palm installation | Gardening in the Panhandle

2024 Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! Palm Selection and Care

by Julie McConnell | Mar 14, 2024

On March 7^th we held our second Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! of 2024 and the panel tackled Palm Selection and Care. We had lots of great questions from viewers, and this is a recap of some of the main points covered and references shared.

A few spoilers of the discussion – palms are not trees, they are grasses; and Sago “palms” and Coontie “palms” are cycads, not palms! Check out the video for explanations.

Although there is always the possibility of cold damage if winter temperatures drop below average, for the best success choose palms more likely to survive “normal” winters. These include Cabbage Palm, Mule Palm, Pindo Palm, Needle Palm, and Windmill Palm.

How you plant a palm is very important to long term survival. Follow steps in these publications:
Planting Palms https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/planting/planting-palms.html
Transplanting Palms in the Landscape https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP001

Maintaining palms can also be tricky – especially if you are performing tasks out of routine rather than need.

Pruning palms is a hot subject because it is very commonly done incorrectly leading to nutrient deficiency, bud exposure to cold and wind damage, spread of disease, and attracting insect pests. Proper techniques can be found in Pruning Palms https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pruning/pruning-palms.html

Palms have specific nutritional needs so understanding proper fertilization is key. Your Palms Might be Hangry https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/orangeco/2021/03/08/your-palms-might-be-hangry-here-is-how-to-feed-them/ explains how to feed them right!

Several diseases can cause palms to become unstable and unsafe. Thielaviopsis Trunk Rot of Palm https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP143 and Ganoderma Butt Rot of Palms https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP100 are two of concern.

A great resource for palm diagnostics is this interactive website Palm Key Diagnostics https://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/palmprodpalm-problems-key/

If you missed this episode, you can watch the episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNZx4ZSSTl-rgIrEqGJYaCJjguZTuxPXc

Make sure to register for our next episode on April 11^th Temperate Fruit for NW Florida!

Palm Care for the Panhandle

by Blake Thaxton | May 19, 2015

Every landscape manager and homeowner, especially on the gulf coast, wants to add a tropical feel to their landscape. One way to achieve this is to incorporate palms and other tropical plants into planting beds. Like any other plant, proper care is key to success. The improper care of palms stems from a lack of knowledge about the unique physiology and needs of palms. Palm care practices such as installing and pruning could be improved in Northwest Florida. University of Florida has some great resources available to homeowners and green industry professionals on palm care and maintenance. Let’s hit some highlights and use these tips to improve palm care in northwest Florida.

First, installation is very important with palms, as it is with all plants. One practice that ultimately results in death to a palm is planting too deeply. Some have done this in the past to help secure the palm from falling over. This may seem like a good idea but will harm the plant in many ways. Look at these two palms that were planted at the same time, do you see the difference?

Make sure that when you plant, dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball and only as deep as the rootball is tall. For support, build a supporting structure but do not nail directly into the trunk (this will allow an entry point for disease). Once planted, water the palm in thoroughly, ensuring that all the air pockets are filled If the fronds are tied up, untie them as soon as your palm is planted.

The next issue that faces many homeowners and landscape professionals is how to prune palms. Many prune a palm too severely for a variety of reasons. Take a look at this palm below for an example of a palm that has been pruned too drastically.

Follow the 9 to 3 clock rule, only pruning below the horizontal line of the crown of the palm. If you follow this rule you will generally be pruning correctly.

Read more about pruning, installing and general palm information for northwest Florida.

Photo Credits, University of Florida.