Hello,

This question is about a palm houseplant, so I plan to post this message in both the palm & houseplant forum! I bought a Pygmy Date Palm in southern Florida and brought it back to my home in Indiana last spring. It did fine that spring and all summer. In the fall, I transitioned it for living inside. (I decreased the amount of light it received, washed it with an insecticidal soap, moved it inside, and it adjusted well.)

Within the past few weeks of December, I have noticed the palm doesnÂt look as healthy. It looks like itÂs in a state of wilt to some degree all the time. Also, the leaf edges (especially on the lower fronds) are yellowing and turning brown more rapidly.

HereÂs what I know: I potted the plant in a plastic pot (easier to move) with a relatively expensive course soil called "Jungle Mix". The nursery man recommended it to me. The palm is located in a sun room that gets plenty of light. I water it carefully and regularly, making sure the soil gets moderately dry between waterings. I make sure it does not sit in water. I thought it needed more humidity so I filled its tray/saucer with small stones and put water in the tray, but I made sure the pot was not sitting in water. Do you think its decline is due in part to lack of humidity?

I have recently discovered that the palmÂs roots are starting to poke out of the drainage holes, so I was hoping to repot it this spring (probably in April). Is this a reason for its decline?

Also, I have been using Osmocote fertilizer; I have fertilized it twice (last spring and this winter). Is this an insufficient fertilizer?

I greatly appreciate any advice. Thank you for your help.

Casey