watering. Occasionally misting in between. I'm using distilled water as our water is very hard.

The leaves are turning yellow and brown, usually at the tips but some have brown patches or even holes in the middle.

My apartment is bright but the plant is not in direct sunlight. Decent level of humidity. I repotted after I bought it because it was in a lot of clay.

Thanks for any tips!

 

[oneeye]

You need to very gently tip the plant over and out of the pot and get a good look and feel of the soil. If the center is too dry then you need to increase the water frequency. If the middle is wet then allow the plant more dry time between waterings.

 

[poisonedcandi]

Thanks, I just checked and it felt dry in the centre. It's so hard to get the watering frequency right, and from everything I've Googled yellowing or browning leaves could be a sign of both over-watering and under-watering!

 

[oneeye]

Yes if the center is dry then the problem is under watering. On the watering day after you water take a pair of scissors and gently cut the dead parts of the leaf off. That way you and see if any new bronzing happens in the near future. Keep us posted.