Kentia Palm plant has been leaning for approx. half a year

[Rio1593]

Hi, I have a Kentia Palm plant in a well draining pot, which is placed inside a decorative pot. I'm not entirely sure why, but it has been leaning for a really long time now and has some drooping leaves.

I have done some Google research on the matter, and some people say it's just trying to reach the light...but then does this ever resolve itself and straighten back up to how it was when I first bought it?

Can you guys tell me other reasons for why it could be leaning for this long period of time? It doesn't seem like an unhealthy plant, although there are some brown tips on many leaves, and some leaves are yellowing. There was one point around December 2024 where I overwatered it, and the soil literally took months to dry out, so I'm wondering if this had a negative effect on how the plant stands up now.

The soil also had some mold in there from when it was wet for too long, and even when it dries out nowadays between watering, I still smell that earthy stale odour (a different smell to before I overwatered).

Would really appreciate some advice as I'm a newbie to plants! Thank you!

[PalmatierMeg]

We need photos of the whole palm or we can't diagnose your problems. Does the decorative pot have drain holes? It should. Don't overwater and never let your palms sit in standing water, which promotes root rot. 

[Rio1593]

22 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

We need photos of the whole palm or we can't diagnose your problems. Does the decorative pot have drain holes? It should. Don't overwater and never let your palms sit in standing water, which promotes root rot. 

The plastic pot it came in has drainage holes, but not the decorative pot in which the plastic pot is in.  When I water it, I make sure to drain any excess water and empty the decorative pot of any water that is sitting. I've attached pics of the plant, hope they're good enough but let me know if there's anything else you need to see it better. Thanks for the help!

[Harry’s Palms]

Is the stem wobbly or is it firmly planted? If it is a bit wobbly you can stake it up to a more vertical position . The brown tips happen with a lot of indoor palms and even outdoors in dry climate. These palms are not root sensitive so repotting is always an option to get rid of the soil that is moldy . Don’t disturb the root ball any more than necessary but you can replace the soil that is smelling bad. Use a fast draining potting soil and mix in some vermiculite to help with drainage . I usually put some pebbles in the bottom of the pot to keep the pot from clogging. Harry