The Best Method For Watering Palm Trees

A healthy, flourishing palm tree brings to mind images of tropical beach days, lounging in the sun while enjoying the gentle breeze of the ocean. But you don't need to live by the beach to successfully grow these beauties, as long as you thoroughly research the different kinds of palm trees and how to care for them.

Palm trees like soil that's moist — but if the soil is too wet, it can turn the fronds yellow or brown. Watering palm trees means finding the right balance between too much water and too little. The best watering method is deep watering with a slow drip rather than drenching the soil around the roots.

The proper frequency for watering your palm trees depends on the species and whether the plant is located indoors or outdoors. Water indoor palms twice a week or when the soil feels dry. You will likely need to water the plant more frequently in warm weather and less often in cold weather. Outdoor plants require frequent watering when they're first planted but can be watered less often once they're established. 

If you overwater a palm tree, you can cause root rot to develop. Once this happens, there's not much you can do to salvage the plant, so it's essential to stick to the proper watering schedule to prevent the soil from becoming too moist.

Test the wetness of the soil by sticking your finger a couple of inches into the dirt (or use the toothpick hack to check the soil moisture level). If the soil feels dry, the palm will need to be watered. However, if the soil is wet, you need to leave it alone and let it dry out before watering the palm again.

If your palm tree is planted outside, use a drip irrigation system or bubbler for about two hours per watering session. This lets the water slowly penetrate the roots rather than flooding them, preventing rot and disease. For palm plants that grow best indoors, choose a well-draining planter to prevent water from accumulating around the roots and damaging the plant.