Palm Tree Care

Tips and tricks for taking care of your palm trees.

How much does your palm tree need? How often should you trip the fronds? Below we’ll answer all of that an more!

Palm Tree Care

The greater Charleston area has a wide spectrum of soil profiles ranging from extremely sandy at the beaches to heavy clay in some inland areas. Due to the varying soil profiles we have two separate care guides to ensure the trees are receiving the proper amount of water and fertilizer throughout the year. These are basic guidelines with each planting location presenting a different set of circumstances. Common variables that can affect the care of your new palms include; roof line run off, down spouts, run off from hardscaping, raised planting beds, swales, tidal area, french drains, etc.

Dirt/Sand

Water 5gals. Per day for the 1^st 30 days

Dirt: Fill the mote (bowl) around base of tree with 5 gallons of water or till mote is full.

How often to water:

Winter (60 degrees of less) no need to water, except for the first 30 days after installation. (5 gallons or till mote is full)

Spring (75 or less) water palm once a week. (5 gallons or till mote is full)

Beg. of summer (90 or less) 2-3 times a week

Heat of summer (90) or higher 4-5 times a week

Fertilize: First fertilization should be done one month after palm is installed (Note: Do NOT fertilize in winter,) Thereafter palms should be fertilized one week after last freeze(spring) then 6 months after (fall). Make sure the fertilizer you use is a palm food, a regular tree or grass fertilizer may cause growth problems. Spread the fertilizer at base of palm where the water is applied.

* It may take up to a year for some palms to start growing.

*Note: Palms may need to be watered more during the heat of the summer.

Spray vs. Drip Irrigation

• The difference between spray irrigation and drip irrigation is in the depth the water will reach.
• Spray irrigation will only saturate the top 3-5 inches per watering cycle.
• Drip irrigation is designed to have a larger and deeper saturation in that specific area.
• Palms root balls are 2-3 feet deep.
• Spray irrigation will not help new roots develop.
• Newly planted palms can suffer root loss with a lapse in deep water saturation especially during the hotter and drier summer months.

Clay

Water 5gals. Per day for the 1^st 30 days

Clay: Water at base of palm on low. Applying the water at a slow rate allows the water to slowly saturate the soil to reach the root system.

How often to water:

Winter (65 degrees or less) no need to water

Spring (65-90) water palm once a week (4-5 gallons)

Summer (90 and up) water palm twice a week (4-5 gallons)

Fertilize: First fertilizations should be done one month after the palm is installed. (Note: Do NOT fertilize in winter)Thereafter palms should be fertilized one week after last freeze(spring). The palm should be fertilized 3 times a year to ensure proper growth and health of palm. Make sure the fertilizer you use is a palm food, a regular tree or grass fertilizer may cause growth problems. Spread the fertilizer at base of palm where the water is applied.

* It may take up to a year for some palms to start growing.

* Palms may need to be watered more during the heat of the summer!

Spray vs. Drip Irrigation

• Difference in spray irrigation and drip irrigation is the depth the water will reach.
• Spray irrigation will only saturate the top 3-5 inches per watering.
• Drip irrigation is designed to have a larger and deeper saturation in that specific area.
• Palms root balls are 2-3 feet deep
• Spray irrigation will not help new roots develop
• Newly planted palms can sustain root loss with a lapse in deep water saturation especially during the hotter and drier summer months.