Whether you have an out-of-door palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a houseplant , this gentle guidebook gives you the basics of palm tree guardianship .
Palm treesare normally associated with Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that have farsighted , slender trunks and thin fronds and grow in tropical climate , with perhaps the most intimate being the date ribbon . Yet the nearly 2400 species of palms are quite various , ranging from decoration little enough to be grown as houseplant to towering trees or multi - stemmed shrubs . Some palms require a warm climate , while others are pretty hardy .
Despite the differences in growing weather , the following basic tutelage teaching apply to all palm trees , disregarding of the type . Just like with all other plants , yourlocal climateis key when selecting a ribbon tree for your one thousand , and the plant ’s maturation pace and mature size are key factors forindoor palm trees .
Where to Plant Palm Trees
Although there are 14 aboriginal palm mintage in the United States , the majority of palms growing in the United States were introduce from other parts of the world ; they are grow primarily in the Southern part of the country where they thrive because of a hospitable clime . However , some laurel wreath varieties tolerate cold winters down to Zone 8 or lower . One of the hardiest palms is the needle palm , also known as the porcupine palm ( Rhapidophyllum hystrix ) , which exist winters in Zone 6b . It is native to Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Mississippi , and South Carolina .
If your climate is at the low reach of the palm ’s specific hardiness range , plant it in a ardent microclimate , such as behind a windbreak or in a sheltered courtyard . This will protect it from the chill of winter winds .
How and When to Plant Palm Trees
The best time to plant a palm tree is in the spring , as the soil temperature warm up up . This gives the palm 5 to 6 months to grow before cool weather return . Do not plant a palm in hot or teetotal seasons , as this puts focus on the young tree .
Planting the Tree
prod a hole at least twice as wide as the diameter of the root word ball , and make the hole no deep than the root Lucille Ball . Be gentle when cover your new palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , especially toward the mettle , which is the fragile part from which the frond uprise . If the heart and soul crack cocaine or shatters , your medallion could experience scrubby growth or even perish .
You should also handle the root Lucille Ball with care when removing it from the container — it may be easier to cut back the container away from the palm to prevent solution price . Once the palm is out of the raft , level the gob so the bottom of its trunk is flush with the grease point of the yard , then backfill it with at large grease to help advertise tooth root growth .
Bracing Your Palm Tree
thenar Tree need funding after planting . Bracing a medal typically ferment better than staking because palm trunks are often unruffled , have tie to slip down the trunk . Because a field - grown decoration often has a smaller root testis than a container - maturate flora , it ’s more top - heavy and , therefore , susceptible to tip over in great fart . To prevent this , brace your decoration in property for at least a year , or until it has reestablished sufficient source to stay anchored .
To start bracing your palm , take three or four duo of 2x4 lumber and space them equally around the palm . Make them long enough and place their bottom ends far enough from the thenar tree to allow support in strong winds . Fasten these braces to the palm by wrapping burlap around the trunk at the appropriate summit to protect the tree trunk from scratches and scrapes . From there , secure an equal number of pocket-sized pieces of wood with metal bands or similar ties that will not allow the woodwind instrument to slip up or down the palm during high winds . firmly nail the span into the small piece of wood — never nail directly into the thenar . At the bottom of each bracing , insert a 2x4 stake into the ground to nail the brace into . Leave the braces in blank space for one year or until the laurel wreath has restore sufficient root to persist anchored .
Palm Tree Care Tips
ribbon trees are low- to no - alimony once they are set up . Care consist of irrigation , mulching , underage pruning , and occasional fertilization .
Light
Some palm trees require a lot of sun , while others do fine in less light . The indoor light consideration are a define divisor as to which palm tree tree will thrive in your home ; choose the palm Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree mixture accordingly .
Soil and Water
Palm Tree will do fine in many soil types , but they choose moist , liberal , and well - drained dirt . Too much water and soggy precondition can become a problem for palm Tree . arenaceous loam soilis normally the best choice for thenar .
Use mulchto keep on moisture and keep out weeds . As the mulch bust down , it will enrich the stain around the palm . go for a 2- to 4 - inch - deep bed over the root zone , sparing the straightaway area around the trunk to preclude rot and fungal disease .
newfangled palms should also be watered frequently to help them form more roots . Field - raise palms especially need extra lacrimation because these tree diagram have had their theme pruned .
Make a little dekameter on the filth surface around the exterior of the ascendent zone , then lend water inside the dyke to overcharge the stem geographical zone .
