Care of Palm Trees

In the Desert Southwest, few landscape plants create a stronger visual impact than a healthy palm tree. Whether planted around a swimming pool, in a courtyard, or as a focal point in the backyard, palm trees instantly add a tropical feel to the landscape. They bring to mind relaxing vacations, cool refreshing drinks, and family gatherings on warm summer evenings. While palms are generally easy to grow in our region, they do require some routine care to keep them healthy, attractive, and thriving year-round.

Here are some helpful tips for maintaining beautiful palm trees in the Southwest:

Water deeply and consistently. Palm trees appreciate deep watering that reaches the entire root zone. During the heat of summer, established palms may require watering once or twice per week, depending on soil conditions and temperatures.
Fertilize regularly. Palms benefit from a quality palm fertilizer that contains micronutrients such as magnesium, manganese, and iron. Apply fertilizer in spring and again during the growing season to encourage strong growth and rich green foliage.
Avoid over-pruning. One of the most common mistakes is removing too many healthy fronds. Only prune dead, damaged, or completely brown fronds. Healthy green leaves are producing food for the tree and should remain in place.
Watch for nutrient deficiencies. Yellowing, streaking, or frizzled foliage can indicate a lack of nutrients. Proper fertilization usually corrects these problems before they become severe.
Protect from winter cold. While many palms tolerate Southwest conditions, young trees and cold-sensitive varieties may need protection during hard freezes. Wrapping the trunk or covering the crown during extreme cold can help prevent damage.
Keep the base clean. Remove weeds, fallen fronds, and debris from around the trunk. A clean planting area improves appearance and helps reduce insect and disease problems.

With proper watering, fertilization, and occasional pruning, palm trees can provide decades of beauty in the Desert Southwest. Their graceful appearance, cooling shade, and unmistakable tropical character make them one of the most popular landscape trees for homeowners who want to create a backyard retreat right outside their door.

Helpful Palm Tree Tips

Here are some helpful tips for keeping palm trees healthy and looking good all year long.

The Mediterranean, California, and Mexican fan palms will survive the southwestern droughts and are seen throughout the southwestern landscape. However, the Mexican fan palm will struggle if temperatures drop into the lower teens, especially newly planted ones.

Palm trees love good, well-drained soil; do not plant them in hard caliche soil. Be sure to ask for a good, composted soil conditioner when purchasing palm trees. All palm trees are in the Arecaceae, or cycads family. Palm Trees of the Southwest Photos.

The Date palm or Phoenix palm also does well in the desert southwest. It typically has one or more large trunks arising from a single root system.

It can grow up to 20- 25 ft. tall. The fronds have a feather-like look to them, long and narrow, perfect for getting moisture from the light sprinkling of rainwater.

The Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) is usually used for Bonsai purposes or in ornamental pots, typically indoors. However, in climates where temperatures never go below freezing, it does just fine. Many folks like this type of palm in a container because it does not grow that tall or wide. 4-5 ft. tall and anywhere from 4 to 8 ft. wide. You will have to water more often during the hot summer months.

I have seen Sago palms in places where they freeze, but their owner may have protected the palm tree from freezing during its first 3-4 years of growth.

Care of Palm Trees.

Palm trees love full sun and soil enriched with Manganese, Magnesium, sulfur, Potassium, and Iron. Most soils do not contain this type of naturally occurring element, no matter where you live. A good 12-4-12 analysis is an ideal fertilizer to use. Apply it a few days after you have planted your palm trees.

It is also beneficial to fertilize older palm trees. There are hundreds of palm species, but on average, the normal lifespan of most palms is well over 150 years. Some palms can live much longer.

Be sure to ask for palm tree fertilizers when purchasing palm trees. Carl Pool’s Palm Food will work for these types of trees.

Did you know there are over 2,500 species of palm trees? The Arecaceae family of plants includes wonderfully diverse species found throughout the world, from the desert to the rainforest. Here is a post from mnn.com on some amazing facts about these trees. Facts about Palm Trees.

Care of Palm Trees

Palms love to be pruned when the fronds start to turn brown or yellow at the bottom. Be sure to wear a good pair of thick gloves before pruning, as the fronds have large, hooked thorns.

Palm Trees are susceptible to Ganoderma Root rot. This is usually caused by too much water, especially in places where there is lots of rainfall. In the Southwest, this is rare, but it does happen.

Check your irrigation system regularly to ensure there are no broken lines, clogged emitters, or leaks that could prevent the palm from receiving adequate water. Avoid planting palm trees directly beneath or too close to rain gutters, where excessive runoff can create overly wet soil conditions and lead to root problems.

Once a palm tree becomes established, typically after 4 to 5 years, watering requirements decrease. During the hot summer months, most established palms only need deep watering once or twice per week. Deep, infrequent watering encourages a stronger root system and helps the tree become more drought-tolerant.

How to Trim Palm Trees

Use good sharp cutting loppers. Corona Clipper 32” Professional Bypass Lopper with 2-1/2″ Cutting Capacity is what we recommend.

If your tree is over 15ft. tall, you should call or consult with an arborist or landscaping professional. You should prune fronds at the bottom part of the tree.

If the tree looks brownish at the top, this could be an indication of insects or disease or temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not use small pruning shears.

Do not cut too close to the trunk, and only trim old browning-type fronds towards the bottom of the tree. Remember, in case of a large over 20ft. or over the tree, you should call or consult with a landscaping professional.

In the Southwest, the Mediterranean and Pindo fan palms are the hardiest, followed by the California, Mexican, Sago, and Windmill palms.

The Mexican palm is taller, up to 100 ft tall, but much narrower. All palms are low water once established. Be sure to remove and dispose of fronds in a large container; you do not want children or pets close to these vicious-type thorns.

Dig your hole twice as wide and about the same depth; see the photo to the left. About 4′ wide and 3′ deep. Planting a palm tree is basically the same as other types of trees. How to plant a tree post here.

The difference between many palm trees in and around the Southwest.

The photo to the left is what a good California fan palm should look like.