From my perspective, light is my food. I create my own energy through photosynthesis, and without the right amount, I simply can't muster the strength to produce new, vibrant fronds. If I'm sitting in deep, dark shade, I'm essentially on a starvation diet. I'll become leggy, with long stretches between leaflets as I desperately reach for any light source, and my green color will fade to a sickly yellow. Conversely, if you've placed me in direct, scorching afternoon sun, you're giving me a sunburn. My delicate leaflets will brown, crisp, and bleach out. I need that "bright, indirect light" you always read about. A spot with morning sun and afternoon dappled shade is my absolute favorite buffet.
This is a critical issue. My tuberous roots are designed to store water, but they are not fond of sitting in a swamp. Soggy, waterlogged soil suffocates me. It cuts off the oxygen supply to my roots, causing them to rot away. You'll see this when my stems turn mushy and yellow and I stop growing entirely. On the other hand, if you're being too cautious and letting my soil become bone dry, I will go into survival mode. I'll use the water stored in my roots just to stay alive, with nothing left to invest in new growth. My leaflets will become brittle and brown, and I'll drop them to conserve resources. I prefer my soil to be consistently moist, like a well-wrung-out sponge, not sopping wet and not desert-dry.
While I'm not a heavy feeder, the soil I'm in can't be a nutritional wasteland. The potting mix I was originally in had nutrients, but after many waterings, those get flushed away. If I've been in the same container for years, I've likely consumed all the available food. Without nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, I lack the basic building blocks to create new cells and grow. A regular, gentle feeding during my active growing season (spring and summer) gives me the boost I need to push out those beautiful, new, emerald-green spears you're hoping for.
Look down at my feet. If you see a dense mat of roots circling the bottom of the pot or even growing out of the drainage holes, I am severely root-bound. My tuberous roots need space to expand and gather resources. When I'm this cramped, my growth grinds to a halt because there's no physical room to develop. Furthermore, the tightly packed roots can't effectively take up water or nutrients, even if you provide them. I need a new home that is only one or two sizes larger with fresh, well-draining soil to stretch out and get comfortable.
I am a tender perennial, which means I thrive in warmth. My growth will naturally slow down or become dormant if I get too cold. If my environment is consistently below 50-55°F (10-13°C), I will focus all my energy on survival, not expansion. Chilly drafts from windows or air conditioning vents can also cause me stress, leading to dropped leaflets and a complete halt in growth. I grow best in the steady, comfortable temperatures that you humans also enjoy.
