Question
I'll start off by saying I know very little about the palm tree. My boyfriend brought it home & it is suffering under my care. I water every 5 to 6 days. It's very low humidity in my house. I know I have to change that to salvage this beauty. My question is this; how do I deal with the damage already done? Dry & brown leaves I've cut off a few but it looks awful & I suspect is not recommended. What do I do about the stalks that have died?

Answer
Lisa,

Your palm may be a Majestic or Majesty palm. The Latin name is Ravina Rivularis. This is definitely one of the more difficult palms to grow. In any case most palms need very bright light without direct sun right on it. As for care watering of the Majesty Palm and most other palms is crucial. The plant must have proper drainage set up. The pot must have drain holes and a drain tray under it that you can get to.  Do not allow the roots to sit in water. An hour after you water use a turkey baster and bucket to empty any excess water out of the drain tray. On the other hand, do not allow the plant to dry out completely in between waterings either. When the top 2 inches of soil is feeling dry it is time to water again. Palms also prefer a higher humidity level, so  daily misting in the morning and evening will add plenty of beauty to your plant. If you can set water on your heat ducts out of sight to evaporate and humidify the air that would be helpful. If you like tea and boil an extra pot of water on the stove while you are making tea or just while you are cooking to humidify the air it would be helpful.

If the foliage tips begin turning brown, you are probably under watering the plant. Try watering it more often. On the other hand, if the foliage tips begin turning yellow then brown, you may be over watering it.

A common pest to palms is spider mites. If problems with pests appear, try misting the plant with a soapy water and isopropyl alcohol mixture twice a day. Mix 1 part water to 1 part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and add 1 teaspoon dish detergent and put it in a sray bottle and spray the plant thoroughly.

How much water? Just enough to thoroughly water the plant and have a little go into the drain tray then you empty the drain tray an hour later. This palm does not require a lot of feeding, give it a dose of Miracid fertilizer or a timed release acidic fertilizer in April, July and and October. That is enough. Only repot any plant including this one between April 1st and July 30th. Only repot this plant no more often than every 3 to 4 years and then only if it is root bound and when you remove it from the pot you see mostly roots an no soil. You should only move any plant to a pot with a diameter 2 inches larger than the diameter of the pot you are removing it from. Any larger is overpotting it and risking the health of the plant.

The only thing you can do with the brown stalks is to cut them off using heavy pruning scissors. Follow the instructions above and it should improve and look better soon.

Good luck with your palm.

Darlene