Neither the coming of cooler weather nor the lack of a backyard should stop you from adding to your palm collection this winter. Many palms do well as indoor plants and grow slowly, so they can stay inside for years.

Growing palms indoors is more challenging than outside because it is harder to match their natural environment. Despite this fact, some shade-loving palms do better indoors than outdoors.

Whether planting a shade-loving Chamaedorea elegans or a sun-seeking Chamaerops humilis, here are a few key points to keep in mind when growing your palm indoors:

• Pick an appropriate size tree for your space.

• Choose the right container.

• Use appropriate amounts of water, soil, fertilizer and light.

• Monitor for pests.

It is also important to consider the natural habitat of the palm and try and make its indoor home as similar to its natural one as possible.

It is extremely important to consider the size of the palm and how much space it will have indoors. Take into account the eventual full height and width of the palm and compare it to the ceiling height and width of the space. Pick a palm tree that will comfortably fit your space even as it grows.

Choosing a container is relatively simple. Pick a container with holes in the bottom for drainage. Also pick a container that is the appropriate size for the palm; the root ball should have space to grow inside the container. If you are concerned about your palm growing too tall for your space, you can use the container to restrict growth by repotting less often. If root growth is restricted, palm growth will slow.

When deciding the soil type, water amount, fertilizer amount, and light intensity, think first of the natural habitat of the tree. Try to match its natural habitat with the environment that you are providing. If a palm tree grows in the desert naturally, it will need soil that contains more sand with extremely good drainage, little water and lots of light.

The appropriate soil choice is crucial. Most indoor palms prefer potting soil with good drainage and a sandy mixture. Heavy soils stay wet and lead to bud rot. Look for soil mixes with Perlite, which improves drainage and promotes aeration while making moisture and nutrients readily available for the palm.

Water is essential for all palms and is a bigger issue indoors than outdoors since palms cannot search for more water sources in a container. Always irrigate until water flows out of the drainage holes and the bottom of the container. Monitor the moisture content of the container (at least an inch below the surface) and keep the container the appropriate wetness for the palm. Both overwatering and underwatering can kill a palm. Finding the ideal moisture level is key and one of the main challenges with indoor palms.

Fertilizer is also a necessity. Think of fertilizer as food for your palm and remember: A hungry palm is an unhappy palm. Use slow- release fertilizer since normal bagged fertilizer can kill potted palms. Osmocote and Nurtricote fertilizers work well with indoor palms. It is essential to follow the directions on the fertilizer bag. Keep in mind that palms usually do not die from under-fertilization; they are more likely to die from over-fertilization.

While requirements for exposure to light are different for each palm depending on its natural environment, a few factors remain constant. Continuous lack of light can make palm leaves elongate and weaken. Indirect lighting through a window or glass door is best when growing palms inside. Overhead ceiling lights are a suitable second choice.