How to care for an outdoor palm tree. Top tips

Outdoor palm trees do not need too much care

Palm trees are plants that have been used in decorating gardens and terraces for a long time. Their characteristics have made them the queens of those places that we turn into a refuge that we enjoy on a daily basis. But the problem is that, sometimes, especially at the beginning when we just bought them, we may have doubts about how to take care of them.

Where do we put them? When do we water them? Do they have to be pruned? Next we will explain how to care for an outdoor palm tree so you can beautify your garden and/or terrace like the first day.

Should it be in the shade or exposed to the sun directly?

Palm trees can be on the ground

Image – Flickr/tanetahiFollow

Before even thinking about whether we are going to plant it in the ground or have it in a pot, it is important to know if it is a Sun or Shade palm, because it may be the case that we buy one that was protected, but actually needs to be protected. exposed to the light of the star king directly.

In case of doubt, here is a list of sun and shade species:

  • Sun Palms:
    1. Chamaerops (Palm hearts)
    2. nannorhops
    3. Phoenix
    4. Pritchardia
    5. Roystonea, such as R. regia or royal cuban palm tree
    6. In the tail
    7. Trachycarpus
    8. Washington
  • Shadow palms:
    1. Archontophoenix (need youth shadow)
    2. Caryota (ditto)
    3. chambeyronia
    4. Ceroxylon
    5. Chamaedorea, such as C. elegans or living room palm tree
    6. Dypsis, such as D. lutescens
    7. Howea, such as H. forsteriana or kentia
    8. Wodyetia (prefers shade when young)

Knowing this, let us suppose that we have bought a Trachycarpus that was inside a greenhouse. How can we get used to the Sun? To do this, it must be exposed to direct solar radiation for one hour each day, avoiding midday radiation.. As the weeks go by, we will increase that time by an hour, until there comes a time when we will leave it exposed to the Sun throughout the day.

In any case, it is very important that it is done in spring or autumn, since if it is done in summer, it is most likely that its leaves will burn.

In a pot or in the ground?

Well, this will depend a lot on our preferences, but also on the size of the palm tree. That is to say, it must be clear that a palm tree is not like a tree that can be pruned so that it does not grow; these plants only have a growth guide, which is the apex that becomes a new leaf: if it is damaged, or if it is pruned, there is nothing to do; the plant will die.

But if a species is kept in a pot that can measure several meters in height, or if it has an increasingly thick trunk, in the end its growth slows down so much that there comes a time when it stops, and from then on its state of health is getting weaker. For all this, and to avoid losing it prematurely, it is best to plant it in the groundas long as the weather allows it and it is possible, of course, as soon as it measures about 30 or 40 centimeters in height.

Now, If we are interested in having a potted palm tree, there are some that could adapt quite well to living in them.as long as they were transplanted from time to time until they were planted in large ones. Some of them are:

  • Chamaedorea (all of them)
  • Chamaerops humilis
  • phoenix roebellinii
  • Blend it (all)

What soil do palm trees need?

The hearts of palm can be in a pot

Image – Flickr / Maja Dumat

Palm trees usually grow in fertile soils, rich in organic matter, and also well drained. Only those native to arid regions, such as the Washingtonia, the phoenix dacylifera or the Nannorhops, they can do it on poor land. But even so, it is highly recommended that you take into account the following:

  • If it is going to be in a pot: you can use substrate for green plants (from Flower), or a mixture of peat with perlite in equal parts with a little earthworm humus that you can buy here!. Also, the pot has to have holes in its base; and in case a dish is placed under it, it must be drained after watering.
  • If it will be on the ground: Avoid planting it in very compact and heavy soils. In the event that it is clayey and has poor drainage, it is necessary to proceed to dig a planting hole as large as possible (better if it is 1 x 1m) in order to fill it with a thick layer of clay (for sale here!) and then with culture substrate.

When are outdoor palm trees watered?

You should always avoid excessive watering, but also the lack of water. Only a few palm trees resist drought, but even so, they must have been in the ground for at least a year so that they have time to acclimatise.

Therefore, it is recommended to water them from time to time: during the summer it will be done two or three times a week, while in winter it will be done once a week or every weekdepending on whether it is in a pot or in the ground, and the climate. If you have doubts, it is best to use a moisture meter to know if the soil is moist or not.

You have to water in the afternoon, avoiding wetting the leaves and pouring water until the soil is well soaked.

What is the best time to pay them?

Bat guano is rich in nitrogen

To the palm trees outside they must be fertilized during the spring, the summer and, if the autumn is warm (without frost and with temperatures above 18ºC) it can also be done in that season.

To do this, we can use specific fertilizers for these plants following the instructions on the package (for sale here!), although we recommend more organic fertilizers, such as guano or the manure since they are respectful with the environment and also with the plants.

Do they have to be pruned?

Well, this is a touchy subject. It is believed that if you remove a lot of leaves from a palm tree, it will grow faster, but they do not say that the smell of these wounds attract insects as dangerous to her as the red palm weevil and the paysandisia; or that if it is done poorly and/or the scars are not covered, they can become entrance holes for other insects and microorganisms (fungi, viruses, bacteria).

For all this, I do not recommend pruning it, unless you want to remove only the leaves that are completely dry. A poorly done pruning carries many risks, but apart from that we are talking about something that is not necessary to do. If the species is well chosen and planted in the right place, it will not be necessary to remove anything. Y if we want it to grow fast, let’s leave the green leaves so that they can carry out photosynthesis, generate their own food, and thus contribute to the growth of the plant.

How to avoid pests and diseases?

The red palm weevil is a plague of palm trees

Image – Flickr / Katja Schulz

Although they cannot be avoided, at least not 100%, there are a series of good practices that reduce the risk of their appearance:

  • Do not prune, or if you have to, wait until autumn arrives which is when the deadliest pests are least active. And seal the wounds with healing paste.
  • Buy healthy plantswith green leaves (or blue, if it is a species with leaves of that color), without spots or traces of pests.
  • If possible, quarantine sick potted palms. You have to move them as far as possible from those that are good, taking them to a place where there is a lot of light but not direct sun.
  • Don’t neglect wateringand pay during the growing season.
  • If they are in a pot, transplant them every 2 or 3 years.as long as the roots come out through the holes in it or if it is seen that they have already occupied all of it.

Leaf damaged by larvae

Related article:

Most common pests and diseases of palm trees

This way you will have healthy and beautiful palm trees outside.

How to care for an outdoor palm tree. Top tips

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