Palms

How to grow palms in a garden

1. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Enrich the soil with Yates Thrive Natural Blood & Bone with Seaweed. If the soil is clay-based, add gypsum and fork in well.
2. Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.
3. Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down. Form a raised or doughnut-shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed. Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes.
4. Mulch around the base with organic mulch, like bark chips, woodchip or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.
5. Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions.
6. Feed in autumn and spring with Yates Thrive All Purpose Granular Plant Food. TIP: For an added boost, apply Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.

How to grow palms in a pot

1. Pick a variety that can be grown as a standard in a pot. Choose a pot at least 600 mm wide and deep. Position in full sun.
2. Fill chosen pot with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix. Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots.
3. Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Water in well.
4. Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions.
5. Feed in autumn and spring with Yates Thrive All Purpose Liquid Plant Food. TIP: For an added boost, apply Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.
6. Repot when the plant becomes too large and the pot is filled to capacity with roots.
7. Do not stand potted palms in a tray of water, because most varieties of palms loathe wet feet. To increase humidity around the palm, fill a shallow tray with pebbles and almost cover with water. Then stand the potted palm on top of the pebbles. Good indirect light is necessary for healthy growth.

Growing tips

• Varieties include:
  • Kentia palms (Howea forsteriana), originally from Lord Howe Island, are popular around the world because of their slim good looks and their ability to flourish indoors. They’ll grow well outdoors, but usually look better in a shady spot.
  • Golden Cane palm (Dypsis lutescens) is a multi-stemmed variety that forms a clump topped with feathery, pale, yellow-green leaves.
  • Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) is a slow-growing, low growing variety that makes an excellent container plant for indoors or out.
• Palms don’t like low humidity, so rooms with heaters or air-conditioners are not suitable.
• If the air is too dry, leaf tips will brown off. Draughts, too, are damaging.
• Mist spraying the foliage several times a day when the weather is dry and hot, helps prevent lasting damage.
• For indoor palms, wipe fronds regularly to remove dust. Use a weak solution of soap in water.