Newly planted King Palm in stress

[Panamajack]

Hi guys! I'm in the process of redoing my front yard and I just planted a 36" box King Palm. The location where it was planted is kind of a slope, so last week when they planted it they staked it for support (1 stake). Well, the palm was leaning too much and they came again 3 days later to restake it and add one more stake (2 stakes total). The weather here in coastal Los Angeles has been warm days in the high 70s, mid 70s, low 70s, at night falling into the mid to high 50s. Since the palm was planted I've lost 3 fronds (one was almost dead at the time it was planted so I guess that one doesn't count), and there are possibly 2 more that are looking weak and might die very soon (so a total of 3 more or 4). I'm giving it plenty of water every other day. No vitamins, B1 or fertilizer at the time. The soil type in me yard is adobe clay (I see hundreds of very healthy, green King Palms in my neighborhood so I guess thats not a problem.)

When it was planted the rootball was not cut or shaved, it was left intact, but some of the soil it came in did fall off before placing it into the newly dug hole. It was watered plenty. Here are a couple of pictures so you can see. Will I lose this palm? I love the shape. Give me some hope and good news!

[Kostas]

Put a hose right at the base of its trunk and leave it dripping slowly all day, at a rate not flooding the soil nor filling the well, but getting soaked right in. Repeat every day for some hours. Keeping it really really moist at the root ball(not the surface soil nor the surrounding soil, but the actual rootball), is key as they hate drought and have high water needs. If kept wet enough and can cover its needs with its existing roots, it should survive fine. But you want it thrive from now and not stress too much as it will be obvious in the trunk rings later.

If you can erect shade above and around it for a month, it will also help with survival during this risky period.

[Sabal Steve]

Have you thought putting a seedling of another type of king palm directly under it? That might give you a nice layered effect, and add some contrast?

[Panamajack]

It's a good idea. But I'm planning on filling up the bed with bromeliads, philodendrons and some very colorful Hawaiian Ti plants that I grew from cuttings I took while in Maui and Kauai.

[Jim in Los Altos]

The ground outside the rootball area looks very dry and may be sucking moisture away from the king palm like a sponge. I've seen this often with newly planted trees before the rainy season. Try wetting the area beyond the root zone as if there were lawn there and see if the palm's appearance improves. It doesn't look that bad right now however.

[Gonzer]

Jamming tree stakes next to the trunk is not recommended. Stake at least one foot away from the base. Most palm root activity takes place within a 12" x 12" x 12" zone. Archontophoenix have a very, very hard time when their roots have been damaged.

[Patrick]

I'm guessing, so maybe someone can correct me; but perhaps a few of those lower fronds should be cut off to discourage water loss trough transpiration? OR at the least tie the leaves up into a tight bundle to accomplish the same thing?

I haven't transplanted many larger trees but I know water loss upon initial planting is a problem. So the common thread we all seem to be talking about is water, MORE of it for your palm.

I hope someone with more experience will weigh in on this. Please, learn me something?!

[David in Berkeley]

Could it have been shade grown too? The increased exposure, full sun, and drying wind can all do this. Hope it adjusts, but I've had the same thing happen with planting out boxed Brahea 'Clara's up here, and Archontophoenix cunninghamiana's too. I will avoid temptation on selecting larger sized specimens that have rooted in to the ground. The shock to their roots has taken a full year to bounce back with new full sized fronds. Good luck with yours.

[Tropicgardener]

I notice that you guys in the U.S (or at least in California) don't tend to use a lot of mulch............I am assuming there is a reason for this.....vermin etc? I am in a warmer, higher rainfall area but I heavily mulch anything that goes in the ground. The benefits are enormous.

[Ben in Norcal]

I notice that you guys in the U.S (or at least in California) don't tend to use a lot of mulch............I am assuming there is a reason for this.....vermin etc? I am in a warmer, higher rainfall area but I heavily mulch anything that goes in the ground. The benefits are enormous.

