Canary Island Date Palms

Date Palms are supplied between 2 and 4 years old. They thrive in the UK and are winter hardy to -6°C so will need some protection in the coldest winters. 

Grow them in large pots – certainly for the first couple of years – so that you can move them somewhere that will offer protection from frost. Plant by digging a hole the length of the rootball and roughly double the width, then fill the hole back up & water in well.

New growth will form from the centre of the plant during summer. When outer leaves turn brown and unsightly, chop them off at the base of the leaf, please do not be alarmed if the outer leaves of your plants start to die off shortly after you receive your order. New ones will shoot from the centre. The pineapple-shaped “trunk” seen in photos of mature plants is formed over 10-20 years from the stumps of removed leaves. Feed with Fish Blood & Bone every 3 months, when the temperature is above 5°C.

General Palm care tips

Planting a Canary Island date palm requires a full sun location and plenty of irrigation when the palm is young.

On average provide water every week to help the plant establish deep roots. Once the tree is mature, you can reduce irrigation.

Canary palm tree care includes feeding the tree. You’ll want to fertilize it every spring just before new growth appears.

These trees need high levels of potassium and magnesium as part of Canary palm tree care. They can easily come down with deficiencies of these nutrients under landscape conditions. You’ll identify potassium deficiency by the pale colour or spotting of the oldest fronds. As the deficiency progresses, the frond tips get brown and brittle. (please refer to leaf problems solutions if you need more info on leaf issues)

Canary palms require little maintenance, but removing discoloured, rotting or dead fronds, flowers and fruit stalks helps keep your tree looking tidy and healthy. Prune your palm in the spring using sharp loppers. Avoid removing green leaves and fronds pointing out horizontally or upward. Pruning out fronds beyond the horizontal often stunts foliage growth and increases the risk of plant diseases.

Palm Leaves Turning Brown

The following are possible reasons:

The tree isn’t getting enough water; The soil is short on key nutrients like nitrogen or magnesium;

Pesky palm tree weevils, spider mites, aphids or some other insect got a hold of your tree;

A fungal infection like Ganoderma root rot is at work; or the natural ebb and flow of palm leaves is putting a temporary yellow tint on your tree.

If just the tips of your palm tree’s leaves are brown, don’t pull out the pruners just yet. Brown tips are a sign of a stressed tree that has a chance at bouncing back.

Full-on brown leaves should be pruned to keep your palm looking and feeling healthy.

Remember that yellow leaves sometimes appear as part of a palm’s natural growth process. As long as yellow leaves are only in the bottom of the canopy, and the top is nice and green, your tree is alright.

If you suspect Mother Nature isn’t at work, next stop is the soil. Soil that’s dry to the touch points to a dehydrated tree, but over-saturated soil can also make leaves change colour. For a happy medium water your palm tree before the soil hits a dry spell, and monitor the amount of water going in.

Water Supply

Water absorbed through a palm tree’s roots flows through the tree’s trunk, or stem, all the way up to the tips of the leaves. Brown tips on the fronds of the palm tree could mean that the tree’s water supply is inhibited either by not getting enough water or by the roots being oversaturated with too much water.

Check the soil between 6 and 12 inches below the surface.

Soil should be moist but not soggy wet or crumbling dry.

Check the roots. Easy to spot fibrous roots are located within the top 12 to 36 inches of soil.

Palm tree roots should be firm and white to tan. If your palm’s roots are black or wilted, they could be oversaturated or suffering root rot.

Check the soil’s drainage by digging a hole near the palm and filling the hole with water.

Monitor the duration of time needed for the water to drain completely; less than 1-inch per hour indicates poor drainage. Palm trees prefer sandy, well-filtered soil.

Sunlight

Palm trees are tropical plants and do enjoy ample light but, too much direct sunlight can burn the fronds causing them to turn brown. If the fronds are burning on a regular basis, it is not healthy for the longevity of the tree.

You can consider either relocating the palm tree or providing shade in the area by planting taller trees or installing shade-covers to remedy the situation.

Nutrients

Outdoor palm trees thrive when the appropriate nutrients are found throughout the soil. Discolouration of the fronds could indicate that your palm tree is suffering a nutrient deficiency. Add a palm-specific fertilizer to the soil by carefully following the instructions provided.

Consider consulting a local, palm tree trimming/landscaping company to evaluate your tree’s fronds and soil to recommend how to remedy the nutrient level.

Potassium Deficiency

Translucent yellow or orange spotting on the palm’s fronds is an indicator of potassium deficiency. Lacking potassium is commonly found throughout all regions where palm trees grow.

Magnesium Deficiency

Palm fronds with green centres and broad, yellow bands along the edges indicate a magnesium deficiency. Most commonly affecting Canary Island Date Palms, magnesium deficiency can be remedied with proper fertilisation of the soil.