Sunday, January 10, 2010

Frost or Cold Protection


To help protect palms against frost damage:
1. Make sure palm is hydrated. Water the ground around the palm early enough that it has time to soak up the water prior to frost. Do not keep foliage wet.
2. To help reduce leaf burn, spray palm with an anti-transpirant such as Vapor Gard.
3. Cover palm with a sheet or blanket and put a light bulb under it for heat. Be careful to set it up so it will not set anything on fire or become an electrical hazard.

Frost or Cold Damage
To help palm grow out after frost or cold damage:
1. To prevent bacteria in the bud, use Copper Sulfate or Kocide101 to drench head and bud.
2. Fertilize in spring to get new fronds growing. Palm fertilizer can be purchased at a nursery or home improvement store.

www.aqualityplant.com

Planting depth for Palm Trees

How deep should you plant your new palm tree? We are frequently asked this question and there is a simple answer. Palms should never be planted deeper than the surface of the dirt in the container they come from. Over planting a palm tree (planting the palm too deep) will suffocate the roots that are responsible for gathering nutrients from the soil. It is our practice at AQualityPlant.com to plant palm trees 1-3" higher than grade.

Rob Pittman
www.aqualityplant.com
866-998-9393

When is a good time to plant a palm tree?


Palms can be planted any time of year. However, Different care is required depending on the time of year you decide to plant your palm. Here in Central Florida, my favorite time to plant palms is from the beginning to the middle of rainy season. This assures that the palm will be fully watered in and the roots will have plenty of time to establish before being tested by the long, hot and dry days of spring. If you decide to plant in winter or spring time in Florida, make sure that your palm tree has copious amounts of water during the spring time. Once you make it to summer you are home free.

Rob Pittman
www.aqualityplant.com

Fertilizing your palm trees

Palm Tree Fertilization

When determining the frequency of fertilization applications you must first determine whether you want your palm to maintain a good appearance or maintain a healthy appearance and grow rapidly. A homeowner is normally concerned with the appearance of their palm. This can be accomplished with two fertilizer applications a year (one in the fall and one in the spring). Adding a third or even fourth application will push the palm to grow rapidly. This is done in the nursery and tree farm industry to make sellable palm trees faster.

Rob Pittman
A Quality Plant
www.aqualityplant.com

When to trim palm trees


Trimming Palm Trees
We recommend that you only trim foliage that has begun to turn yellow or brown. The palm needs green foliage for photo-synthesis. Trimming green foliage often can result in the decline of your palm tree. Signs of decline include the loss of trunk caliper which is often referred to as "Pencilling". Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are commonly over-pruned to save time and money. Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) should be trimmed a minimum of twice a year. Some palms like the the Bismark Palm (Bismarkia nobilis) can tolerate over-pruning without showing signs of stress.Trimming of seed pods is fine and can be done prior to the opening of the pods or after the seeds have developed.

Rob Pittman
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