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RECOMMENDED PLANTING PROCEDURES
MEXICAN FAN PALM
(Washingtonia robusta)From pre-site testing to planting it is important to understand the Mexican Fan Palm's (Washingtonia robusta ) needs to ensure a successful establishment. The palm should not be planted in temperatures that are unable to take up water. Under these conditions the palm must survive on the stored water in the trunk until the soil warms. Planting during October through February is not recommended.
Where to plant should be selected by soil structure and water percolation rates. Direct adjacent planting selections should be determined with the palms' needs in mind as to water requirements and feeding programs once the tree is established. The following information will assist in the care, handling and planting of the tree once it has been delivered to your location.
UNLOADING AND STORING AT THE PLANTING SITE
Unloading of Mexican Fan Palms should be accomplished with the aid of nylon or fabric sling/straps with a minimum width of 4". The use of any other type of off-loading device such as chains, metal cables, ropes etc. and/or the use of undersized equipment (tractor) may damage the trees and cause them to fail.
If the palms are to be laid on the ground prior to planting, they should be unloaded in a horizontal position with straps attached. When palms are planted it is imperative that they be picked up with the strap loop placed as closed to the root ball as possible to avoid damage to the upper succulent portion of the trunk. Palms skinned prior to delivery are more susceptible to physical damage than are unskinned trees, and must be handled very carefully.
SITE STORAGE
If the palms are not planted the day they arrive, the crowns and root balls should be protected from the sun and the reflected heat from the ground. Avoid storing on an asphalt surface. The covering material should allow air movement so that heat does not build up underneath the covering. Shade material such as 90% shade cloth or burlap is appropriate. Do not use plastic or rubberized tarpaulins. Even with proper storage, trees should not be stored for more than 48 hours. Do not stack palms, but lay them in a single layer on a flat surface. Covered root balls should be watered lightly a couple times during the day particularly during hot weather.
SITE PREPARATION
Palm's root balls on taller trees, are generally 24" to 28" in diameter and 24" to 30" deep. Holes should be at least a third larger, 40" by 40". The water percolation rate should be determined for each hole. If, when filled with water once and then immediately again after complete drainage, the hole fails to completely drain within a period of 24 hours, then additional excavation is necessary to break through the impermeable layer to provide a thicker under layer of sand base below the root ball. This "pre-irrigation" is also beneficial for the establishment of deep sub-soil moisture upon which the tree can draw if problems with irrigation occur.
BACKFILL
Backfill should be native soil amended with at least 25% clean washed river or concrete sand. In areas where soils are heavy or caliche layers persist (such as southern Arizona or Nevada) it is recommended that 100% sand be used for backfill. The slower the water percolation rate the deeper the layer of sand that must be used beneath the root ball. Do not add organic soil amendments or fertilizers at time of planting.
PLANTING
Moist fill should be added to the bottom of the hole and tamped (or water jetted) prior to insertion of the tree. After insertion of the tree, a thorough tamping as moist backfill is added is essential to assure the stability of the tree. Palms should be planted so the final grade is the same as the soil line of the root ball, but it is acceptable for the final site grade to be 6" to 12" higher.
SUPPORT
The palms should be supported by at least three 2" by 4" lumber braces placed at least 6' up the trunk. Supports can be removed when fronds are untied.
IRRIGATION
Water demand varies from site to site and time of year. It is essential that each irrigation be deep enough to assure wetting of the entire root ball. During the summer, basin watering is the best initial means to assure deep water penetration. during the hot months, water should be applied everyday for the first week and every other or third day thereafter for the next 4 - 6 weeks. If the trees are initially irrigated by an emitter-regulated water source, then be sure to place the emitters equidistant around the root ball to assure uniform water distribution. The best method of determining adequate soil moisture in the root ball is to sample with a soil probe inserted at an angle through the backfill into the rootball. Retrieval of native root ball soil that cannot be molded into a ball in the palm of the hand is too dry and soil from which free water can be squeezed is too wet.
UNTYING THE FRONDS
The strings tying the fronds should be cut 45 - 60 days after planting during the hot months and after 90 days during the winter months. Do not trim the palms for 30 days after untying them. The dried fronds will help support the new heart leaves as they emerge, especially during windy periods.
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