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How to look after you palm
To create a focal point in your garden/landscape considers large palms that have a dramatic effect. One way to add flair to the landscape is to mix fan palms with feather palms, or plant large fan palms close to larger feather palms for more interest.
Many palms are attractive in containers around patios and porches. The same light conditions soil temperature and moisture applies to container palms. Fast growing palms outgrow containers quickly, it is advisable to choose slow growing palms which should be able to remain in containers for two to four years before is time to repot them.
Palms are well suited to formal gardens which are characterized by symmetric straight lines, they offer an element of grace and elegance. Paired palms with straight trunks and full crowns equal spaced fit any formal garden extremely well. Palms can be used in corner of buildings to emphasize the entrances. They can make handsome framing elements on opposite sides on a patio or near a pool.
Using other plants with palms such as shrubs ground cover and needled trees to show off the element of the garden. Numerous woody and herbaceous plants add texture to colour, some are vines that grow up the trunks of palm and add a different perspective. Ferns of many shapes and sizes add softness to the landscape. Tree ferns are accent plants in their own right, and many low-growing ferns make attractive ground cover.
For centuries palms have been prized for indoor plants, the hold up better indoor than most other plants and add a lushness feeling of the tropics. For a palm species to do well must tolerate low light and dry air. Chamaedora is a good choice. The most common indoor use of palms is as potted plants. They add colour and softness to most home and office interior. Palms can be added to big planters built into homes, buildings and small skylights which are placed above these planters to provide natural light. The size of the planters provides the opportunity to combine palms with a variety of other plants. Larger palms can grow successful in spacious planters because their root system is less restricted than individual pots. The ultimate use of palms is in a conservatory that can re-create a specific outdoor environment in which the chosen palm can thrive.
Palms need light to survive, and natural light is best. If the plant is not positioned near a window with natural bright light then the palm needs supplementary lighting. Grow light promotes excellent growth but may be a little expensive. Fluorescent lights provide much of the spectrum needed by plants and they are inexpensive to operate or purchase.
Indoor light levels, temperatures and humidity levels affect the rate at which the soil in the container dries out. All indoor situations are different, but generally soil doesn’t dry out as fast indoors outdoors. Most palms need to be watered only when the soil becomes nearly dry to the touch. Indoor humidity is often low air condition and heat dries the air dramatically. Palms need humidity. Use a room humidifier or cluster several plants together to raise humidity.
Palms growing in containers need eventually to be repotted, the soil gradually breaks down and the roots become restricted, thereafter the palm declines. Slow growing and small palms can remain in the same container for two to four years, after that needs re-potting into the next larger size pot using using a well-drained potting compost with a little organic matter such as miracle grow. A mix of 50% peat moss and 50% perlite (or coarse sand) works well. If the palm is too outgrown its interior is worth considering transplanting into the garden.
Potted palms require a different feeding program than palms in the ground. A continuous feed fertilizer such as Osmocote provides nutrient for container plants up to 6-9 months. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer on occasion to maintain deep green foliage.(equal amount of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium). Avoid overfeeding or fertilizer salts may build up in the soil a cause leaf burn. Counteract fertilizer build up by leaching out the salts.(flush potting mixture with pure water to wash the excess fertilizer away.) Growing conditions indoors are not as favourable to palms as those outdoors. Consider rotating palms periodically between an indoor location and a protected patio or porch. The outdoor period will help rejuvenate the palm/s and keep it in shape for indoor display.
Most problems with indoor palms can be traced by inadequate light or insufficient moisture. If the leaf of the palm develops brown tips that steadily become browner, the problem lies in the root system. Brown leaf tips are usually caused by overwatering, under watering low humidity or excess fertilizer. To help the plant recovery the key is to determine the specific cause. If the soil is dry on the top sometimes is soggy in bottom of the container. Roots suffocate in excessively wet soil and die back. On the other hand roots dry out and die when soil moisture is inadequate. Dampness of the soil through the entire rooting zone in the container can be checked with a moisture meter to determine when to water. If palm leaves appear pale and washed out the cause may be too little light, supplement light must be provided or move the plant to a brighter spot. Spider mites are the most common insects for palms they are favoured by dry conditions with little air circulation. Wash the leaves with a damp rag or a forceful spray of water to remove the mites. Insecticidal soap spray is also an effective way in controlling the pets. To prevent re-infestation increase humidity around the palm and give the occasional spray to wash out the mites.
The most important consideration in placing palms indoors is to provide sufficient light. Bright natural light from a window or skylight is best. A sunroom, conservatory or greenhouse is ideal. If the palm is in a dark corner a supplement light for least 8-10 hours a day must be provided. By using supplemental light the palm can be placed wherever they best fit the decorative scheme.
