Bali Raphis Palm

One of the few palms that thrive without direct sunlight. Place it anywhere in a bright spot that doesn't get too much direct sun and your Bali Raphis will preen for you for ages. Although it will tolerate low light, it grows best in a shady spot in a sunny room.

The best way to water is to fully soak the soil until water drains out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. This promotes healthy root growth as the lower roots get nourished too.

Wait for the soil to dry to about two or three inches before watering again. Poke your finger into the soil to check its moisture level. If it's dry, it's time for a drink. If it's still kind of moist, wait and try again the next day.

Start with about once a week – more in summer and less in the monsoon and cooler months. It’s a bit of experimenting to get to the right balance but don’t worry, you’ll get it after a bit of trial and error.

1. Trim off any brown leaves snipping closely to the central stem.

2. Scrape off any white mould on top of the soil. It’s just harmless fungi that lives in the soil. Lightly dust the soil with ground cinnamon.

3. Poke holes in the soil with a chopstick to aerate it and and give your plant a bit of extra breathing room. Sprinkle a tablespoon of vitamins in the soil and massage in.

4. Shine its leaves with a damp cloth, gently removing any dust. Front and back. This makes your plant glow and also helps it to soak in light more easily.

5. Spin it around to make sure its leaves are sunned evenly as it tends to grow towards sunlight.

But don’t wet them too much.