subject: Graham Tree Service Oakland Ca: How To Care For Your Palm Trees Easy Steps To Follow [print this page] Palm trees can add a beautiful touch to your landscape and are ideal for office surrounding and residential backyards. Whether you wish to plant a palm tree around your house, in your garden or around your office, proper tree care and regular maintenance is a must to keep the Palm Tree healthy and beautiful.
Soil Quality
Soil quality and fertility play an important role in the healthy development of a palm tree. An effective way of improving the quality of soil is by adding organic compounds or natural organisms such as mycorrhizal fungi to it.
An incredible quality of the mycorrhizal fungi is that it lives in symbiosis with the roots of the plant, and naturally draws nutrients towards it, thereby making the plant more healthy and strong. You can hire tree trimming professionals or arborists to help enable healthy growth of your trees.
Use of Fertilizers
Whether you are planting the palm inside or outside your house, the trees must be treated with fertilizers at least twice a year. The only difference is in the choice of fertilizers ornamental trees require specially formulated slow release fertilizers, while residential trees can be treated with the regular maintenance disinfectant and organic compounds.
Palm trees require a large variety of nutrients to stay healthy. However, the nutrients tend to leach away quickly in sandy, well-drained soils. Using palm-specific fertilizers will provide all nutrients to the tree taking into consideration the soils retention rate. Palm specific fertilizers should include manganese, magnesium, potassium and iron. Since Palm trees derive maximum nutrients from the top layers of the soil, adequate use of fertilizers is must for their healthy development & longevity.
Watering
If you didnt already know, palm trees require lots of water; therefore it is important to water the plants at regularly. Proper irrigation and tree care, especially when the tree is young, encourages rapid root growth and establishment of new plantings. Ideally, the palm should be watered using the slow drip system for a couple of hours on a regular basis. Young palm trees should be watered at least twice a week for the first six weeks, followed by twice a month.
Mulch Layer
Spreading about a six inch layer of mulch around the Palm tree bed will also help the palm tree to absorb as much nutrients as possible. Mulch acts as a protective covering when placed over the soil, helping to retain moisture, prevent erosion, and allow better absorption of nutrients. This should be a regular step in all tree care. Mulch also provides effective protection against insects and weeds. The mulch layer will need to be regularly replaced - ideally once every year.
Palm Tree Pruning
Pruning a palm tree is tricky business, and requires professional expertise. Unlike regular trees where new woods or branches are created as an outward growth, a palm trees overgrowth is an expansion of existing tissues. Any damage to the trunk is damage to the tree that may be difficult to heal.
As a general rule, you should prune only the yellow, brown, or broken palm fronds, as green leaves are a good source of food for the plant and also provide initial defence against infection. Removing the palm flowers and fruit stalks regularly will ensure built-up of starch reserve, which further promotes healthy fronds and root system.
If you live in Oakland, Hayward CA, Albany, El Cerrito or surrounding areas, you can easily find many licensed arborists that can offer specialized tree care services. Properly trimmed and well-maintained palm trees can beautify your surrounding and improve the aesthetic appeal of your landscape.
