Don’t trim your palms!

Don't trim your palms!  Or at least don't trim until the fronds are brown.

A question that we are frequently asked is whether or not palms in the landscape should be trimmed. The answer in almost all cases is NO! There are several reasons why this is not a good practice.

1.   Your palms have stored energy inside their fronds. Unless the frond is completely brown, there are stored carbohydrates (sugars) that the palm is expecting to utilize. As each frond changes from green to yellow to brown, the palm is withdrawing the stored nutrition inside the frond. The palm then uses those sugars to produce new growth. Removing even a few green fronds from a healthy palm will induce a nutrient deficiency and in some cases can be fatal. Similarly, removing chlorotic (yellow) fronds will create a vicious cycle and force the palm into a continually malnourished state, even if the deficiency has been corrected by proper fertilizer application. Removal of green fronds is an unnatural act and forces a palm to use its stored nutrition before it normally would. Think of each frond as a dinner plate with food on it. Removing plates of food will cause the palm to become hungry.

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2.   The palm frond is the palm's sole source of energy. Palms, like nearly every plant, rely on photosynthesis to survive. Photosynthesis is the process of converting light into sugars, which are then stored in the fronds. Removing fronds prematurely reduces the photosynthetic capacity of the palm and therefore slows its growth. Unlike hardwood trees that can grow multiple leaves from multiple branches, palms can only create one frond at a time.

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3.   Trimming can spread diseases.  When living fronds are removed from a palm, living tissue is cut.  Palms have a circulatory system and sugars and water are constantly moving throughout the palm.  If the pruning equipment has been exposed to disease from an infected palm, it is highly likely to be transmitted to a healthy palm when living fronds are removed.

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Removing healthy fronds makes palms LESS storm tolerant.  Many people have their palms trimmed near the start of hurricane season.  This is not a good practice as stated previously, as palms store energy in their healthy fronds.  Over pruning leaves the fewer remaining fronds more susceptible to wind damage.  Healthy palms with full canopies are much more tolerant of hurricane force winds and are able to recover more quickly.  After a hurricane, leaving cracked, hanging green fronds on the palm is a good practice as well.  In the months after Hurricane Wilma in 2005, we observed a quicker recovery and less death on palms that were left alone rather than heavily pruned.

Palms that are fertilized properly at consistent intervals will remain green from top to bottom and will not prematurely yellow. Palms with a crownhsaft are self-cleaning and will drop their fronds naturally when they are finished using the energy stored inside. Palms that do not drop their fronds naturally are finished using the stored energy when each frond browns completely.

In conclusion, with regards to removing fronds from palms, the less you do, the better.

 

 

 

http://palmtreedr.com/blog/dont-trim-your-palms/

 

 

 

 

 

Fairchild’s tropical garden column: Palms are not just another pretty face

Home & Garden

May 18, 2015

Miami Herald

 

Paurotis palm can be used for thatch, fiber and fruits.  Plant this Florida native in a wet spot.  Sara Edelman – Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

By Sara Edelman

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Palms are ornamental gems, stunning growers with relatively few horticultural needs. All they require is water, fertilizer and access to soil — no maintenance necessary.

For this reason, they are wildly popular. Although they are often planted solely for their beauty, they are more like trees of life, providing resources such as fruit, sugary sap and thatch.

 

"The Senegal date palm (Phoenix reclinata) is a date palm adapted to our southern Florida climate, but high humidity does not allow fruit to develop into dates."

| Sara Edelman Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

The date palm, Phoenix dactylifera, is the original palm tree of life, called that in many cultures because every part of the palm can be used. The trunk is used for timber, the fruit are the delicious dates, the leaflets are used for basketry, the fibers are used for thatching, the stalks of the flowers are used for ropes or burned for fuel, the sap is drinkable and can be boiled into a candy, and the midribs of the leaves are used in furniture. This remarkable palm is regarded as so important that Muslim legend says it was created from the dust left over after the creation of Adam.

The date palm is suited for desert life, requiring very dry, non-humid conditions. Date palms do not do well in muggy southern Florida. Even if they do survive the summer, they won't produce fruit.

