Tips for Successful Palm Tree Landscaping in the Coachella Valley
Whether you brought your new palm tree home yourself or it was delivered by your grower, you need to know what to do with it once it arrives. Luckily, palm trees are durable and low-maintenance and can be beautifully incorporated into your Coachella Valley landscaping. The professional palm tree growers at Desert Empire Palms offer knowledge, expertise, and advice for all our customers so that you can be successful in your palm tree planting. Our team has decades of experience growing thriving, healthy palms and is happy to sell, deliver, and install for our Coachella Valley customers.
The Coachella Valley palm tree experts at Desert Empire Palms are here to help you enjoy your new palm tree for years. Call us today to learn more about palm tree options that fit your landscape plans.
Rules of Thumb for Palm Tree Planting
Understanding overall palm tree planting and growing rules can help you set yourself up for success and help keep your palms looking and growing well for decades.
- Before you plant, determine your palm’s watering needs, nutrient needs, and specific ideal growth conditions so that you can plan accordingly.
- Most palm trees prefer well-draining soil rich in nutrients and with a partial sand makeup. Add sand if your soil is too dense or heavy.
- Most palm trees do wonderfully in full sun exposure but remember that young trees need slow exposure to increasing sun. If you plant new trees in a very sunny spot, consider placing temporary shade around the trees and gradually moving them as the tree becomes stable in its new home.
- Choose a spot where your palm fronds will not be constricted as they grow, and plant them in a space that will accommodate the full-sized palm. Make sure that your full-grown palms will not contact power lines or structures they can damage.
- Understand that most palms are transplants from other places in the world and that although they are trees, they are a closer relative to grasses and bamboo. This means they will respond and grow more like these, rather than a traditional tree. (The only palm native to California is the California Fan Palm.)
- Avoid planting palms during the dry season. Young palms are more fragile and more susceptible to damage from weather changes. For this reason, they should be planted in spring, as the soil warms up from the winter chill, which will give them several months to stabilize before the cold returns.
Soil Prep and Handling when Planting Your New Palm
When you’ve found the ideal spot to plant your new palm tree, it’s time to get the soil ready. You will want to dig a hole twice the diameter of the root ball, but no deeper than the ball and with a flat, even bottom.
Once your hole is ready, gently remove the palm from its container, paying attention to protecting the heart where the leaves sprout. Backfill once the palm is in the hole, considering keeping the soil slightly loose to encourage root growth.
You will want to brace your young palm tree if it has a single trunk. Do this by placing several supports around the palm (use a buffer of cheesecloth or burlap, do not place braces directly against the trunk) and stakes sunk well into the soil to hold up those support braces. You can secure the bracing to the palm with rubber-coated wire or metal bands. This style of support for your new palm will help it withstand wind and severe weather as it develops its root system and grows.
Plan a frequent watering schedule for your new palm tree for at least the first 3-4 weeks before cutting back on watering. As the weather changes from warm to cold, your new palm will need less water as it moves into its dormant season.
Thriving Coachella Valley Palms at Desert Empire Palms
Desert Empire Palms has been a Coachella Valley palm tree grower for generations, with experience growing and selling a variety of palms. Our palm tree experts can help you find the perfect date palm, fan palm, or Canary Island Palm for your landscape design. With purchase, delivery, and installation options, we can help you bring your palm tree vision to life.
Call the Coachella Valley palm tree growers at Desert Empire Palms today!