Parlor palms are not exactly good terrarium material :-) For one, they get to be big plants and will outgrow a terrarium in no time. That is, if you keep it alive long enough - they, like most houseplants, need very good drainage and terrariums do not offer that feature.

Pot it into a properly sized container with good drainage hole(s) and decent potting soil. Parlor palms are very tolerant of low light conditions, so avoid direct sunlight via any window - just good indirect light is adequate. And misting several times a week will help to maintain humidity as well as keeping spider mites at bay. Water enough to keep soil just evenly moist - not too wet or dry.

FYI, another way to increase indoor humidity with houseplants is to place a couple of glasses/jars of water in close proximity to your plants. Keep the water level topped off as it evaporates. Alternatively, you can place the container on a tray filled with pea gravel that you maintain with a layer of water. Avoid the base of the pot sitting directly in the water - there should be a thick enough layer of gravel so that the water in the saucer never touches the base of the container.

Agree, they ARE cute!

The nickname parlor palm comes from the Victorian era when heat was by fireplace and Chamaedorea elegans was OK with the low light and low humidity. I've had parlor palms for over 20 yrs & have never done anything to augment humidity. Can be acclimated to quite a bit of direct sun, if one doesn't have other plants that need it more acutely. During the short days & much weaker rays of winter, more sun (than needed for summer) is usually appreciated by tropical plants.

It's normal for the oldest leaf to be discarded at about the same pace as new ones are forming. That's just how palms grow. The pot sounds very small, and an unglazed pot of that size would dry very quickly. It may just be getting too dry. Does this pot have a single palm or a group? Are you able to add a pic?

Thanks for your quick responses!

I know parlor palms can get pretty big, but I've read they are slow growers too. I was thinking, or maybe just hoping, I could do a terrarium only for the next two years or so, but I don't have any long-term terrarium experience.

I had already placed some cups of water near it for humidity and I am spraying it several times a day. Other than buying a humidifier and putting it directly next to the plant, I think I'm doing all I can to combat this Colorado dry air.

Tiffany, I believe you're right about this little plant (actually these plants; yes it is a grouping). I'm afaird I have just let the soil dry out too much. I was watering it every 7-9 days, letting it dry out almost completely. I wonder if my neglect has done too much irreversible damage. Here's a picture:

This is not where I currently have the plant, I just put it there for the picture. See how all the smaller lower fronds are crispy looking? In the photo it's harder to tell, but they have a distinct brownishness about them that makes me oh-so-sad. Also note how it isn't upright, it's sort of splayed out. It started doing that about ten days ago, maybe two weeks. I'm using that piece of string as an attempt to keep it upright like normal.

Another unglamour shot:

This is where it's currently living. It's on a shelf directly across from my westward window, so it gets wonderful indirect light and my other plants are always very happy on this shelf. During these shorter days I've been supplementing light with a normal daylight fluorescent bulb (not a grow light, but again, I'm newish to this hobby).

Full disclosure:
I've had two plants for two years and have enjoyed it so much I decided to expand my collection early 2016. I now have 30ish individual plants; and I've successfully propagated pothos from cuttings and an arrowhead plant (the one in the previous photo) from division. I was rewarded with lots of new growth throughout the year, but now that we've reached the shortest days and really just getting into the colder months, I'm struggling a bit. I can't seem to get my watering just right, but I can only assume this comes with practice. I know in theory what I should be doing (I've read A LOT), but actually getting it right is a whole other thing.

I know one of my biggest problems right now is soil. I'm using traditional store bought, water retaining, oxygen depriving, root rotting potting mix for everything. I will certainly remedy that once it gets warmer and for now I'm just hoping I can maintain everyone (ahem, everything...plants are not people) until spring.

Phew. That's a lot. But you lot seem like a friendly community and willing to help. And for that, I am most grateful.

Happy to suggest. ;) The pics help a lot. Picking it up will probably be your best gauge regarding how dry it has gotten since being watered. If it feels significantly more lightweight, it's time for more water. I would have little concern about overwatering that group of palms in that amount of soil in that unglazed pot inside a house with the heat running.

If you have a spot closer to the window where the sun would shine right on your palms for a few minutes to an hour, that would help them to stay as perky as possible over winter. Don't worry about the little, older leaves turning brown and falling off, that's normal, and could accelerate temporarily if roots get too dry.

If the air gets dramatically dry in your house, boiling some water is the quickest & most effective way to remedy that temporarily, short of a humidifier. A wet towel spread under/next to plants could accomplish more than a cup from the exponentially larger surface area from which evaporation can occur. Bring into bathroom while taking a steamy shower. Parlor palm's reputation is that it is not a diva about humidity, and I've found that to be true.

Whenever you're ready to repot, I would strongly urge you to separate the individuals so they have at least an inch between trunks. It will be impossible to remove the stumps of old leaves from the trunks if they are so close together, and inspect for pests. Leaf stumps give pests a place to hide, I remove them as soon as they will let go. Looks like there are 8-10 individuals. I would put 5 at most in a pot together.

Hi. I know you posted this a long time ago but my parlor palm is doing the same thing. what happened to yours? did it survive?