I mulch heavily, and I think it would be tough to get anything in the genus looking good in California without doing so, given this place is now basically the Sahara.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Yeah, I think most of us here on the forum who live in CA mulch pretty thoroughly. I sure do. It's essensual for most palms and particularly ones that appreciate plenty of moisture. I think David has a good point as well that your king palm was likely grown close to lots of other king palms which gave each other a buffer from hot dry wind which king palms detest. It's one of the reasons most of mine in my garden are in groves instead of singular.

Since it was planted out of a pot (box) and therefore wasn't transplanted, there's no need to cut off any green leaves or tie them up. I think with proper watering, mulching, and good weather, your king palm will improve.

[Patrick]

Thanks for squaring that up, Jim

[Jim in Los Altos]

Thanks for squaring that up, Jim

My pleasure, Patrick.

[Panamajack]

Thanks, guys. I will be mulching, or actually I will be using black lava rock instead. I want to try and create a Hawaiian garden. But yes, the benefits of mulch or lava rock are enormous. I hope my King survives. I will let you guys know how it goes.

[Hammer]

Before you put down the lava, it might not be a bad idea to add some composted mulch to the area. Help fire up the soil microbial activity.

I'm working on the same tropical look at my place. After much thought I'm not going to mulch with the lava. I use black lava rocks for dry stacked retaining walls and as accents in the beds. I mulch with a black composted mulch from Kellogg. HD and Green Thumb carry it. It is super dark and mimics the lava look in color. Yet builds the soil and you can add more each year without having to remove the lava to do so.

Kinda the best of all worlds, imo.

[KennyRE317]

Put a hose right at the base of its trunk and leave it dripping slowly all day, at a rate not flooding the soil nor filling the well, but getting soaked right in. Repeat every day for some hours. Keeping it really really moist at the root ball(not the surface soil nor the surrounding soil, but the actual rootball), is key as they hate drought and have high water needs. If kept wet enough and can cover its needs with its existing roots, it should survive fine. But you want it thrive from now and not stress too much as it will be obvious in the trunk rings later.

If you can erect shade above and around it for a month, it will also help with survival during this risky period.

yup, especially in our clay soil and if it was planted with the native clay over the rootball.

also one think to look for is the trunk of the Archontophoenix, having killed one myself you'll start seeing the trunk start shriveling up if it's on its way out. if you're just losing fronds it might just be from the transplant but they grow so quick that it'll fill back up in no time

[KennyRE317]

Thanks, guys. I will be mulching, or actually I will be using black lava rock instead. I want to try and create a Hawaiian garden. But yes, the benefits of mulch or lava rock are enormous. I hope my King survives. I will let you guys know how it goes.

i've always imagined my yard to be filled with palms, even before i found palmtalk. 4 years later and a yard primed for planting i've slowly amassed a wide variety of bromeliads and the Ti plants are also starting to come in. i don't know how bad your soil is but where i am the water drained no more than an inch in 24hours, and this is after working on it for a bit. if your clay gets real sludgy you might consider mixing in a bunch of compost and a bit of gypsum to help break some of it down

[KennyRE317]

Before you put down the lava, it might not be a bad idea to add some composted mulch to the area. Help fire up the soil microbial activity.

I'm working on the same tropical look at my place. After much thought I'm not going to mulch with the lava. I use black lava rocks for dry stacked retaining walls and as accents in the beds. I mulch with a black composted mulch from Kellogg. HD and Green Thumb carry it. It is super dark and mimics the lava look in color. Yet builds the soil and you can add more each year without having to remove the lava to do so.

Kinda the best of all worlds, imo.

one of my neighbors absolutely loves that composted mulch, next season i'm going to spread a layer of it over my planting spaces before mulching

[floridascape]

Research the mulch you use... most died mulch's commonly found in box stores are "blends" meaning they contain in a large part of there make up mulched wood pallets. This is essentially not going to help speed up your microbial activity it will decrease it. Pallets are mostly pressure treated lumber, which is awfull for trying to build soil quality. Red cypress black mulch, heaven forbid old tires!!! Bad... 100pwercent blonde cypress, and eucalyptus mulchs are the best for overall soil improvement qualitys. Eucalyptus is a natural insecticide it has become my favorite.

