Palm Tree Care



Posted: Saturday, February 18, 2006

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Growing your own palm tree is not easy. It requires intimate care and attention for a healthy palm tree to majestically sit in your backyard. A prospective palm grower should be familiar with growing palms in containers, though potted plants ready to be transferred to earth are available from nurseries. Seedlings are grown in containers ranging in depth from 10 to 20 centimeters for the first two years. When the roots start coming out of the bottom, the saplings are repotted into a bigger container or into the ground. Palms must be planted in a hole twice as wide as the root ball and as deep as it was grown in a pot. This has to be cordoned off around the circumference with soil so that the surrounding area of the root acts as a water body for the palm. Care should be taken not to plant them close to buildings as the roots might disrupt the foundation of the building as it grows.

Drip or a bubble water supply is ideal, as the plants will have a constant reserve of water. The most important concern for palm tree farming is the quality of the soil. Like all other flora, the tree derives all its nutrients from the soil, and planting it in the right type of soil becomes crucial to its development. If your soil is not very nutrient, it can be strengthened with organic or inorganic fertilizers. Mycorrhizal fungi that exchange moisture and nutrients for its food are the best growth booster to the palm. Fair and judicious application of fertilizers will rectify manganese and potassium deficiency in the soil.

Before choosing a palm variety for your home, the average height the species obtains at maturity has to be considered. A 50-foot tall tree could tower over most of your house and disrupt overhead and underground cables. Choose a variety that will agree with the overall landscape of your locality, and at the same time, add uniqueness to your garden.

Another important factor is the weather and climate of your locality. Palms need adequate sunshine. While some varieties grow well in bright sunshine, others thrive in shady areas. It is best to check with experts on the weather tolerance, sunshine and compatibility of a particular variety before planting it.

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