JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Selecting the best palm tree will help ensure the most successful transplant success.
But how do you evaluate a palm tree to make sure it is the best quality; make sure it gets a high grade?
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Palms are graded based on the structure of leaves, trunk and root ball.
Four grades exist for all nursery plants in Florida and not just palm. These include:
- Florida Fancy
- Florida #1
- Florida #2
- Cull
The best grade a plant can get is called Florida Fancy. It has a perfect canopy and no defects on the trunk.
The next below this is called Florida No 1. It may need some pruning and any trunk marks are minor. Both qualities are well suited for success and should be used in your yard.
Even the Florida Department of Transportation only installs Florida No. 1 grade or better quality plants along the highways.
Florida #2 are misshapen but may eventually outgrow the deformities, where Cull grades cannot. The lowest grades lack vigor and may have poor roots. Whether the trunk is skinny or wide, its caliper is not factored in the grading process.
One way a palm will flunk a test is any sign of yellowing. The palm will not be graded if there is evidence of any our common North Florida diseases like Lethal Bronzing or Thielaviopsis trunk rot.
Palm weevils or wood-boring insect damage will also disqualify the specimen.
Be sure to check out the roots of any plant before making a purchase. While it can be hard to pull a tree out of its container, knowing it meets standards ensures the root ball has at least 75% of its roots packed in the dirt.
Finally, make sure to fertilize regularly and water thoroughly after transplanting.
Have you ever noticed palms with hourglass shape where the trunk taper gets constricted?
This is the result of environmental growth spurts between good to bad times. Contraction comes during lean years when water or fertilizer may be less abundant. During wet years the width of the trunk expands.
Cabbage palms coming out of the wild have skinny trunks but fatten up once in the yard with routine irrigation and fertilizer.