How to Plant Palms Safely

On behalf of Expert Village, my name is Craig Morrell. I'm with Landscape Restorations in Miami, Florida. We're here at Palm Hammock Orchid Estate and we're talking about planting, and fertilizing. The title for this clip is plant palms carefully, especially here in the subtropics. You need to be aware of how big palms are going to be and about some of the unique problems. One of the most common mistakes I see is planting palms like this royal palm in back of me. These palms can hit 70 or 80 feet tall, and their palm fronds weigh about 60 pounds each. So whatever you plant underneath them is going to be in the crash zone. Especially with coconuts in pool areas or on playgrounds or on driveways, you need to be aware of where the palm fronds are going to come down. The seed spikes and particularly things like coconuts. A coconut from 60 feet up can be nearly fatal if it hits you. It can also do a lot of damage to your Porsche, you Ferrari, your Jaguar or your pool screen. You should be aware of what palms are going to do when they get up to full size. There are a lot of species to choose from, so there's certainly a palm that will fit your needs that will be the right plant in the right spot without being a hazard to your garden.