Fan Palm Water Funnels

[chris.oz]

Advice given for dicot trees is to water out to the drip line of the canopy.

For fan palms the canopy seems to act as a moisture collector,  with little gutters [ petioles ]  that funnel the water right to the base of the trunk.   So it seems to me that Fan palms expect water to be delivered in this way.  Is there any noticeable diference between the root systems of fan palms and feather leaved palms ?

Anyone anyone ?

[Daryl]

Chris, a lot of pinnate palms do this too, even Archontophoenix. Next time it rains, watch how much water runs down the trunk. At the same time, in light rain, the soil under the canopy stays dry. Wally was just commenting on this last weekend...how Veitchias make better canopy palms than Archontophoenix because:

1. Leaves don't crash down as heavily, crushing all undergrowth.

2. Shape of leaves and leaflets let all rain through the canopy, wetting the soil all around the palm and watering any understory species.

regards,

Daryl.

[chris.oz]

Good points.  Actually some palms send roots out horizontally for some distance,  some tend to go straight down.  Does anyone know how which palms have the widest spreading roots ?

[Tyrone]

Syagrus romancemepantsoff sends roots out sideways for miles. Washingtonias and Bismarcks send em down. Your more arid area palms would be the downward senders I would think and your rainforest ones would push them sideways into the thin fertile topsoil of the rainforest. That's how I've understood it.

regards

Tyrone

[MattyB]

I've noticed that the wider you water the healthier a palm will grow.  It's just a matter of creating an environment that the roots want to go into.  More/longer roots = healthier plant.

[Daryl]

Some of my observations...there may be solely deep rooted species, but most I have seen are shallow rooted with lots of lateral growth.

As far as lateral root spread, I found Pigafetta roots 15 feet from the trunk on a 10ft (at the time) tall plant, so the root spread was greater than the height or spread of the actual palm.

I have dug into Bismarckia roots which were only 2" below the surface at about 10ft from the trunk on a specimen which is just starting to trunk.

Roystonea roots grow in the turf, right on the surface, and compete directly with the grass.

Every palm I have transplanted in this area has had an abundance of lateral roots, and I am always surprised at the lack of root 'depth' on some quite large palms.

Once I had to move a large Dypsis decaryi away from an Archontophoenix. The root mass of the Dypsis was growing over part of the root mass of the Archo, yet the two would not intertwine (made for easier removal too!) Even then, the lowest root on either palm was still only about 2ft below the surface.

Daryl.

[chris.oz]

Thanks guys, the main reason I asked this question is that I am using weekly low strength liquid fert and want to ensure I apply it where it will be absorbed.   My big Pritchardia is showing signs of magnesium deficiency and since its on sandy soil I want to keep up the fert regularly this summer to see the effect on the leaves.   Matt,  thats a good observation

Interestingly I have noticed the exact situation described by Tyrone,  with the roots of my Chamaedorea tepejilotes going straight out just under the soil surface.