Mexican Fan Palm Care

The Mexican fan palm scientifically known as Washingtonia robusta grows very tall, and is known to grow above 80 feet. These trees dot the California landscape and seem to grow almost every where, they need very little maintenance, just like the windmill palm tree. It has a slender shaggy trunk which looks as though the tree has grown scales, at the top of the trunk, it has green palmate leaves. The tree also has creamy flowers which can seldom be seen from the ground, as the tree grows very tall. It also has black fruits which do not litter the ground or attract rodents and pests. The Mexican fan palm is also known as the Washington palm and can be seen alongside the streets in California.

Instructions

If you have a Mexican fan palm tree growing in your garden, you need not do much to take care of it, the tree will take care of itself. This fast growing tree sees its inclusion in many landscaping projects because the care is minimum. Like other trees, the palm does not have many leaves to litter and nor does it have fruits that will cause a problem. It's growth is solitary and it does not threaten invasion like most crawlers. Some of the factors you need to look into are:

Soil: It flourishes on well-drained soils and under the sun, the main reason behind its unbridled growth in Southern California, Arizona, Baja and Mexico. The plant is very strong and is salt resistant and also has drought resistance qualities. When planting a Mexican fan palm ensure that you frequently water the site, but take care that you don't leave the soil too wet as this might prove counter productive. When you dig the hole to plant the tree, make it big enough so that the root ball of the palm fits snugly in the ground with the graft union just above the ground.

Fertilizer: Palm trees like soil rich with manganese, iron and potassium, so when you hit your local fertilizer store make sure you get fertilizers that have these minerals. A palm will need fertilizers to support its growth in the growing season, and you can get specially formulated fertilizers from the market that address this need. There are some fertilizers in the market which help the maintenance of a grown palm, and you should add these to your shopping cart of palm plant care.

Pruning: Mexican fan palm pruning should be done carefully, because they have large hooked shaped thorn like projection, which can give you cuts. Use a good pair of clippers and wear gloves when using them. If you are thinking of a grown Mexican fan palm tree trimming it is a good idea to get in touch with your local arborist who will have the right tree trimming equipment for the job.

Removal: If you are planning Mexican fan palm removal, first cut the palm down to the ground and use a solution named total vegetation on the stump. Buy a bottle of this solution which costs around USD 8 and mix it with water, as per the instructions and spray it over the stump. For more information read through palm tree removal. You also get a product in the market called ground clear, which is as effective as total vegetation, and if you can't handle it just call your local arborist and they will do it for you. The Mexican fan palm tree root system is not very complex, so it is easier to pull it out of the ground when it's young. Scroll through fan palm tree care.

The care of Mexican fan palm is not an arduous task and they look really great towering above the ground and dotting the sky line. So planting them in your yard will definitely leave people awestruck.