Palm Tree Care

Palm trees are easily recognized and characterized by their large, evergreen leaves arranged at the top of an un-branched stem. They are very versatile in their growth habits and habitat requirements. They are found in tropical places, rain forests and even deserts. They are a gardener's delight, and a dominating feature in most landscapes designs. They look elegant when standing alone, grouped together, or even lined to give a pathway its shape. There are many varieties available, from large elongated leaved ones to short leaves and from very tall to medium heights. For all palm tree enthusiasts, information about palm tree care is essential in maintaining the trees' good health.

Care for Palm Trees: Young Ones
To get the best palm tree, head straight to a nursery. Here one will have a wide variety of palm tree types to choose from. Bear in mind that palm that can be grown as indoor plants have a few different requirements as compared to the ones grown outside. Choose a palm that has at least four healthy branches shooting from its base, and an axillary bud at a leaf node (this would be your new shoot), sprouting from the base. Check for any diseases or tiny mites that can hide themselves well under its green foliage. Always choose native plants as they will be more resistant to climatic and soil changes.

Plant the tree within a day of your purchase. It is always best to plant a palm tree during the monsoons, but for colder places, warm months will also do. Dig a hole wide and deep enough to fit the root ball. Fill the hole back with prepared soil. Prepare the soil by mixing one part fine sand, one part mud, one part compost and one part Mycorrhizal fungi. Blend in some fertilizer also. The sand will help in water drainage, the mud will hold the moisture, and the Mycorrhizal fungi and compost will provide the palm tree with enough nutrients to accelerate its growth. One can use the same soil preparation while potting the palm tree in a pot. Water the palm well, kind of fill it up with water; that will help it to settle the mud down.

Caring for Palm Trees: Established Ones
Established palms needs to be fed with a slow release palm fertilizer, at least twice a year and four times for indoor plants. If one prefers liquid fertilizers, use them once every two months, the composition you add will depend upon the size of the tree. Make sure the fertilizer you choose contains part nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, etc. in small percentages. Always spread the fertilizer one foot away from the trunk and onto the outer circle of the tree. For potted palms, add it all along the outer circle. Basically fertilizer should never be directly added close to the roots, as sometimes they damage (burn) them. Water the plant thoroughly after fertilizing it.

Pruning a palm tree is essential to its healthy growth. Yes, even those tall ones. Indoor palms require pruning to cut off the fronds that have gone yellow or have blackened with diseases. Prune them from the base, some of the loose petioles can be pulled out by hand. If they don't come off, leave them on to dry a little longer. For big palm trees, it is important to remove the flower and fruit stalks. Some prefer to let it fall off the tree naturally; in this case, make sure there is some netting to break their fall.

Mulching and adding compost to the palm plant will also make it grow well. More on tips for mulching. So, the basics of outdoor as well as indoor palm tree care are similar. One just needs to pay attention to their size and work around the above mentioned palm tree care tips. However, different varieties need different palm plant care. These tips will always ensure that your palms stay green and will always sway in the wind happily!