Depending where you live when a palm is planted out in the garden may be important. In the south of England, palms can be planted all year around, until a palm is established needs regular watering or it may suffer irreparable damage. If you live where winter is harsh and brings freezing temperatures wait for the warmer spring weather, newly planted palms are more sensitive to cold temperatures and may suffer cold damage. Roots will establish more slowly in cold weather than in warm weather.
Planting: Care must be taken when handling a new palm, while some species tolerate rough handling others do not. Take care when removing the container from the root ball to minimize damage to the roots. Some palms do not like having their roots cut or bent and will undergo severe shock. Plant the palm so that the bottom of its trunk where the roots emerge is flush with soil level; make sure all roots are covered with loose soil. Avoid compacting the backfill. Once the soil is at proper level place the palm in centre of the hole and check to be sure it is at proper depth. Make adjustments if necessary. Backfill more loose soil around the root ball and water the root zone thoroughly, making sure there are no air pockets under or around the root ball. If a root ball comes in contact with an air pocket will cease to grow and die. When a palm is planted on a slope make a small soil dam on the soil surface around the outside of the root ball. Add water inside the dam on a regular basis to direct the water down to the root zone.
Caring: A newly planned palm provides clues when environmental conditions are not to his liking. Watch for brown leaf tips or older leaves that turn yellow and die before they should; excess fertilizer and excessive watering are possible causes. Palms purchased from us or from any garden centre have been well fertilized; let the plant settle to your garden before feeding it again. Three to four weeks after planting apply a palm fertilizer (two parts nitrogen, one part phosphorous, three parts potassium and one part magnesium). Fertilizer again after one month and again after the palm has established fertilizer four times a year. Use mulch around the base of a palm to help the soil retain moisture and to keep out weeds. As the mulch breaks down it provides an enriched organic soil. Apply only a 5-10cm deep layer of mulch.
Pruning Palms is very simple all it needs doing is to remove all dead leaves.
Winter Protection; Palm species vary drastically in their sensitive to cold. Some species tolerate temperatures in high teens for short periods while others are damaged when temperature deeps below 7C. For best result plant only palms that are hardy to the normal minimum winter temperature in your area. For the occasions when temperatures drop below normal and put palms at risk preventive steps to minimize damage can be taken. One best way to protect a cold sensitive palm is to plant it in a sheltered courtyard or under a canopy to protect it from chill and cold winds. Potted palms can be protected by taking the pots inside the house, garage porch or any other covered area during the cold period. Prior to the cold snap cover palms with sheets blankets to protect them from cold as well from frost. Do not use plastic sheeting as condensation develops inside the plastic and freezes when it gets cold. Any foliage touching the plastic will get damaged, cloths insulate better than plastic and condensation is less likely. Be sure to cover the entire plant, allow the drape loosely over the palm so that warm air rising from the soil will be trapped under the cover keeping the plant inside warmer than outside air this method will keep the plant 4-5 degree warmer. Heat from a barbeque grill placed near a cold sensitive palm can help protect it from cold. Other type of propane may also be effective. Use fan to blow warm air toward the palm keep heater a a fair distance to prevent overheating or burning.
Water the soil around the palm prior to a cold period, moist soil stays warm longer than during a cold snap because water loses heat less rapidly than dry soil. Care must be taken to keep water off the plant when water freezes on the plant it causes damage to the plant tissue below.
Palm Problem; Palms establish quickly easy to care for and have few pets problems. Healthy palms resist insects pets and diseases but occasionally they can be effected by one troublemaker or another. Carefully observe your palm for problems before they come severe and difficulty to treat. Look for shoots that have died back or leaves that are spotted, discoloured or frizzled. These symptoms indicate that something is wrong with the palm. Discoloured or frizzled leaves may be caused by a nutrient deficiency rather than an insect or disease.
Insect pets are more of a nuisance than a severe problem on palms, and the palm usually outgrow any damage. A major exception is the palmetto weevil, which attacks palms from within and it is not noticed until it is too late. Most insects attack palms that are environmentally stressed, to prevent assault provide proper sun exposure adequate moisture and fertilizer to keep the palms healthy. Various fungi cause the most common diseases of palm. Ganoderma butt rot and fusarium wilt can be serious problems, and fungi causing other diseases often move in when the plants is stressed. Relieving the stress of the plant is long term solution to preventing the fungus from returning. Lethal yellowing a serious disease that affects certain popular species of palms (only occurs in warm humid areas).
Mealy bugs; numerous species of mealy bugs affect palms, some of these sucking insects feed on the roots and can’t be seen unless the soil is disturbed. But most infestation occur in the palm bud where new leaves emerge. The insects create large colonies and secrete honeydew that sooty mould fungus feeds on. Treat mealy bugs with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or insecticide containing acephate or dimethoate Ants do not feed on palms, but they farm mealy bugs for the honeydew to excrete. They promote large colonies of the mealy bugs and thus indirectly harm palms. Controlling the ant population with insecticides will reduce the amount of mealy bugs.
