Watering requirements for trachy

[palm789]

Hi guys how often do I water a newly planted trachycarpus  it's in full sun all day at temperatures over 21c,do I water a few times a day because of the heat etc?

[Chester B]

21C is not really heat, just comfortable for a palm like that.  I wouldn't do more than once or twice a week to start.  When it starts getting to mid 30's with low humidity then I would water more, but they're very tough palms.  You'll start to see yellowing moving up the lower fronds, and the fronds closing up if its too dry.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Chester B

[PalmatierMeg]

3 minutes ago, Chester B said:

21C is not really heat, just comfortable for a palm like that.  I wouldn't do more than once or twice a week to start.  When it starts getting to mid 30's with low humidity then I would water more, but they're very tough palms.  You'll start to see yellowing moving up the lower fronds, and the fronds closing up if its too dry.

Agree. 21C (~72F) is nowhere near hot. Watering several times a day(!) is way overkill. Monitor rather schedule.

[petiole10]

Yes, as another "Brit" I agree with the two previous replies.     Some relatively cooler and wetter parts of the UK would consider these sorts of temperatures as very warm, but in reality they are average summer temperatures and in my part of the country they are exceeded very often during the summer - sometimes by quite some large margin.

A palm planted in the ground won't require the same watering as those in pots - which dry out much more quickly (in overhead sun and sun-trap "hotspots" especially). My palm collection is 100% potted and in south facing positions so a good watering does require at least an approx three to four times a week schedule - also comprising a two weekly feed (that is one feed per fortnight).  That watering regime applies during dry very warm and sunny spells.  Any wetter cooler spells obviously the requirement changes

But even with my palm arrangement and being in one of the sunniest parts of the UK -  the sort of suggested repeated daily schedule enquired about would be drowning and way too excessive!

Certain palms also require more watering then others. I have two Hesper palms for example which, by definition of their country origins, don't require water as much as some other palms.  CIDP also are relatively drought tolerant by definition of their own origins. On the other hand my Pygmy Date Palm starts showing signs of slight drooping of the fronds when it is in need of a water. This is helped by it being in a dappled sunlight position, which also prevents burning of the fronds as it was reared not accustomed to direct sunlight.

The point of all this being, that not all palms tolerate precisely the same conditions.

It is also important to water either early morning or in the evening before the sun and temperatures rise too far. This is not just for obvious evaporation reasons, but also scorching can occur if water gets onto foliage in full sun.  Also never feed during strong sunlight - even with palms planted in the ground.