Sabal Palm Transplanting

[scpalm]

I have a sabal palm in my landscaping that was recently replaced, the guys that replaced it didn't plant the root ball even with the surrounding soil, it is about 4-5 inches above the surrounding soil, but not with dirt or mulch around it either - I can see pruned roots, is this normal? Should I put a good layer of soil just enough to cover the roots? Mulch? My soil here is very much clay & it retains moisture very well - almost too well, it doesn't really drain that well - maybe that is why they planted it so high? Any advice is much appreciated!

[Kim]

Hi, and welcome to Palmtalk! I don't know the answer to your question, but I'm going to give your post a little 'bump' and hope it gets noticed... Come on, Florida people? The only thing I can say is Sabal are pretty tough palms and are supposed to transplant easily.

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Welcome to Palmtalk! I would mound up to the root initiation zone....enough to give the roots a chance to get started. It doesn't have to be that much of a mound, the roots will follow even a steep slope into the existing grade.

Rusty

[mari]

Here are a couple of links to transplanting palms.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP001

http://www.garysnursery.com/SabalPlanting.html

[paulgila]

5:10am?!?!? kim are you REALLY up that early????

remember to keep the palm well-watered after it is moved.even tho sabals are tough they need frequent moisture after a re-location like any other palm.good luck.

[scpalm]

Thanks everyone. My soil here is pretty much clay, so I bought some sand and soil today that I hope to mix together and at least build up a little mound around it and then cover it with some pinestraw. I do have an irrigation system and have been watering the palm every day with it - enough to keep the soil moist but not soaking with water which is hard with this type of soil. I also ordered some humeric stuff to put down that someone else on another thread posted about that helps the roots really take off. Hopefully this will all work for it. I have another palm that is unidentified I hope to get a few pictures of and post in hopes that someone can tell me what kind it is

[Tala]

if it's summer (growing time) for you its almost impossible to over water a Sabal palm. I would cover the exposed roots with some sand, keep moist all the time. Soggy is OK but only if its hot out. You can also water the bud if you feel it is not responding. Wait a few wks, watch the spear for movement. If nothing set a hose up in the bud and turn it on for about 15-20 min. This will fill the stem w/ water. Not such a good idea for a lot of other palms but its a trick that helps on these guys. Your palm needs to grow roots first, then it will grow leaves. Hopefully it is warm where you are, it needs the heat almost as much as the water to make new roots.

[scpalm]

O.K. good advice, it has been in the 90s here, so pretty warm. People have told me that I need to water it from the top, but never why. I will start every few days putting the hose up there & watering. Thanks!

[Alicehunter2000]

You did not say if they cut all of the fronds off........I hope that they did. It is very important that you have nothing but the spear because the newly cut roots cannot keep up with the transpiration from the fronds. I have killed several sabals this way.

1. Cut all the fronds off

2. Pile sand up around your rootball

3. Water like crazy

4. Pray for Hot Weather

5. Don't worry about watering in the bud (spear) that much, it won't hurt, but personally I don't think it helps other than to waste water.

6. New roots will form from the stem and not the existing cut roots

7. You might want to consider bracing it, if you have high winds....it is planted high.

Good luck.....these are tough palms.......when you see it start shooting new fronds.....your almost home free.

[scpalm]

Ummm, they cut them all back but not completely off. There is one that is beginning to fall out a little and the others are just straight up about 6 inches out of the trunk....but I can't see how I would get to any of them to cut them back any further...

So, too much water won't hurt it even if the soil around it is clay and it might be just sitting in water for a few hours after watering? I have tried to upload a picture but they are all way to many k to upload here....

[Turtile]

Ummm, they cut them all back but not completely off. There is one that is beginning to fall out a little and the others are just straight up about 6 inches out of the trunk....but I can't see how I would get to any of them to cut them back any further...

So, too much water won't hurt it even if the soil around it is clay and it might be just sitting in water for a few hours after watering? I have tried to upload a picture but they are all way to many k to upload here....

I wouldn't mix sand and clay. It can turn the soil cement like and prevent water from entering the soil. You're best off adding organic material to soil.

Some Sabal such as Sabal minor populations live in swampy areas that flood frequently. So a lot of water won't damage many Sabal but it depends on the species.

[Dave-Vero]

Heed the IFAS recommendations for transplanting and care. The suggestion to add soil to cover the root initiation zone sounds excellent.

In Florida, Sabal palmetto survives well on dry sites but tends to occur in rather moist situations, including permanently moist forest along streams (hydric hammock if you like). It doesn't like flooding (but will put up with short-term high water from a big rainstorm or hurricane storm surge).

And yes, the Spanish used trunks for building fortifications at St. Augustine. They helped fend of attacks from South Carolina.

[NorCalWill]

Mari,

Thanks for posting those links....very informative...I'm going to go out and cut off some of the leaves on the Sabal I planted last week before I read those instructions.

[scpalm]

So yesterday I filled in around the palm with some soil - just enough to cover the exposed roots. Today, it looks as if one of the fronds has begun to fall & discolor a little bit, but all of the rest seem healthy.... Should I cut it off do you think?

[Ray]

So yesterday I filled in around the palm with some soil - just enough to cover the exposed roots. Today, it looks as if one of the fronds has begun to fall & discolor a little bit, but all of the rest seem healthy.... Should I cut it off do you think?

You never did say how many fronds were left on the tree. If it was properly hurricane cut as it should have been, there would be no fronds left, only the center growth. Sometimes the people that harvest Sabals will leave a couple of leaves that they tie up around the center growth, and this is sometimes helpful, but they generally always die off. If I wanted to ensure survival of the palm, I would cut off all the leaves, leaving the stems of the leaves longer than the center growth, then tie them up around the center with biodegradable cord. Leave it like that until the new growth comes out and you are sure the tree has revived.

As has been mentioned, as long as the weather is hot, you cannot water it too much, so make sure it stays wet.

[SouthFLA]

Sabals are commercially transplanted with few or any fronds with a very high survival rate. Removing all the fronds is the key.