aboriginal only to the rainforest incline on the Atlantic Ocean side of Guatemala , the corn whisky palm ( Chamaedorea nationsiana ) gains its name from the clustered fruits that resemble tiny corn black-backed gull , but with black essence . It has feathery fronds on single unsloped stalks that mature 8 to 10 foot grandiloquent . Although not hardy to wintertime cold , its minor size makes it prosperous to protect from frosts in USDA hardiness zones 10 and warm .
Light
maize decoration is close related to a group of small wraith - broad rain forest palms known as parlor or bamboo palms ( Chamaedorea spp . ) . Therefore , whether grow outside or indoors as a planetary house plant , provide the plant with indirect light source , never prolonged exposures to raging , unmediated Dominicus rays . Grow it under a tropic shade tree or several ft back from a bright windowpane so direct rays never reach the frond across the calendar class .
Soil
Plant corn palm in a loam or sandy soil that is moist but well run out and racy in constituent matter . The soil ’s pH scale must not be to a fault alkaline ( over 8.0 ) . These characteristics mime the condition of its natural habitat of organic topic atop limestone soils in Guatemala .
Watering
During the warmth of the mature time of year , from springiness to early fall , keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged or saturated . offer 1 to 2 inch of rainfall or irrigation weekly when temperature are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit . From fall to early spring , trim watering to no more than 1 column inch each week . House plant life container must not sit in a river basin of pooled weewee as it promotes root buncombe and depleted atomic number 8 levels in the soil .
Fertilization
Maintenance
clavus palms most actively grow when temperatures are ardent and humidity high up , so desist from removing good for you greenish fronds that are producing food for thought . Allowing any dying fronds to fully yellow and dark-brown before pruning them off results in nutrient being pull and relocated to other parting of the plant life . Do not cut off the top of the decoration ’s trunk or stem , as this will stop further development of new fronds and lead to plant death within a year . Old flower clustering or fruits can be trimmed away with a scissors or hand pruner at any fourth dimension . Only the distaff flower clusters become the corn cobnut - like fruit social organization after being pollinate .
Considerations
at times spidermites may plague the undersides of palm fronds , particularly in indoor environments that are warm , low in humidness and lack atmosphere movement . Insufficient lightness may get stressed palms to innkeeper ordered series infestations on frond stems . Mealybugs may also seem in indoor surroundings . Wipe away these pests with a cloth rag soaked in warm smarmy water supply . Spraying frond undersides can deter spidermite infestations .
