The Ruffled Fan Palm produces large size palm leaves. You can grow it indoors as well as outdoors. This plant is native to Australia and is naturally found in moist soil.
To grow this palm plant, you need to alter the growing conditions according to the plant. I have this plant at my home in the balcony garden.
Below is my growing experience with this Licuala Grandis.
About the plant
In your outdoor garden, it can grow nearly 10 feet tall. But when you grow it in plant pots the size it can achieve is near about 4 to 5 feet. In big pots, the ruffled palm can grow up to 6.5 feet.
The leaves of this plant look like a fan with a circular shape and glossy finish. The bright green color looks beautiful in all seasons.
As you can see in the image the leaf edges are sharp. So, you need to be careful while handling this plant. Wear gloves while pruning the plants. The good news is the leaves of the plant remain healthy in all seasons. The total diameter of leaves is about 20 inches.
I believe it is best if you grow it in large empty spaces both outdoors and indoors.
Light Needs
The good news for palm plant lovers is this particular variety of palm plant do not need much light. In fact, if you grow it outside in complete shade this plant will thrive like crazy.
This makes it a suitable plant for those who want houseplants but do not like to care for them.
Once the plant gets fully matured then you can place it almost anywhere even in full sun. Due to its variable light needs, I called it a versatile palm plant.
If you see brown edges then this means you put your plant in extreme sunlight. Move it to the partially shady place and it will thrive again. Take the shears and cut the brown edges to help your plant save energy and to heal soon.
Potting Soil
Again, it does not care about the soil type. Your garden soil is good for growing it even in containers. As long as the pH of the soil is concerned. No need to check it because the Licuala Grandis can grow in acidic, neutral, or alkaline soil.
Generally, people use sandy soil and add humus to make it more suitable. But I Use Garden soil for my palm plants. I use one amendment and that is organic compost that I made in my garden.
If you do not have compost, you can add animal manure or any other organic material. The amendment is necessary to full fill the Licuala Grandis nutrient needs.
If you are not using special soil then water, it carefully because garden soil becomes waterlogged.
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Watering
Clean water is recommended for green and vibrant leaves. No doubt the rainwater is best but you can stick to the normal tap water.
In my area, tap water is suitable for drinking and making food. So, I use it for watering my all plants. If tap water is not good in your area then choose filtered bottled water.
Water it less even in the summer season because it can increase the chances of root fungus. When the soil looks dry water Licuala Grandis.
There is no special technique for watering for Ruffled Fan Palm. Just take look at the soil or insert your index finger in it and check the moisture. Water if it feels dry.
Fertilizing
A little bit of fertilizer will help this plant to keep in good shape and size.
This is a slow-growing plant which means it needs less amount of fertilizer to maintain its health. Fast growers are heavy feeders. Boosting your plant 2 to 3 times per growing season is sufficient.
For this slow grower use slow-releasing fertilizer. Do not use general-purpose houseplant fertilizer that has synthetic ingredients. The fertilizer has to be organic because organic ones are slow-acting fertilizers.
If you see white salt build up on the top layer of the plant. This indicates that the root area is filled with fertilizers. Take the plant out of the pot, and flush the potting soil to save your plant.
Temperature & Humidity
Ruffled Fan Palm is good until the temperature drop below 0 degrees C. Above it the plant remains green and healthy. It can tolerate hot and cold winds.
The problem comes when the temperature goes on a minus scale.
The sap of the plant starts freezing, the leaves start turning yellow and brown. The roots start decomposing and your plant dies in a few days.
For humidity, the general percentage of air moisture is good for the plant. You will not need to use fancy techniques to increase the humidity levels.
Repotting
Repotting is necessary for your plant to develop a complete root ball. In small size pots, plants feel suffocated and their roots stop growing. A healthy root ball is necessary to grow a healthy plant.
Use best material pots for growing houseplants.
Once your plant achieves desired height then you can follow the pruning technique to keep it short. Then the roots also stop growing big and you do not need further repotting.
Propagation
To propagate Ruffled Fan Palm, you need to separate the suckers from the plant. Then use different pots and fresh soil to plant them.
If you do not have matured Ruffled Fan Palm the only possible way of propagation is from seeds. The drawback of seed germination is it takes near about 60 days to germinate. I cannot wait so long to germinate houseplant seeds.
Moreover, in seed germination, you need to maintain a room temperature above 75 degrees F.
On the other hand, propagation from suckers is easy and more successful.
Conclusion
Ruffled Fan Palm is suitable to cover large empty spaces. It can tolerate all types of growing conditions from direct light to a shady place.
It is a slow-growing plant so it needs slow-releasing fertilizers.
You can grow it outdoors or indoors without facing many problems.
