How to Care for Landscaped Palm Trees in Arizona
- 1). Keep soil fertile and well drained. Test drainage by digging a hole near the base of a palm. Pour water in the hole. If it drains readily, it's fine. If not, amend the soil with equal parts peat and sand.
- 2). Water once a week to a depth of at least 2 feet. Test for depth by hammering a length of rebar into the soil. Withdraw it and check for moisture at the 2-foot mark.
- 3). Add a layer of mulch at a depth of 2 inches in a 3-foot circle around palm trees, especially if they are planted in a lawn. This will prevent mower or weed whacker injuries that give insects and disease a point of entry. Don't allow the mulch to sit against the trunk, or it will cause rot.
- 4). Check the color of the palm's foliage from time to time. If you notice it yellowing or turning pale green, the palm needs nitrogen, which is often lacking in Arizona soils. Apply fertilizer that contains 10 to 20 percent nitrogen to keep foliage growing vigorously. Fertilize in May and July for best results.
- 5). Wear gloves and eye protection when pruning palms. Cut away dead leaves and stems only when they are completely brown. Snip them off with pruning shears, leaving an inch-long stub. Avoid cutting stems flush with the trunk, because the risk of bark injury is too great. Some palms, like the Mexican fan, develop a shaggy skirt of dead growth at the base. Cut this away annually with a sharp knife, being careful not to slice the trunk's living bark.
- 6). Prune the canopy of a taller palm with a pole-handled pruning saw. Do not prune the shape above the horizontal (3 o'clock and 9 o'clock), because it will weaken the tree and make it more susceptible to breakage in high winds.
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