How To Grow Christmas Palm Tree | Seeds & Store-Bought Plant

Once you have germinated seeds or have a small live plant, put the Christmas palm in well-draining soil in a spot that receives full sun or partial shade. Water it regularly and fertilize it every three months.

How to Plant a Christmas Palm
 

The stunning Christmas Palm tree also known as the Manila palm never fails to amaze people with its festive appearance. Scientifically referred to as Adonidia Merrillii, this tropical tree turns out to be a great option for decorating any landscape.

 

It produces beautiful creamy white flowers in summer followed by growing shiny fruits known as drupes, in the winter season. However, most often people have doubts about “how to plant a Christmas palm tree”.

 

Well! These palm tree species are really easy to plant and maintain if you take care to provide them with a proper environment. You can grow them through seeds or directly via a store-bought seedling (small live plant).

 

All you got to do is keep them in a suitable temperature range of 65-75°F whether you grow manila palm as a houseplant or outdoors. While planting a live plant, ensure to put it inside a spacious pot where its roots can flourish.

 

When planting in the ground, keep a distance of 10 to 15 feet between each root ball to give them enough space to spread. Besides this, offer your plant adequate water after plantation and sunlight.

 

If you live in a cold climate, make sure to keep it outdoors in direct sunlight for a few hours. Luckily, these trees don’t need pruning because their decayed leaves and fruits shed off on their own.

 

Let’s read through some simple ways of growing exquisite Christmas palm trees.

 

1. How To Grow Christmas Palm from Seed?

 

To grow Christmas palms from seed, you should begin by procuring the best quality seeds that can be found online. You can also use the fresh seeds from a ripened fruit, usually during the end of the fall season to early winter.

 

First of all, keep the seeds immersed in water for at least 24 hours. Next is to scarify them. Place tiny cuts on the seeds or rub them with sandpaper to allow water to penetrate inside. But make sure you do not cut too deep. Water absorption through these cuts will allow for a better pace of germination.

 

Next comes the process of stratification. This means providing the seed with moisture and humidity to germinate. For that, wrap the scarified seeds in a moist paper towel and store them in a zip-lock bag inside refrigeration. In about 5-6 weeks you will notice them sprouting.

 

Next, plant the germinated seeds in six-inch pots while leaving enough space for the roots to spread. Make sure to fill it with a well-drained potting mix to get the best results.

 

Choose a warm place to keep the seeds with a temperature between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the potting mix remains moist or else the seeds might die.

 

Once it starts growing healthy seedlings, you can transplant it to a permanent pot or ground.

 

DID YOU KNOW – There is an interesting reason why the Manila palm tree is commonly known as the Christmas palm tree. Surprisingly it is not because of its appearance. It does not look like a Christmas tree. It is actually because of its incredible ability to flower and produce fruit only around the Christmas season.

 

2. How To Plant A Christmas Palm Tree?

 

When it comes to planting a small Christmas palm, chose a pot bigger than its original pot. Start by digging a hole a bit larger than the root ball size. Don’t dig too deep or too shallow. The hole should be just enough to allow the roots to set without being broken.

 

Place the plant and cover up the hole with soil. Don’t leave any air holes in the soil and pat them gently to even out the surface. You should feed them with enough water right after planting.

 

For people living in regions with cold climates, make sure to place it near a window facing south that receives a good amount of sunlight. If it’s too dark, you will also need to keep them outside for a few hours so they can soak enough sunlight.

 

For indoor Christmas palms, make sure to check the soil moisture levels before re-watering them. Don’t overwater your plant as it can make the soil very soggy. Instead, water it only when you feel that the soil surface is dry.

 

In addition, if you are considering growing your plant outdoors, choose a location with full sunlight and well-drained soil. Make sure it receives direct sunlight every day for at least six or more hours.

 

3. Can you grow Christmas palm from stem cutting?

No, it is not possible to propagate Manila palm trees from stem cuttings. However, you can easily grow them using seeds or plant seedlings as discussed above.

 

Related: How to grow Queen Palms | How to grow lady palm | How to plant Windmill Palm

 

How Do You Take Care Of A Christmas Palm After Planting?

