Question re: transplanting windmill palm in Vancouver I have 4 large windmill palms growing in downtown Vancouver. 1 of them is shorter than the rest (7 ft vs about 10ft) and looks like it may be in distress as no new fronds are coming up. This particular palm is planted between 2 concrete slabs - extending down at least 12 inches -- and I believe the roots may be too contrained. Would this -late October - be an appropriate time to transplant a large ourdoor palm tree or would it be better to wait till early Spring? Thanks! Grant
Re: Grant Wait until spring, unless you think it may rot or have other problems during the winter in its current situation. Are the fronds a good, strong green? Like many other kinds of plants windmill palms often need nitrogen fertilization on cultivated soils in this region. When nitrogen deficiency is corrected a huge improvement may be seen.
Re: Grant Ron, Thanks for the reply and I'll wait till spring to transplant. The fronds are still green and look healthy but they've stopped growing/regenerating on top. This particular palm is noticeably stunted in growth. How much nitrogen fertilizer would you recommend and would a grass or a salmon oil fertilizer be best? We think the problem may be a lack of sunlight (as this particular palm is more shaded than its neighbors) or else roots are overly constrained. It is bordered on 2 sides by 12 in deep concrete slabs which are only about 10-12 inches each side of the trunk. So, root growth would be very constrained on those 2 sides. Regards, Grant
Re: Grant I've gotten good response of windmill palm from applications of ammonium sulphate. Check bag for directions. I do not know if soils in the coastal region are still warm enough for nitrogen applications, maybe they are. In my area there has not even been a noticeable frost yet.