[Ben in Norcal]

I recommend something like Ecomulch...all local trees, no lumber allowed, and looks great to boot.

[Hammer]

Research the mulch you use... most died mulch's commonly found in box stores are "blends" meaning they contain in a large part of there make up mulched wood pallets. This is essentially not going to help speed up your microbial activity it will decrease it. Pallets are mostly pressure treated lumber, which is awfull for trying to build soil quality. Red cypress black mulch, heaven forbid old tires!!! Bad... 100pwercent blonde cypress, and eucalyptus mulchs are the best for overall soil improvement qualitys. Eucalyptus is a natural insecticide it has become my favorite.

The Kellogg Gromulch is not a dyed mulch. It is an organic mulch that has been composted. Occassionally you can smell the faint hints of manure when opening the bag. So it's not a wood chip mulch as most would think of.

It may contain Biosolids unless the bag has the ORMI seal. If that causes you heartburn then I would not use it.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Research the mulch you use... most died mulch's commonly found in box stores are "blends" meaning they contain in a large part of there make up mulched wood pallets. This is essentially not going to help speed up your microbial activity it will decrease it. Pallets are mostly pressure treated lumber, which is awfull for trying to build soil quality. Red cypress black mulch, heaven forbid old tires!!! Bad... 100pwercent blonde cypress, and eucalyptus mulchs are the best for overall soil improvement qualitys. Eucalyptus is a natural insecticide it has become my favorite.

The big box stores sell a multitude of brand name mulches and composts that are identical no matter who is selling them. As for pallets, at least the ones I'm very familiar with, are made of virgin poplar and are not pressure treated or treated at all otherwise. Poplar grows extremely fast and is fairly strong. It's cheap too.

I really like Kellog's composted mulch too. It's labelled garden soil but is a nice blend of composted manure and plant material. I get a lot of mushroom and worm activity wherever I apply it whch is a good indicator of the product's quality. It happens to be very attractive as well.

If you've ever noticed how nearly nothing grows under eucalyptus trees, it's because the trees have a mechanism that "poisons" the soil so there's no competition. I really wonder if eucalyptus mulch is beneficial around palms and other plants. I used it just once in a healthy iceplant bed and within a month, all the iceplant was dead. I think that's why people use it. It keeps weeds from growing as well as repells insects but it repells the beneficial ones too.

[floridascape]

I love eucalyptus mulch for that reason keeps weeds down dosent seem to bother anything im trying to grow but it seems that things that work in california do not always work well here in florida. As for pallets im familiar with are made with pressure treated yellow pine. But all pallot cannot be the same. In florida bugs are in a high abbundance so anything to reduce them is appreciated by my customers. Both cypress and the eucalyptus are sustaniblly grown here so they are both readily available and cost effevtive for landscape application once if not twicw a year. We have a fast breakdown rate due to environment so these are important things to consider here. Imo we have free mulch that is made by our landfill that is the ground up brush from local sources it is by far the best for building soil quaility. For landscaping and customers... thats a different story it stinks bad.

[Hammer]

Jim, in your experience do the fallen,dried leaves of Eucs have the same lethal effect?

[Jim in Los Altos]

Jim, in your experience do the fallen,dried leaves of Eucs have the same lethal effect?

I din't think there's any problem with leaves from Eucalyptus. In fact, in my case, with the dying ice plant, it may have been rapid decomposition of the bark that caused the death of most of the ice plant versus any kind of poison. Eucalyptus tree's roots are incredibly efficient water absorbers and it may simply be that that makes growing thing under them difficult. I mentioned "poisoned" soil in an earlier post and there may be some truth to the oils of the trees being a problem but it's likely more to do with the trees "sucking" water away from competing plants.

My neighbor's redwood trees, which they don't irrigate, have roots all over my backyard landscape and I have to water my palms in that area at least double what I water the rest of my landscape because these 150 foot tall monsters are so thirsty. I doubt anything would grow under them without copious amounts of supplemental water.

[DoomsDave]

Jack!

Welcome aboard!

You want kings, come to my place and see them.

Buy babies, and wait a bit. Faster than descent into depravity, trust me . . .