Watering Palm Trees the correct way is significant. The majority of palms like a damp dirt/sand mix that drains well. You want to avoid water standing near the roots too long which promotes root rot. A lot of palm tree lovers tend to overwater their palms or don't give enough water. One way to avoid this is to get a soil wetness meter to check for soil dampness. You can also stick your finger into the soil and if the first 2 inches are dry, it is ok to water typically. Don't feel over-whelemed, a lot of people are not sure how much water their palm needs and how frequently to water it at first! We all started somewhere right?
1. How much water does my palm tree need?
Here is a standard you should utilize when watering your palm trees. If you are dealing with a 10-gallon palm tree, for example, 2 gallons of water should be sufficient. If it's a 25-gallon palm, at that point 5 gallons of water will do the trick. When it is in the middle of the dog days of summer, you can certainly double this amount of water and water on an every other day basis, or even every day depending on your climate.
Again, if you have the proper soil mix, then you will have a hard time over-watering most palm trees during the summer months. On the other hand, during fall and winter, you can cut back on watering some depending again on your climate.
2. How frequently would it be a good idea for me to water my freshly planted palm tree?
You should water your newly planted palm tree each day for the first 10-14 days. You can switch to every other day after that, and then change to 3-4 times each week. Palm tree soil should never be fully dry even though some palms can adapt to drier conditions like the Date Palm Tree.
Mature palm trees can withstand periods of extreme wetness and extreme dryness much better than a young palm might. So keep that in mind with your palm baby!
3. What it the best time for watering my Palm Tree?
You should water your palm tree early, toward the beginning of the day, or later in the evening when it's not quite as hot and less direct sun. Why? It is possible that if you water your palm tree amidst the sweltering, sunny, summer days when the temperature is hot enough to cook eggs, that the water droplets from the heat and sunlight could actually leave damaging scars!
So make sure to get up early, or stay out in the evening to take care of your palm watering the right way! Not all of us can afford timed sprinkler systems! haha :)
4. How to check the moisture level of the dirt?
I like to utilize a soil meter. It gives a precise measurement, and an easy to read result. Amazon.com has plenty of options available, but even better, visit your local hardware store/gardening center.
Most meters begin at about $6 and keep running up to well over $100 depending on if you need a digital readout and other unnecessary features.
Once again, IF you do not want to purchase anything, you can manually check your soil by placing your finger in the soil. If the first 2 inches or so of soil is dry, then it is a good time to water!
Please turn OFF your sprinklers when it's raining and save the water!