How to Grow Palm Trees

Palm trees in your own backyard. It’s like having a tropical paradise you don’t have to fly a thousand kilometres to get to.

Palm trees are a very in-demand plant. Their exoticism and beauty is something that isn’t natural to North America. There are many kinds of palms – short, tall, desert, and cold-hardy are all popular. Choosing the right one, planting it, and maintaining it can get you the ultimate tropical kingdom to call your own.

Step 1 – Choose Your Palm

If you’re living in an area of the country with mild winters, you can grow almost any palm tree. Unfortunately, most of us face unpredictable winters. When winter weather dips below 20 Fahrenheit, your palm tree’s dead in the water.

That said, even in those harsh winter temperatures, you can still have palm trees. You just got to have the right one. Smaller eight-foot sago palms, saw palmettos, European fan palms, and massive 20-feet high Chinese windmill palms are your best bet.

Step 2 – Plant Your Palm Tree

Palm tree varieties are different from one another. Some grow tall and fast, and others don’t. Different requirements exist, particularly with sunlight. Do some research into what type of palm tree you have and ensure it has the necessary resources to thrive.

When you plant your palm tree, remember to keep the root ball moist but not saturated. This central mass of roots should be placed in a hole twice as wide as it, ensuring the top is one inch above the soil.

Backfill the hole with one part native soil and one part garden soil. Look for something that’s formulated for palms, cactus plants, and citrus plants. This type of soil will feed a palm tree for up to three months.

Step 3 – Keep Your Palm Watered and Fed

For the first three weeks after your palm tree is planted, it should be thoroughly watered.

Many gardeners will wrap a soaker hose around the root area to keep it moist. Once the palm plant takes to the soil, you can cut back but for the first few weeks, it’s imperative to keep it wet.

Next, ensure it’s fed. Palm trees are not like other trees. They have unique nutritional needs. Magnesium, iron, and manganese are what it needs. Ensure you buy some palm plant food, working it into the top few inches of soil around the roots every three months. Once the plant food is mixed in, water it thoroughly.

….Or Buy A Fake Palm Tree

Palm trees aren’t easy to grow. Fake palm trees already are everything they need to be. If the details we’ve shared here on how to grow a palm tree seem like it’s overly expensive, risky, or challenging, you’re not wrong.

When you buy your fake palm tree from a reliable brand, you can get something truly special.

Handcrafted intricately detailed artificial plants are out there. With palm trees, they truly do resemble the real thing. In fact, they’re almost impossible to differentiate.