But some close relatives of the date palm will do fairly well here, although they won't produce dates: the Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis), Senegal date palm (Phoenix reclinata) and the miniature date palm (Phoenix roebelenii). They do have nutrient deficiency issues, however. Treat these palms with twice-a-year applications of slow-release palm special fertilizer and don't remove discolored leaves. Removing the deficiency worsens the problem.

Other giving palms are better suited for southern Florida. Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, paurotis palm, is a beautiful southern Florida native. This clonal palm provides big leaves for thatching roofs, and fibers on the stem can be used to make cloth. The black berries are eaten by migratory birds, and the gray foxes in Belize rely solely on this plant seasonally. The resource-rich paurotis palm, which grows in the swamps and even in the urban landscape, prefers to have its feet wet. Keep it well watered, or better yet put it in the water, or it will show signs of frizzle top.

The biggest-kept secret is the royal palm (Roystonea regia). Royal palms are called the most beautiful palms in the world, but many people don't realize they have delicious hearts. If you have royal palms in your yard, instead of yanking out seedlings, let them grow into mature plants. Once they are five to six feet tall, cut them down, remove the bud and enjoy the heart of palm. Surprisingly, these palms grow in the marsh. Plant them in a wet spot in your yard to avoid pencil tipping of the trunk and eventual crown decline.

Another great palm tree of life for southern Florida is the sugar palm (Arenga pinnata), which gets its name from the sugary sap its blossoms produce. This sap can be made into a fresh drink called saguir, fermented into a distilled liquor (arrack) or dried into arenga sugar. The palm heart is edible and so are the newest leaves. Sago, a starch, is made from the pith. The dark, fibrous bark is manufactured into cord or rope.

Not surprisingly, this is an incredibly important economic crop in its native tropical Asia. According to Sudanese folklore, the spirit Wewe Gombel nests in this palm, where she keeps the children she abducts. This mythical and resource-rich palm is a great grower for southern Florida. Put it in partial sun and watch it flourish. But be mindful — the fruit contain oxalate crystals and can be a skin irritant.

If you want a horticultural challenge, try planting Bactris gasipaes, also called pejibaye or peach palm. The reward definitely outweighs the challenge. This clumping palm produces a delicious fruit that is edible after being cooked for three to five hours.

Not only is the fruit delightful, but so is the heart — the clumping palm is one of the main producers of heart of palm. Hearts removed, the stems make valuable timber. Almost every part of this palm is used for economic benefit.

The peach palm is difficult to grow in southern Florida because it needs a truly tropical climate of year-round heat and humidity, well-drained, acid soils and prefers higher altitude. Cultivation in southern Florida is possible with the right microhabitat and diligence. Keep your peach palm well watered and well protected.

Palms are not only beautiful and easy to grow but have many economic and cultural uses. Don't waste any more time — plant a palm tree of life in your yard and be prepared for a plant that will truly give back.

Sara Edelman is palm and cycad manager at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article21136317.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

 

Palms don’t need all the work we put into them

By Sara Edelman

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

10/31/2014

 

Palms don't need to be trimmed. Brown leaves protect the center of growth from damage and provide shelter to animals. Sara Edelman Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

Palms are the icons of sunny southern Florida. Their beautiful habit and relatively simple growth make them excellent picks for your backyard. However, their horticulture isn't always so straightforward. Many gardeners struggle with trimming, fertilizing, spraying and potting. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about palm horticulture.

 

Q: How should I trim my palm?

A: A good motto for palm trimming is "Don't trim green." Palm leaves store their nutrients in their leaves. A healthy leaf is consistently green. When a palm is nutrient deficient, the leaf starts to change colors. This is caused by the movement of nutrients from their leaves to their growth center. When non-brown leaves are removed, the nutrients in those leaves are removed as well. This essentially starves your palm.

Trimming your palm is not necessary. Some palms, such as royal palms, shed their leaves without any help. Palmetto palms, on the other hand, can hang onto their leaves. Leaving your palm untrimmed may be beneficial to your palm. The old leaves protect the heart (center of growth) from damage during storms. The old leaves also provide habitat to our southern Florida critters.

