Palm Trees Need Regular Maintenance
Hire Experienced Arborists in the Rancho Santa Fe and Coronado Areas
Setting the tone for the typical California landscape, palm trees are the crowning glory of your commercial or residential property. While they look great and enhance curb appeal, palms require specialized maintenance and care. The ISA-certified arborists at Rancho Coastal discuss why you may want to consider a regular palm tree maintenance service to preserve and nurture your tropical landscape.
Know Your Palms and Learn Why Regular Maintenance is Essential
History of the Palm
The original semi-arid California landscape featured a combination of oak woodland, sage scrub, and a patchwork of grassland. The early 1930s saw the beginning of massive ornamental tree planting efforts that transformed California’s landscape and gave the region its iconic palm trees. Over the years, the ubiquitous palm trees adapted to the local climate and became pillars of towering opulence across the southern parts of the Golden State.
Palm species in the San Diego Area
Despite being one of the most common trees in this region, only one palm, the California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) is native to the state of California. All the other types of palm trees were part of the concerted tree planting missions that took place since the 1930s. Here are the top 5 palm varieties that grow well in Rancho Santa Fe, Coronado, and other parts of the San Diego Area:
- King Palm: This Australian palm has silver backed leaflets and grows up to 40’ with partial or full sun.
- Queen Palm: Quite common in Brazil, this palm species is a hearty, drought-tolerant tree that grows relatively fast and reaches a height of 25’.
- Pygmy Date Palm: Originally from Southeast Asia, this palm has sharp thorns at the base of its leaves, needs full sun, and grows slowly up to about 10’.
- Kentia Palm: This thin palm has its origin in Lord Howe Island, Australia. It grows exceptionally slowly and thrives in partial or full sun. It generally reaches up to 30’ in height.
- Mediterranean Fan Palm: A California native, this short palm taps out at about 15’. It is a slow growing species, tolerant of a wide range of soil and weather conditions.
Why Do Your Palm Trees Need Regular Maintenance?
Although palms are relatively easy to maintain, here are some of the typical challenges they face:
- Lack of potassium, magnesium, or other essential nutrients can cause the leaves or fronds to scorch, curl, turn yellow, or develop orange spots.
- Most palms reach a minimum of 10’ tall, making it tough to prune or tidy them up without the right equipment and safety gear. Improper cutting could make your palms susceptible to disease or weather damage.
- In recent years, California has seen an insurgence of the highly damaging invasive pest, South American Palm Weevils (SAPW). These pests have been creating havoc and destruction amongst several palm species, particularly the Canary Island Date Palms.
While wilting, discoloring, or stunted palm fronds may be the first signs of damage, most of these conditions are reversible with the right care, fertilization, and regular maintenance. A little bit of TLC by experienced ISA-certified arborists will help your beautiful tropical giants remain healthy and disease-free.
Tree Care Specialists Help Maintain Your Tropical Landscape
Rancho Coastal is a licensed, bonded and fully insured tree services company offering a complete suite of palm tree services. Our ISA-certified professionals are well-versed with local microclimates and soil biology and have decades of experience caring for palm trees. From planting, watering and fertilizing, to cleaning, specialized palm tree pruning, and tree pest management, we take care of the entire tree care lifecycle.
Property owners and managers across Rancho Santa Fe and Coronado count on us for our comprehensive range of tree care services. We also serve customers in San Diego, Del Mar and La Jolla, CA.
For expert care and regular maintenance of palm trees, call Rancho Coastal at 619-847-4225 or contact us online to request a free estimate.