The lacrimation need depend on the eccentric of palm . As a rule of thumb , in the first week after found , a medallion should be water every day if there is no abundant rain . In the second week , deeply water the thenar every other day . In the third week , switch to watering three times a week . Established palms only require to be water two to three times per week if there is no rain .
If a decoration ’s lower fronds plough yellow and brown , this could be a signboard that it ’s thirsty for more H2O .
Temperature and Humidity
Warm temperatures and humidity are not a problem for the absolute majority of palms . The big concern for these trees is protective covering from dusty snaps and wrong temperature drop cloth .
medal species vary greatly in their predisposition to cold . Some palms handle temperatures in the gamey teens for short periods , while others are damaged when temperature remove 45 ° F .
Another alternative to protect a palm during a inhuman picnic is to irrigate the ground around the palm tree before temperatures drop , as damp soil stays warm longer . Avoid getting the palm tree cockeyed because when piss freezes on the medal , it cause legal injury to the plant life tissue paper below .
Take stale - sore potted palms indoors before freezing temperatures go far . If the container is too heavy to move , drape a lightweight blanket or tack over your palm to snare high temperature inside and keep your plant 4 or 5 degrees warmer than the air .
Fertilizer
Give your palm tree two to four weeks to acclimatize to your garden before employ any fertilizer . Once the flora is established , feed it four time a class using acomplete fertilizeror a fertilizer specially formulated for palms .
Pruning
Pruning palm treesis quite simple . Remove utter fronds and old fruit stems . Once the older frond have turn whole brown and there is no unripe leave , it ’s safe to trim them from the laurel wreath . apply a deal trimmer for smaller palms and a sharp pruning regard for larger folio stems . sanitise the pruning puppet with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen hydrogen peroxide in between pruning different palms to help foreclose the bedspread of disease from plant to implant .
When removing a frond , cut it as closelipped to the tree trunk as possible . The remaining base will eventually hang off , but it may take several years . Do not attempt to undress it off before it ’s quick to devolve off on its own , as this scars the proboscis . If you have a large medallion tree and ca n’t turn over the quondam frond with a terminal saw , adjudicate how crucial it is to dress your palm tree diagram . Eventually , the palm will shed its honest-to-god fronds , but if you do n’t want to waitress , you have a couple of options , including hire a cherry picker or a tree crampoon .
Potting and Repotting Palm Trees
For container , select a slow - growing , small variety . Potted palms that are continue outdoors will need to be irrigate more frequently than other outdoor plant .
Potted palms may need repot every two to three year . Repotting should be done in spring or former summer .
Pests and Problems
Fertilizer burn , nourishing want , overwatering , off - balance pH point , or inhospitable temperature and humidity levels may stimulate job for palm Tree . Roaches , aphids , mealybug , and other insects trauma palm tree diagram , go forth gob in trunk and discolor and droop frond behind .
You should be cautious with weed - control products , especially on new palm tree . Some palm coinage are raw to herbicides and suffer scathe if the herbicide come in physical contact with light-green stem , foliage , or exposed root . This may leave in brown foliage spots , browning foliage , deformed unexampled growth , and death . It ’s a good idea to hand - twist locoweed until the laurel wreath is more stable and grown .
How to Propagate Palm Trees
medallion trees can only be propagated from seeds , which is a lengthy cognitive operation and thus not recommended for home gardeners .
Types of Palm Trees
Date Palm
Thedate palmis a slow - growing miscellanea and of the most common ribbon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in warmer location . It ’s commonly develop for its decorative properties , not its yield . A smaller variety , the pygmy date decoration , has a bushy increase habit .
Bamboo Palm
Because of its size and down in the mouth clean tolerance , thebamboo palmis a great alternative for indoors . Its tall , slender trunks resemble bamboo . There are many different varieties ; most bamboo palms have green pinnate leave-taking but some have blue and green metal - front foliage .
Blue Hesper Palm
The Mexican blue palm or gloomy hesper palm ( Brahea armata ) is a drought - liberal palm , which makes it ideal for xeriscaping . When grown in the sunlight , it has a blue - ash grey tint to its frond . A matured medal , 20 long time or senior , has beautiful white fragrant flowers in the summer .
Frequently Asked Questions
Palms with edible fruit admit the engagement laurel wreath , run into palmetto , jelly palm , andcoconut palm , the most popular case of medallion yield .
Palm fronds are used for thatched roof for outside living quad . They are also woven into floor mat , wall hangings , and basketful . medallion fossil oil is used in everything from soap to cookery . thenar wax is used to make candles .
The only native plant to Hawaii is the loulou palm ( Pritchardia hillebrandii ) .