Related

Before pulling out your clippers or pole saws, remember that palms need their green leaves and are perfectly happy not being trimmed at all.

 

Q: How do I keep my palm leaves green?

A: Appropriate fertilization is the key to dark green palm leaves. Select an 8-2-12 (N-P-K ratio), slow-release fertilizer. A slow release provides nutrients throughout the year. When spikes in nutrition occur (caused by fast-release fertilizers) palms are left hungry. Feeding palms with fast-release fertilizer is similar to eating all your food for a week on one day. Your palm may be sated for a while but they eventually get hungry and show signs of nutrient deficiency.

Fertilizer should be applied three times a year. The three times fall on a nice holiday schedule: Valentine's Day, Fourth of July and the Jewish New Year (early October). Start thinking about fertilizing on these holidays and you won't miss a fertilizing treatment. These times are perfectly spaced throughout the year so your palms will remain full at all times. No more nutrient deficiencies for your backyard kings.

 

Q: How do I spray?

A: Spraying is an important part of fertilizing and pest management. The keys to spraying are the same, regardless of the task. Spraying should always be done in the morning. Both liquid fertilizer and horticultural oil will burn leaves if exposed to sun light. Check for morning dew on the leaf and remember the following rhyme: If there is dew, you're safe to spray. If there isn't, try earlier the following day.

Appropriate application is just as essential as timing. Apply the spray evenly over the entire leaf. If the spray isn't even then it won't work. For liquid fertilizer, nutrients have only been delivered to some parts of the leaves and other parts remain deficient. The leaf color will still be distorted. For oil application, only some of the leaf has been treated and the pests will survive and return very quickly.

 

Q: How do I pot a palm?

A: Most palms are not happy in pots. They can survive a few years in pots but this is not a long-term home for them. It is important to keep them comfortable in their rental unit until you can find them a forever spot in your backyard.

Make sure the roots of the palm are completely covered by soil. Exposed roots are unhappy roots and unhappy roots are fatal. Apply granular fertilizer just below the soil surface and keep your potted palm very well watered. In a potted palm, watering is crucial.

Even though their growth is seemingly simple, appropriate horticulture is vital for the survival of your green giants. Don't struggle with these frequently asked questions. Instead, understand the answers, care for your palms appropriately and watch your collection flourish.

 

Sara Edelman is the palm and cycad manager at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article3487791.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

Palms that break the rules

Fairchild’s tropical garden column: Palms that break the rules

By Sara Edelman

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

10/04/2014

 

CENTER OF ATTENTION: Chambeyronia macrocarpa is appropriately named the flame thrower palm as its newest leaf is a magnificent red. Sara Edelman Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

Most plant lovers are knowledgeable about palm habit. It is uniform — a trunk with one crown of green, folded leaves and flowers borne below or within the crown. This most common growth habit gives the best support, with the greatest chance of survival for a majority of palm species.

 

Just like the real world, certain palms follow the rules scrupulously, and others see how far they can bend them.

 

The palm species that follow this protocol explicitly are the teachers’ pets; they follow all directions unconditionally. So many palms fall under this category of straight-A student: royal, coconut and Christmas palms. The Montgomery palm (Veitchia montgomeryana) is a wonderful grower, despite its lack of creativity and willingness to follow rules blindly. It will grow quickly (for a palm) when planted in full sun with lots of water.

 

However, there are just as many palms who follow a different creed: Rules are meant to be broken. While following the rules is usually a necessity, some palms love to break them! Let’s plant these rebellious palms for the rebel in us all.

 

The easiest derivation from the rule is a many-stemmed trunk. These palms still make the highest marks but don’t quite walk the line. They get to class just as the tardy bell rings. Saw palmetto, Macarthur and lady palms are rule benders.

 

Ptychosperma schefferi, a close relative of the Macarthur palm, hasn’t decided how closely it wants to follow the rulebooks. Its trunk can be either solitary or multi-stemmed. Although indecisive in its habit, it is consistently a good choice for southern Florida, growing well in our alkaline soils with high cold tolerance.

