Palm tree care is important especially if you are thinking about buying a palm tree If you are, there are some common mistakes that people make when they have a palm tree to consider. Below are ten mistakes that people commonly make when it comes to caring for a palm tree.
Overwatering Newly Planted Palms
You are going to notice that the leaves are turning yellow or brown and quickly falling off without the leaves becoming dry first. To avoid making this mistake, you want to make sure the soil has enough drainage. You can ensure this by adding 30% to 50% sand to the mixture of soil when your palm is planted. You should water your newly planted palm daily for your first week.
Too Little Water
If you’re not providing it with ample water, the leaves’ tips are going to begin turning brown. The majority of palm trees enjoy moist soil with good drainage. To figure out whether your tree’s getting ample water, check its soil’s moisture level the day after you water it. It ought to be moist down to the tree’s roots. This is important with palm tree care.
Damage to Roots
One of the most common mistakes is putting fertilizer in the soil when you plant your palm tree. This almost always will kill the tree. The roots of palm trees are extremely fragile. When you add fertilizer close to its root ball, you can cause damage to your roots. If your tree’s roots are damaged, it’s going to be more prone to disease and death. You shouldn’t fertilize your tree for 3 to 4 months after planting it.
Fertilizing too Close to the Trunk
You can burn your palm tree with fertilizer when you put the fertilizer very close to its trunk. Once the trunk of your palm tree’s damaged, it’s going to be harder for it to fight disease. When you are fertilizing your palm tree, make sure you’re putting it at least two feet from the trunk.
Not Using Fertilizer
One thing that you want to do is to make sure you’re using fertilizer. It will need nutrients to grow strong, to grow faster, and to fight diseases and pests. Fertilize a palm tree when it’s warm 4 to 5 times per year.
Not Using Good Soil
You want to make sure you’re using good soil when you’re planting to help with palm tree care. This is going to let your tree’s roots to develop properly. The soil should be moist, so the tree’s getting ample water and has good drainage. One of the best choices is Canadian peat moss.
Planting It in the Wrong Climate
You don’t want to plant palm trees in too dry, too hot or too cold climates. You want to make sure that you are checking with the nursery to find out if you’re buying the right tree for your climate. There are different types of palms, so find the one that is best for your climate.
Palm Tree Care Helps Avoid Sunburn
Did you know that a tree can get sunburn? When you plant a palm tree that’s very young in full sun, without giving it any cover, it can cause sunburn. Its leaves are going to start yellowing, and they might even totally lose their color. If you’re not covering your palm, its leaves are going to begin drying out and turning brown. If it were from a shade-grown environment or greenhouse, full sun right away would be a shock to its system. It will need acclimatizing.
Pruning too Much
Many people have heard that they should cut off the brown parts of leaves because it’s going to save the tree from using up and wasting the nutrients on leaves that are dying. But this is a big mistake. The palm tree extracts nutrients from dead leaves, and when they’re cut off, the tree won’t like it. The palm will move the nutrients from fronds that are older to their new growths. You should only remove the fronds when they’re close to the tree’s trunk. You shouldn’t remove fronds growing at 45 degrees or more. If the tree looks similar to the tail of a rooster, it’s been over-pruned.
Pruning for a Storm
A lot of people go around during the hurricane season offering to prune people’s trees to save it in case of a hurricane. But this is a huge mistake. The leaves will help with protecting the fronds that are growing from the wind. The tree needs all the fronds it has when the hurricanes come.
These are the mistakes that a lot of people make when it comes to palm tree care. If you have a palm tree, avoid making these mistakes, and your tree will have a better chance of lasting a lot longer and give you years of beauty and enjoyment.
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