Palms are generally very easy to care for. They can tolerate neglect. Here are a few simple rules to keeping your palm healthy:
Watering
Water in the summer and keep moist, especially if in a pot. Like most of us, they like a drink but if you keep potted palms waterlogged there is a risk of the roots rotting. Cut back on watering in the late Autumn/Winter when they go dormant and start again in the early Spring, gradually increasing watering as the temperature rises. Avoid them drying out completely.
Soil mix and additives
If planting a new palm in a pot, we recommend using a 50:50 mix of multi-purpose compost (preferably peat free) and sharp sand which improves drainage in the winter and is a more moisture retentive medium for the Summer. If planting a new palm in the ground, we also advocate using the same sharp sand/compost mix for the same reasons, particularly in heavy/clay soils.
Palms planted in the ground don’t need regular feeding because they will draw the nutrients they require from the soil. Potted palms can’t do that so they benefit from the addition of a slow release granular feed (eg Osmocote)once at the start of the growing season. Many enthusiasts advocate the use of a supplement that encourages root growth (eg PalmBooster which we can supply). Foliar feed sprays can help restore colour as well as feed palms and a cheap option is a seaweed/kelp spray. Soak the fronds and the base of the plant thoroughly but only on cloudy days (sunshine on wet leaves can cause burning)! Whatever you use, follow the instructions for that product.
Pruning
Palms don’t have trunks in the normal sense of the word but have what is called a pseudo-trunk made up of the remnants of old stems (petioles). As a palm grows, the energy is withdrawn from the lower fronds and is diverted into new growth. It is quite normal, therefore, to see the lower ones gradually turn yellow/brown.When those become too unattractive and start to annoy you, they can be cut off with clean secateurs at a point close to the main trunk. The cut should always be at an angle to divert away rainwater. To avoid the spread of viruses, and plant diseases, disinfect secateurs regularly with an anti-bacterial solution. Over many years, this pruning provides the characteristic shape of many palm trunks eg Butia capitata var odorata (see our Palms page).
Sun and wind
You will be unsurprised to learn that palms tend to like sun and are happy under a variety of light conditions. But they do need some light! Unless you are keeping them under glass in a conservatory, sunlight per se should not cause problems. In a conservatory situation, however, there is a risk that strong, unshaded sunlight might burn the tips of the leaves, so use common sense and on hot, very bright days, provide a little shade. Some palms adapt very well to sunlight and build tolerance of UV light and this produces distinctive blue green leaves that are typical of such species eg Butia Capitata, Butia Yatay and Brahea Armata.
Wind can cause some damage to palm leaves, some species being more resistant than others. Nothing terminal but can be unsightly. Species like Trachycarpus wagnerianus are well known for their wind tolerance (which is a result of its stiffer, more compact, leaves). So choose a palm to best suit your conditions.
Hardiness
Nearly all of the palms we stock should be hardy down to -10 to -15C or even lower. Each product on our site carries its own advice on this. We always err of the side of caution on this aspect because we don’t want to see your palm damaged because we failed to alert you to any susceptability to temperatures. Often, it’s the combination of cold and wet that causes problems, especially to root systems because when they freeze, any water held in the roots turns to ice which breaks down cell walls. That is not an issue for mature hardy palms and we will tell you if a particular plant needs protection from this risk. Younger plants are more at risk and until they put on growth we will often recommend using a few layers of fleece to provide protection.
