5 Important Palm Tree Watering Q&A
Watering Palm Trees the right way is very important. Most of the Palm Trees like moist and well drained soil. But, it is easier said than done. A lot of palm tree enthusiasts over water their palms or don’t provide enough water, because they don’t know how to check for soil moist level. They have no idea how much water their palm needs and how often to water it.
1. How much water does my palm tree need?
Here is a rule you should use when watering your Palm Trees. If it’s a 10 gallon container palm tree, then use 10 gallons of water. If it’s a 25 gallon container, then use 25 gallons of water. During hot weather use a little bit more, during cold weather a little less. You should understand, that it depends on the palm tree type and on the type of soil. Always check the soil to make sure it’s moist and adjust your water amount if needed.
2. How often should I water my new planted palm tree?
You should water your new planted palm tree every day for the first week, every other day for the second week and then switch to 3 times a week. Palm tree soil should be always moist.
Established Palm Tree needs watering 2-3 times a week. Adjust your watering depending on the season. Palm Trees grow more during warm months and slow down during cold months. Watering once a week in the winter should be enough.
3. What it the best time for watering my Palm Tree?
You should water your Palm tree early in the morning or late in the evening when it’s not too hot. Why? Because if you water your palm tree in the middle of the hot summer day, when the temperature is around 100F, and get the water on the palm tree frond it will fry the leaves.
When you going tanning, you put oil all over your body to maximize the result. The water on the leaves works the same way oil works on your skin. That’s why, watering your palm in the middle on the hot day can result in leaf burn.
Mist or hose your palm to clean up all the dust on the leaves, but do it in the cooler time of the day. After you figure out how long to water and how much water your Palm tree needs, it’s is a great idea to get a sprinkler system with a timer. Timer is a very useful thing that will prevent a flooding around the house in case you forget to turn off the sprinkler system.
4. How to check the moist level of the soil?
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I use soil probe. You can use a screwdriver if you don’t have a soil probe. Take a soil probe and push into the ground as far as it can go, twist it and pull it out. If the soil is too dry, the probe will stop. Feel the soil.
If it’s moist, you don’t need to water more. Check to see how far the root extends. You don’t need to water deeper than that, because roots can not get to the water below the root depth.
Check to see how long the soil stays moist after you water. If the soil is wet do NOT water your palm. It is very easy to over water. For the best result DEEP water your palm.
5. What is deep watering?
Let’s say you have 20 gallon Palm tree that needs 20 gallons of water. You can water your palm two ways. One way is to take all 20 gallons of water and dump it around your palm tree in 2 minutes. The water will simply runoff and palm tree roots will not get enough.
It takes time for the soil to absorb water. Another way to water your palm tree is to slow drip 20 gallons of water over the course of 1 hour. If you have a sprinkler system with a timer, that is what I would highly recommend, water your palm tree for 30 min, turn the water off, let it soak into the ground for 30 min, then resume watering for the remaining 30 min.
This should not only water the top of the soil but also get few inches deep into the ground. It all depends on the soil type. Check with the soil probe.
Note: You don’t need to water your palm when it’s raining, in case you didn’t know. Turn off your sprinkler system when it’s raining.
I hope you find this palm tree watering article useful. If you have comments or questions let me know by using a comment box below.
~Susan
A lot of palm trees die from fertilizer root burn and nutritional deficiencies. To avoid these problems, use fertilizer that has continues release formula, which feeds your palm tree for few months, rather than using a cheap fertilizer that will wash away after 2-3 rains.
I personally use 
We live in a Condo with eight units. In front of our building we planted five 20- ft. Palm trees. My neghbors said that Palm trees should be watered from the top. They ran hoses to the top of the trees and are letting the water trickle down to the bottom!
I have lived in Florida for twenty years, never have I seen this done! We are in SC! The trees are getting water logged. !
Needless to say, we do not agree with their method!
Please send me a reply, so I can explain to them. I only water the tree in front of my unit from the bottom and use spikes to fertilize. Please email me back soon! Thanks,
boblynn1234@aol.com
Hi Bob! You are absolutely right, there is no need to water palm trees from the top. Palm trees like moist well drained soil. Don’t let it sit in the water. Also, it is better to slow water your palm tree so that soil has more time to absorb the water. Palm trees like to be mist but that can’t be replace by watering trees from the top. Hope that helps. Susan
I currently have 2 queen palms (6 yrs old) in my front yard. Both planted at the same time. Both doing very well up until now.
The 1st queen palm located on the grass area seems to have problems. Bottom trunk of palm looks like it has dry root issues. If you pound on the bottom of the truck or take a little kick to the trunk, sections of the trunk break away. Now that particular palm has direct water hitting it each time the sprinkler systems goes off to water the grass. Not sure if that is the cause.
The 2nd palm is located in the dirt area with no direct water hitting it from the sprinkler system. That palm is nice and bushy.
Please let me know what your thoughts are on this issue.
Thanks!
Yikes..according to this I’ve done everything wrong! The “store” told be to fertilize when I planted my 12′ Mexican Palm 0n 5/52010. Also to water every day for 2 MONTHS! (It’s been 80-90’s and hot.) The top is growing great..but today I noticed the trunk is a bit spongy and flaking some old grow, about 2 feet above the ground. AND i just cut of three branches that were brown..and now I read not to cut, because the tree feeds off of them…Is my tree doomed???
Hi Greg! Your tree will be fine. The most important is to keep the bud (where the new leaves are growing from) well protected. Palm trees do get their nutrients from dying leaves, so don’t cut them until they are completely dead. Palm Trees like moist but well drained soil. Make sure you are not over watering them. Hope this helps. Susan.
I live in the high desert in California the soil is very hard and dry we planted two date palms in our front yard I am wattering the plants twice a day, the leaves are turning a little brown on the ends I am not sure if I am wattering to much or not enough.
I see in Los Angeles palm trees that are very very tall and have a few green branches on top.
Would you please tell me: how does the water can go up so much defying gravity? Does the trunk have some special anatomy or system to pipe the water up?
Thank you, George.