Windmill Palm Tree

The windmill palm tree is the best option to give your garden or driveway that tropical look and, they are quite easy to maintain. It is known to survive harsh weather conditions and grows well in the northern states of New York and Michigan. This single trunk tree has a burlap like appearance with brown fibers encircling its trunk. At the top it has fan-shaped fronds which jut out from 1 - 2 feet long petioles. It grows up to 40 feet in height sometimes, but the average growth is around 10 - 20 feet. It grows in a can and also survives harsh conditions outside hence, it is widely used in landscaping projects. It is widely misconstrued that the windmill palm tree is only a tropical plant, the brown fibers that cover its trunk act as a shield in winter and the tree can survive cold climates of Canada and Switzerland.

Maintenance

Windmill palm trees require little or no maintenance as they are single trunk trees with leaves at the crown which do not cause litter problems. It does not pose any threat of invasion like other crawlers and hence is a favorite tree of many gardening manuals. The fruits of the tree are round in shape and do not attract rodents or pests, the flowers of the tree are also limited and do not litter the ground. Some maintenance tips:

Fertilizers: You can use homemade palm tree fertilizers to provide essential nutrients to your palm tree. Take ready-made house plant food and mix it with leftover vegetables and some Epsom salt, this homemade fertilizer is great for your palm tree. The fertilizers can be brought at your local gardening store, do not over fertilize the tree as this will lead to the leaves turning brown and eventually dying.

Winter: The palm tree is a tropical plant, but it can survive harsh winters with a little care and innovative ideas. One of the ways for windmill palm winter care is to wrap the trunk of the plant with burlap to protect it from the cold climate and shielding it from damage due to snow. People have also used bubble wrap to successfully protect their palm trees in winter. Covering the roots with hay or burlap is also a very good way to prevent rotting of the palm roots.

The tree has its origin in China and is known as Chusan fan palm and it is also known as a cold hardy palm because of its ability to survive various weather conditions. It grows well under sunlight and is a good tree to have near your swimming pool to give it a tropical look. The trees ability to grow in cans has also made it popular with business houses and street side restaurants.

Soil: The use of fertile soil will help the growth of your tree, it also grows in well-drained soils if watered correctly. When planting the tree, make sure you have dug a hole deep enough to fully cover its roots. The plant likes moist soil conditions and the growth rate is moderate when planted in ideal soil conditions. The addition of mycorrhizal fungi to the soil will go a long way towards your palm plant care.

There are very few infestation problems and avoiding overhead watering of the plant is one of the ways to stave of diseases. If you are planning propagation, then plant seeds in spring or fall when conditions are ideal for its growth. If you are buying a windmill palm tree, the average costs of a 2 - 3 feet tree is USD 10 - 15 and a tree which is 4 - 5 feet can cost USD 100 - 110. There are stores which display these trees for sale signs, check them out and bargain hard.