1. Should the trees
be watered from the top or bottom?
You water trees from the bottom, watering from the top
can cause bud rot more often than not. |
| 2. Is it true that you
have to face the tree in the same direction it was when
it first grew? No |
3. How do you fertilize
palms?
Use a special fertilizer made only for palms because
they have nutrient requirements other plants don't have:
Magnesium, manganese, iron, and sulfur are needed in
higher concentrations than what is found in most fertilizers. |
4. How long does it take
for fronds to push out?
That depends on available nutrients, water, and time
of planting? |
5. How old are these
palmetto trees?
From seed germination to 7 years very little trunk growth
takes place, the next ten years you get rapid upright
grown, 1 to 2 feet a year. After that growth slows to
an average of 1 to 3 inches a year. |
6. Where do you get your
palm trees?
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Georgia. |
7. Why are the root balls
on palmetto trees are so small?
When you dig a Palmetto all the roots die, therefore
there is no need to carry a large root ball at the time
of transplanting. |
8. Do I need to do anything
special to the trees in winter time?
You should fertilize your palms lightly before the onset
of winter to ensure a healthy plant. Some varieties
that are more cold tender, some precaution should be
taken such as frost and wind protection. |
9. How much do palm trees
weigh?
This varies according to the type of palm. Palmettos
average 100 lbs per trunk foot, Pindos average 500 lbs
per trunk foot, Canary Island Dates average 1000 lbs
per trunk foot. See the Gallery
for more specific information. |
10. How much sun or shade
does a palm need?
This depends on the variety, some take full sun, others
take full shade and some are anywhere in between. See
the Gallery for more specific
information. |
11. Why do some trees
have boots and others do not?
Trees are very individualistic growers and have their
own characteristics. |
12. How can I tell if
my tree is dead?
If the center bud is brown and easily removed, the plant
will more than likely die. If the bud is still green
it has a chance of reviving itself. |
13. Do I need to do anything to
the soil before you come out and plant a tree?
Most native soils in our area are fine. Some amendments(
sand ) to heavy clay soils may be helpful. |
14. What is the difference between
a palmetto and a palm tree?
A palmetto tree is merely one variety of over 2000 varieties
of palms in the world. |
15. Why do palmetto
trees have burn spots on their trunks?
Palmettos are collected from natural stands therefore
wild fires may have been in that area. |
16. What causes a palm
to curve?
The center bud of a palm tree naturally grow straight
towards the sun. In it's effort to maintain this upward
path, the tree will weave it's way in and around the
forrest canopy, thus creating a curve. By strategically
positioning the tree and over a good bit of time, you
may cause the tree to curve. |
17. How much water should I put
on this tree and for how long?
Water and fertilization schedules are determined on
site because soil type and property elevation affect
these recommendations: General rule of thumb is to use
5 gallons per tree per watering. |
18. Will palm roots
damage my foundation or driveway?
In general, palm tree roots are no bigger than your
finger and do not swell up like oak or pine tree roots,
therefore they will not push up on your concrete, etc…
and break it. |
19. Why do some palm trees come
with no foliage?
Palmettos have no root survivability, therefore by removing
the foliage you lessen the stress on the plant during
transplanting. Other palms such as the pindo palm, have
some root survivability, therefore they are able to
support the foliage during transplanting. |
20. When is the best time of year
to plant palms?
Palm trees like to be transplanted when they are actively
growing. Spring and summer are best but some varieties
can be planted all year. |
21. How often do you
need to fertilize palms?
You should fertilize palms twice a year as you do your
lawn; heavy in the spring and light in the fall. |
22. How far north will
palm trees survive?
Certain varieties of palms will survive in single digit
temperatures with light snow, other varieties must have
at least 40 degrees to survive. |
23. Why are palmettos one price
regardless of size, whereas other palms are priced according
to size?
Palmettos come from natural stands and all other palms
are nursery grown. |
24. Can palms be pruned
to keep size small?
Solitary trunk palms cannot but muti-trunk palms can. |
25. How deep can palms be planted?
Palms should be planted with the top of root ball at
the top of the soil, planting deeper than it originally
grew is not recommended. |
26. How are palms pruned?
You prune a palm by removing the dead foliage from the
bottom up. |
27. I have a real small yard with
no access for equipment, can I still get a palm?
To date, we have not found a yard in which we could
not plant! |
28. What are boots on a palm tree?
Boots are the old frond base that is still attached
to the trunk of tree. |
29. I have heard that
sagos are not really palms, is that true?
Yes, that is true. They are cycads which is a palm-like
plant. |
30. My sago did not push foliage
this year, instead it is pushing a large cone shaped
object, what is that?
That is the male flower emerging which will release
it's pollen similar to the way a pine cone does. The
female sago grows a mound in the center which opens
up to capture the pollen, thus geminating it. After
the flowering process is complete, you may not get new
fronds until the next growth cycle. |
31. Why is drip irrigation better
than spray irrigation better for watering my palm trees?
Because drip irrigation concentrates the water right
over the root ball, thus saturating the soil to the
depth of the bottom of the root ball. Spray irrigation
spreads the water over a large area, thus water penetration
is only inches deep. |
| 32. Can I just go out in the woods
and dig up any palm? You can try this but success
rates are poor considering the amount of work involved. |
33. How many palms are actually
native to South Carolina?
Four palms are native to South Carolina: sabal palmetto,
sabal minor, saw palmetto, and needle palm. |
34. What kind of palms can be used
in a wet area?
Sabal minor, needle palm and sabal palmetto can live
in wet areas. |
35. Will deer eat my palms?
No |
36. Where do I get a good massage after a
relaxing day in your palm paradise?
The World of Wellness...559-1717 |
