It's not easy growing magnificent palm trees destined for deserving landscapes. Growers know it takes knowledge, patience, and even a little luck to yield the healthiest and best-looking product. Things don't get much easier when these specimens leavethe nursery. Proper installation techniques can make all the difference between palms that stand tall in the landscape and those that fall flat. Timothy Broschat, environmental horticulture professor at the University of Florida, says the real work starts from the ground up. He explains that site suitability is often a problem, especially with palms planted in rocky, compacted soils or in tiny islands surrounded by concrete. "Very few palms will grow well in such soils, and chronic nutritional problems often are the result," he says. "Many think that just because a palm is native to Florida that it will do well in any site within the state, and that simply is not the case."
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