 

Some of the biggest rule breakers are the Hyphaene palms (Hyphaene sp.). They stray from the first palm rule: one crown per head. These palms branch at the growth bud creating two equally sized crowns. While this architecture should be unstable, Hyphaene palms dominate the desert. If you’re going to plant a Hyphaene keep it high, dry and in the sun.



Hyphaene thebaica

 The mazari palm (Nannorhops ritchiana) takes a page from Hyphaene’s playbook and branches aerially as well. However, the mazari takes it one step further. One crown is vegetative, producing leaves only, while the other produces flowers and dies. The vegetative crown splits again and the pattern continues. Mazari palms are not as readily available but are incredibly hardy. If you manage to get your hands on one, get ready to have a rebel palm that will have your neighbors talking.

 

The flame thrower palm (Chambeyronia macrocarpa) isn’t an outright rebel, preferring merely to push the limits. She dyes her hair and the result is magnificent. Instead of having a typical green crown, the newest leaf is bright red. Unlike the Hyphaene and mazari palms, the flame thrower palm can be found in most nurseries. This palm can grow in full sun or partial shade. Simply plant it in a moist but well-drained area and watch for that defiant red leaf.

 

The previous palms play it safe and reproduce many times to ensure future generations. The Corypha palm (Corypha sp.) is a gambler. The Corypha palms do not hedge their bets — they go all in. They produce a copious amount of flowers one time above their crown of leaves and then die. In their one reproductive event they can produce millions of flowers and thousands of seeds. In the wild these palms grow along waterways and floodplains in grasslands. They have low nutrient requirements and do well in our Florida soils. Plant them in full sun and moist soil.

 

The shiftiest of the bunch is the nonconformist who breaks rules right under your nose. Their growth habit is defiant, yet so sneaky we don’t even realize. The title of slyest rule breaker belongs to our own Florida native, the dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor). At first glance, this palm appears to be little and seemingly insignificant. While its close relative Sabal palmetto grows a tall trunk, the dwarf palmetto counters and keeps its stem underground.

 

Don’t let its short stature fool you; it has a full-grown stem that is simply buried underground. Plant this palm in full sun, with dry soil and a large area for the underground stem to grow.

 

Sabal minor, the dwarf palmetto, grows its stem underground to protect its trunk from fire. Sara Edelman Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

Palms that exhibit strange growth live in areas not conducive to typical palm growth. Underground stems protect a delicate trunk from fire, and clumping is advantageous in wetlands. Their seemingly rebellious growth habits make them stronger. These variations of the typical palm decorum also make them hardier ornamentals. Any of these palms would be a beautiful (and rebellious) addition to your backyard.

 

Sara Edelman is the palm and cycad manager at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article2437624.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

 

Caring for water-loving palms in our dry winters

Okay, I know palms aren’t really trees and it’s not Thursday but since this Thursday is Thanksgiving and I won’t be here, here’s a palm article for Tree Thursday!  :)

 

Fairchild’s tropical garden column: Caring for water-loving palms

By Sara Edelman

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

11/13/2014

 

The lipstick palm is famous for being cold sensitive. However, when planted in the water this palm is much easier to cultivate. Sara Edelman Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

For palm lovers, summer in Miami is heaven on earth. Humid days and afternoon rain showers encourage healthy growth. But as the cooler weather rolls in, it is almost impossible to ignore the fact that summer is over.

I can hear your mother telling you it’s time to get out of the pool. But you aren’t ready. Palms feel the same sadness that we do as summer warmth disappears. They live for its long, warm, humid days. Cooler weather slows their growth and stifles their mood.

 

Palms despise the cold so much that some have figured out how to act like it’s summer year round. When they hear their mother telling them to get out of the pool, they resist. These palms grow in the water. In fact, the water protects them from cold weather injury.

 

Instead of escaping to the Bahamas, plant a summer-loving palm. Even if your mood is stifled by the cooler weather, their stubbornness in pretending winter doesn’t exist will lift your spirits.

 

Paurotis palm (Acoelorrhaphe wrightii) is a Florida native that grows in the seasonal marshes of the Everglades. Through rhizomatous branching, it creates colonies with an empty center. The empty center is higher than the water level and often becomes habitat for other plant and animal species.

