Q. I have 11-year-old, 4-foot tall palm trees that are in
25- or 30-gallon pots in my backyard that get direct sunlight every day. What kind
of watering cycle should they be getting during the hot summer and throughout
the year? Also, what kind of nutrients should I be adding to them and how
often?
25- or 30-gallon pots in my backyard that get direct sunlight every day. What kind
of watering cycle should they be getting during the hot summer and throughout
the year? Also, what kind of nutrients should I be adding to them and how
often?
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| Even though not really a palm, sago palm or cycad makes a great container plant. |
A. Containers will dry out faster on the south and west
sides if they are in full sun. Those sides of the container are notorious for
getting super hot and killing roots. Shading the container or putting the
existing container in a second, but larger container, prevents that.
sides if they are in full sun. Those sides of the container are notorious for
getting super hot and killing roots. Shading the container or putting the
existing container in a second, but larger container, prevents that.
Note: windmill palm and pygmy date palm make great container palms!
Watering Plants
Always
water in the morning before it gets hot. How much and how often to apply water
depends on the soil in the container. Buy an inexpensive moisture meter used for
monitoring houseplants to gauge when to water again. Push the tip of the
moisture meter in the soil about four inches deep. Do this in three different
spots so you can get an average reading. When the average reading is near 5,
water again.
water in the morning before it gets hot. How much and how often to apply water
depends on the soil in the container. Buy an inexpensive moisture meter used for
monitoring houseplants to gauge when to water again. Push the tip of the
moisture meter in the soil about four inches deep. Do this in three different
spots so you can get an average reading. When the average reading is near 5,
water again.
 |
| Inexpensive moisture sensor for houseplants does a pretty good job telling you how wet or dry the soil is. |
Fertilizing Plants
Fertilize
container plants more often than plants growing in the ground. The application
frequency varies from once a month to three or four times a year. The same
amount is applied over the course of a year, but the amount applied each time
is split into monthly or quarterly applications. The best way to judge when an
application of fertilizer is needed is using leaf color and plant growth as
indicators. Plants with enough fertilizer are dark green and have strong
growth.
Controlling Soil Salts
When you
water, a little bit should always come out the bottom of the container. This
helps remove salts that might otherwise accumulate in the soil. Apply
fertilizer after every 40 waterings.
water, a little bit should always come out the bottom of the container. This
helps remove salts that might otherwise accumulate in the soil. Apply
fertilizer after every 40 waterings.
Hello fellow gardeners…a simple solution to prevent the sun from cooking the roots of your potted plants is to line all your pots including the bottom with a layer of a discarded swimming pool cover. If you can't find a discarded pool cover in the trash you can use a piece of the white foam padding found in abundance in the trash around "big box" stores or auto body repair shops.
Hello fellow gardeners…a simple solution to prevent the sun from cooking the roots of your potted plants is to line all your pots including the bottom with a layer of a discarded swimming pool cover. If you can't find a discarded pool cover in the trash you can use a piece of the white foam padding found in abundance in the trash around "big box" stores or auto body repair shops.