Kentia dying

[Than]

Hello all; I thought maybe someone could diagnose this poor Howea which I have never seen myself so far but my brother has sent me photos. He bought it about a month or two ago and he repotted it about a week later. He has put it in a very bright spot but no direct sun. He may have underwatered in the beginning but I told him to water a bit more. Humidity is quite low in his flat, sometimes 50% but when heating is on (not so often) it can go down to 20%. Can you tell what the problem is from this photo? Low humidity could be the culprit in combination with too little water maybe? My Howea is in the ground and can take the entire summer with 30% humidity with no issues.

I did tell him that he shouldn't have covered the base of the stem in dirt but I don't think this could be the problem, dunno.

[happypalms]

Possibly buried to deep and overwatered or he has fertilised it way to much. 

[Than]

3 hours ago, happypalms said:

Possibly buried to deep and overwatered or he has fertilised it way to much. 

Thanks. He hasn't fertilized it yet he said

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, Than said:

Thanks. He hasn't fertilized it yet he said

For an indoor plant it looks way to wet and boggy looking, but it definitely has problems. 

[JohnAndSancho]

The easiest way for me to kill a Kentia is for me to buy one. Guaranteed death in under a year no matter what i do. 

[dalmatiansoap]

That pot seem like a decorative one. Does it have any holes on bottom?

[Than]

1 hour ago, dalmatiansoap said:

That pot seem like a decorative one. Does it have any holes on bottom?

It does

[JohnAndSancho]

@happypalms sent me some seeds that are marinating at room temperature and I hope they sprout and the plants actually live this time. I've bought 12, I killed 11. The last one I gave to an employee and her sister decided that all the plants in their house needed haircuts. So technically*I* didn't kill that one. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Most probably overwatering . In the ground , it is nearly impossible to overwater a Howea F. , but potted palms can get waterlogged easily. I usually let the top 1” or so of the soil dry out before I water my potted plants . I also put Orchid mix and perlite in the soil to encourage faster drainage . Also , I put a 1-2” layer of smooth beach pebbles in the bottom of the pot before putting the soil mix in. Drainage is critical! Harry

the soil in this young Kentia is very coarse and it drains very well . It has been grown from seed here and gets watered a lot but the drainage is rapid. Orchid mix has chunks of crushed lava and other media and the perlite keeps the circulation of moisture from stagnating. The larger palms are a bit more soil to orchid mix for more moisture retention . As they get bigger they will need more available water . The pot should start drying out after a few days , if not it is getting too much water or it has a drainage problem. Also , if weather permits , put it outside in a shady position with a light breeze ….they love it. 

[Harry’s Palms]

18 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

@happypalms sent me some seeds that are marinating at room temperature and I hope they sprout and the plants actually live this time. I've bought 12, I killed 11. The last one I gave to an employee and her sister decided that all the plants in their house needed haircuts. So technically*I* didn't kill that one. 

Kentia take at least a year to sprout here . Patience grasshopper! Harry✌️

[JohnAndSancho]

9 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Kentia take at least a year to sprout here . Patience grasshopper! Harry✌️

I'm in no rush. Check my Instagram and YouTube, it's packed and I'm fixing to add 30 more Colocasia bulbs and another 8 seedlings in there. I was told to seal them in Tupperware and leave them alone and basically check them in a year so that's where we're at. I don't remember if I got them in May or September but we got time. 

[Than]

10 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Most probably overwatering . In the ground , it is nearly impossible to overwater a Howea F. , but potted palms can get waterlogged easily. I usually let the top 1” or so of the soil dry out before I water my potted plants . I also put Orchid mix and perlite in the soil to encourage faster drainage . Also , I put a 1-2” layer of smooth beach pebbles in the bottom of the pot before putting the soil mix in. Drainage is critical! Harry

the soil in this young Kentia is very coarse and it drains very well . It has been grown from seed here and gets watered a lot but the drainage is rapid. Orchid mix has chunks of crushed lava and other media and the perlite keeps the circulation of moisture from stagnating. The larger palms are a bit more soil to orchid mix for more moisture retention . As they get bigger they will need more available water . The pot should start drying out after a few days , if not it is getting too much water or it has a drainage problem. Also , if weather permits , put it outside in a shady position with a light breeze ….they love it. 

This is excellent advice. I hope it's not too late for my brother's one. I'll tell him to put it in the balcony, perhaps it will dry faster there. The weather is perfect right now, about 70F.