How to Prepare a Palm Tree & Plant It
- 1). Amend the whole planting area with organic material, but only if your soil is extremely compacted and drains poorly, or is very low in nutrients. The reason for this is that amending only the planting hole discourages the roots from penetrating beyond the nutrient-rich area. Native palms should do well even in average soils, provided they drain well.
- 2). Dig a hole as deep as the root-ball and about three times as wide. Plant the tree at the depth it was grown in the nursery to prevent rot.
- 3). Water in the root-ball as you backfill the hole, to ensure a good union between the root-ball and the surrounding soil and to eliminate air pockets that could cause the root-ball to sink as the soil settles.
- 4). Mulch the new palm heavily after planting. Use wood chips or lawn clippings that will enrich the soil as they decompose. Keep several inches around the trunk free of mulch to discourage rot.
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