Hello everyone! A couple of years ago I bought an Elephant palm and when I look at it now I realise that it has bearly grown. I live in Queensland Australia which means that we benefit of subtropical climate. I kept it in a terracota pot 50-60cm and fed it with natural nutrient from our worm factory. Does anybody know if it is a normal growth rate for that kind of palm or should I put it in a bigger pot. At this stage I don't want to put it in the ground. I've put the palm in a shady spot but still gets enough light through the day. Its natural environment in Thailand is in tropical climate and filtered light. My palm is just a bit bigger than the one on the photo. I would really appreciate if someone could tell me if that is all normal or if I should do something to increase the growth rate. To me it looks a bit sad! I love palms so much I'd like to give it a bit of kick! Thank you for your help!
All palms seem very slow when young. For the first few years until a definite trunk begins to form they really don't put on a lot of growth. A rich well drained mix is pretty important so that you can give them plenty of water during the growing months. Lawn fertiliser is great for palms, while young apply small amounts regularly. Palms don't mind begin root bound too much but definitely don't over pot (put into too large a pot too soon) as this will hold too much moisture and often causes rot problems.
Thank you very much for the tips it is much appreciated. I realized that it might not get enough water. I will try the fertiliser too. I might post a new picture in 6month or 1 year time.
