By AKATERE PLANT CENTRE

12/03/2010 TIPS ON GROWING A HAPPY PLANT Once established, palms are easy care and pretty much look after themselves. Follow these tips and your plants will reward you with rapid establishment and growth

• Be sure the palm is the right one for the site conditions, e.g. drainage, light, wind, salt air.

• Palms will establish best if they are planted when they are actively growing. Only a few of the hardier palms can be planted in the winter months.

• Palms are not comfortable with root disturbance; keep the root ball as intact as possible.

• Fertilize around the root ball just below ground level with a high nitrogen low phosphate fertilizer – not too much. Cirtus Fertilizer is suitable.

• Soak the plant straight after planting and then water well for the first growing season.

Most palms appreciate a good compost mulch

• Most palms appreciate a good compost mulch