Majesty Palm from Home Depot: Insects in Soil, Repot Immediately

Majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis) bought, left in nursery pot inside cache pot. White stuff on plant, insects in soil, caterpillars in cache pot. Panic? No—standard nursery issue.

Fix: Bare-Root Repot

1. Buy: quality potting mix (Miracle-Gro, Pro-Mix), gravel/pebbles, larger pot with drainage.
2. Take palm outside. Dump out of nursery pot.
3. Shake off ALL old soil. Rinse roots if needed.
4. New pot: 1″ gravel, ⅔ mix, center root ball, backfill to same level (no deeper).
5. Water well. Settle. Top off.

Why This Works

Nursery pots = transition only. Soil holds eggs, pests, poor structure. Fresh mix = clean start. Insects gone. Monitor—rarely return.

Rule

Always repot nursery plants immediately. Every time.