 

Paurotis palm is planted frequently in the landscape but often shows signs of stress in the leaves. The newest leaves become frizzled because the palm is planted in dry soil. Plant a paurotis palm along the perimeter of a pond. You’ll have a gorgeous water-loving clump that will make all your neighbors palm-leaf green with envy.

 

If you want a native palm but aren’t sold on the clumping nature of paurotis, a royal palm (Roystonea regia) is for you. Like paurotis, these palms also suffer occasionally from dryness. Often, the crown is weakened from dehydration and falls off.

 

After seeing so many royals planted along the roadside it may come as a shock that it grows in the swamps. If you plant a royal palm in a wet spot, be prepared for extreme growth. At first, your neighbors and palm-loving friends may think it strange, but after they see your palm’s incredible growth, they will follow suit. Plant this palm where it wants to grow and watch it shoot up.

Maybe you want to venture outside of the native palm realm and cultivate a more difficult palm. The lipstick palm (Cyrtostachys renda) is waiting for you to let her live summer year round. These palms are very cold sensitive and are labeled as “difficult.”

 

However, the trick is in the water. These palms thrive when their feet are wet. Simply plant them in a pond and the cold weather doesn’t affect them quite as much. Be prepared, they still may suffer from winter chills but don’t force them out of the pool.

 

The challenge of growing the lipstick palm may be too much. Instead, try the King Alexander palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae). These water-loving palms grow well in all conditions. They are a little cold sensitive, but similar to the lipstick palm, the water protects them from damage.

 

In the wild, these palms grow along river banks in Australia. When they are planted in dry areas in the landscape, their cold sensitivity increases. Don’t force this palm to suffer through the winter. Instead, give this palm some water and enjoy its tropical green crown of leaves.

 

Water-loving palms are living the dream by living the summer lifestyle year round. Maybe we can steal a little of their summer spirit by planting them in our yards.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home-garden/article3920711.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

 

Tree Thursday - Sabal

Sabal or Cabbage Palm

Sabal palmetto

The very much maligned and abused State tree of Florida and South Carolina is not actually a tree but in the monocot family (grasses, etc.).  All palms differ from trees in their growth patterns.  Palm only growth area is the crown; palm trunks do not grow larger in diameter over time as tree trunks do.  I call them ‘maligned’ because many people fail to see the beauty of the sabal palm and because they are so inexpensive, compared to other palms, they are not considered ‘desirable’ by quite a few people.  Their low cost also lends to the abuse and lack of care they receive many times on landscaping projects.  Economically, it is hard to spend a couple (or more) of hundred dollars to protect and transplant a sabal palm when a ‘new’ one can be replanted for almost half the cost. 

Sabal palms are beautiful and very versatile.  At times, I refer to them as “plug in place” palms because they transplant so easily and they are readily available in mature sizes.  They do grow very slow but can be found in plenty in natural areas.  It’s my feeling that we should do more to protect the sabals in their natural settings and treat them with much more respect in the landscape. 

This southeastern U.S. native palm occurs near the coast, from the North Carolina barrier islands to South Carolina, to Georgia, down to the Florida Keys and then up the Gulf Coast to the northwestern Florida panhandle. Sabal palmetto is also native to Cuba and the Bahamas.  The old fort in St. Augustine was made of sabal palm trunks because of their abundance and ability to deflect cannon balls. 

Sabal palms are also called cabbage palms because the large leaf buds of immature cabbage palms are used in southern cooking to make swamp cabbage and hearts of palm salad. Removal of the bud kills the palm. I recommend that you NOT purchase nor eat hearts of palm for two reasons: 1) they're not that tasty, having only a bland crunchiness to recommend them and 2) most commercially available canned product is obtained from wild stands of Sabal species in Mexico and Central America which is decimating those populations.
In Fort Lauderdale, Sabal palms line Andrews Avenue north of Broward Boulevard and can be found in many other landscapes and most natural areas. 
Growth Rate: Slow
Salt Tolerance: High
Drought Tolerance: High
Sabals used in landscapes:

 

Gene Dempsey, City Forester

Environmental Services

Office - (954) 828-7704 Fax - (954) 828-7897

GDempsey@fortlauderdale.gov

Think before you print!