Palmetto weevil, is a large beetle that is attracted to stressed palms Cabbage, Canary Islands date, and other large palms. The adult weevil lays eggs in the leaf bases. The hatch in to large larvae that tunnel into the palm heart killing the palm, Minimizing transplant stress in newly planted palms will reduce the chance of attack by palmetto weevil. Remove and destroy affected trees before adults emerge to halt the spread of the pest.
Palm aphid; a sucking insect that can infest palm in large numbers, palm aphid appears mainly on the newest growth. It looks similar to soft brown scale except that it is surrounded by a ring or white wax. Like mealybugs, palm aphid excretes honeydew which sooty mould fungus feeds on.The honeydew attracts ants which farm the aphids to develop large colonies of the pest. Treat palm aphid with insecticidal soap, horticultural oil. Insecticide containing acephate or dimethoate is also effective.
Spider Mites, these pests are common on palms grown indoors or in dry conditions. Although many species of spider mites feed on palm leaves, the most notorious is the two-spotted mite. Chamaedora species are particular prone to spider mites. Symptoms include yellow spotting or stippling in the leaf. In severe infestation the leaf becomes pale or appears washed out and webbing is evident on the underside. The mites are small appearing as tiny moving dots. Forceful spray of water , insecticidal soap, and horticultural oil are effective in controlling mites, as are miticides. A predator mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis is used as mite control in some greenhouse, but ineffective outdoors.
Scale insects; magnolia white scale, cotton cushion scale, Florida red scale, thread scale, and soft brown scale are among the most common scale insects that affect palms. These suckling insects which are visible to the naked eye tend to feed on new growth. Horticultural oil is an affective control, but repeated spraying is necessary. The first treatment kills active crawlers and adults, but eggs and young scale insects under the shells of adults can survive. Spray the plant again a week to 12 days later to control the newly hatched crawlers and the young scale insects that were protected under the shells of adults. Insecticides containing dimethoate or acephate are also effective, but also require repeat treatment for good control.
Fusarium wilt, (Fusarium oxysporum canariensis) affects Canary Island date palm and Senegal date and silver date palms. On infected palms the leaflets on only one side of the leaf stem of the oldest leaves turn brown. A reddish or dark brown stripe along the leaf stem develops. The oldest leaves eventually turn completely brown. The symptoms move to the next oldest leaves until finally the newest leaf spear is left to die. The process can take a few months to two years. There is no treatment for fusarium wilt, but its spread can be halted by disinfecting pruning tools between trees.
Ganoderma butt rot; no palm species is immune to the lethal disease ganoderma butt rot. A palm that contract ganoderma shows few outward symptoms until the palm is nearly dead. The fungus affects the lower 1.4-1.7m of the trunk (the butt of the tree) rotting the woody tissue from the inside out. Eventually the leaves wilt and turn brown except for the center spear leaf. Just before the palm dies or shortly thereafter a distinctive conk (fungal growth) appears on the outside of the trunk near the base of the tree. A mature conk releases millions of spores that can spread by wind or water. To keep the spores from dispersing remove conks when they appear, wrap them in plastic and dispose. Remove and dispose the entire palm to prevent infection of other palms. Ganoderma survives in the soil, so avoid planting other palms in the same location. No cure exists for ganoderma butt rot.
Phytophthora bud rot; thissoilbourne disease can be a problem during hot, wet summers. The new leaf spear becomes discoloured and wilts followed by discolouration of the next newest leaves. In early stages of the disease a bud drench with a fungicide containing fosetyl - AL, mefenoxam or propamocarb can be effective. If the new spear leaf pulls out easily nd the next newest leaves are already brown, it may be too late for treatment.
Sooty mold ; this fungus often feeds on honeydew produced by mealybug, palm aphid and scale insect infestations forming a black covering on the leaves. Sooty mold does not attack the plant directly and easily washes off. To prevent the problem from reoccurring control the sucking insects that produce honeydew.
Leaf spot fungi; a number of leaf spot fungi cause yellow or dark brown spotting of leaflets. These include helminthosporium, anthracnose, false smut and Pestalotiopsis. The fungi more commonly attack young palms than older ones, and the attacks often occur on palms under stress from overwatering or poor drainage in mucky soils. Correct the predisposing stress factor to solve problem. An application of fungicide should do.
Salt spray; palms that grow close to the coast are exposed to salt spray in the air. Prevailing winds can carry the salt a significant distance from the shore. Palms that naturally grow in habitats close to salt water tend to be much more salt tolerant than rain forest or inland palms. Using palms that don’t tolerate salt in a coastal landscape can lead to severe leaf burn and death of the palm.