Taking care of a Christmas palm tree is not a hassle, if you know how to do it right. So, here, check out some basic tips for growing and maintaining a healthy Christmas palm tree.

 

Common name Manila Palm, Merrill’s Palm, Adonidia Palm, Dwarf Royal Palm
Scientific name Adonidia Merrillii
USDA Zone 10B-11
Soil type n pH Clay, sandy, loamy and well-drained soils with neutral to alkaline pH levels
Sunlight Full to partial shade
Temperature & Humidity 65 degree to 75 degree Fahrenheit and 40-50% humidity levels
Watering frequency Moderate water
Fertilizer Slow-release fertilizer formula with NPK ratio 8-2-12-4
Pruning Moderate pruning
Repotting, if needed Repot it once a year or when it reaches maturity size

 

Soil:

 

The festive Christmas palm trees are not very fussy about the type of soil. Whether you grow it in clay, sandy or loamy soils, it will grow perfectly well.

 

However, make sure you don’t let its root sit in standing water for a long time. It can severely damage your tree and prevent it from reaching a mature size. Also, remember to maintain an ideal pH level of the soil, i.e., neutral to alkaline.

 

Sunlight:

The lush green leaves of the Christmas palm trees enjoy best in full sunlight to partial shade. Take care that your tree gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day for staying healthy and to produce fruits.

 

On a long and scorching hot day, a young adonidia merrillii should be kept in shade for short time durations. If you are planning to grow an indoor Christmas tree, make sure to place it near a window receiving full sunlight and facing south or west.

 

Water:

water
 

The Christmas palm tree likes to thrive in well-drained soil. So, if you live in a drought-prone or dry area, it might hamper the flowering ability and growth of your decorative palm tree.

 

So, if your plant lacks moisture make sure to pour it with an ample amount of water on a regular basis. It is recommended to provide adequate water to the plant but never keep the soil soggy.

 

Furthermore, if you are thinking of growing an indoor specimen of Christmas palm, make sure to choose a perfect container with drainage holes. Additionally, whenever you water the plant, make sure to give it time to drain out any excess water.

 

Fertilizer:

 

When it comes to “how to plant Christmas palm”, feeding it with sufficient fertilizer is an important aspect. It’s best to invest in slow-release fertilizer from a high-end brand with a balanced NPK ratio of 10-10-10 or so.

 

Use the fertilizer on your Christmas palm from Spring to fall, which is the growing season for them. Remember, it promotes healthy growth of foliage and roots as well as improves the chances of thriving in harsh weather conditions.

 

Apply the fertilizer at the base of the tree without touching the foliage. Water once after fertilization.

 

Pruning:

One thing that will amaze you about the lovely Manila palm trees is that their fronds don’t require to be trimmed. This is because of their incredible ability to shed wilted and dead fronds. However, it is recommended to trim off any decaying, fallen, or dead fruits.

 

If you fail to practice this, it can invite several unwanted insects and pathogens leading to an annoying smell.

 

If you are looking to plant a Christmas tree in your backyard and improve the aesthetics, use a pole pruner to cut off any flowering stem. This will help you to limit the fruit-producing capacity of your tree and make it appear more ornamental.

 

Repotting:

It is recommended that you move your Christmas palm plant to a new container after every few years. Usually, the root ball of the Christmas palm tree is very small in size. So as soon as it starts growing in size just take care to move it to a new and bigger pot.

 

Make sure to choose a sturdy container that can easily accommodate this heavy tree. The best time to repot your manila palm is before blooming, i.e., spring season.

 

Pests and Diseases:

 

Protecting your Christmas palm tree from any potential pest attack and diseases is really important to keep it healthy. There are pests that can cause problems like whiteflies and mealybugs.

 

These are a few severe infestations that can cause development issues throughout the growing period. It can also get attacked by fungal infections like black mold.

 

Sometimes lack of nutrients like potassium can also lead to curling and falling off of leaves. This problem is most common in old tree leaves and it might even affect the newly growing leaves.

 

In addition to this, sometimes you might notice the formation of black spots and orange or yellow spots on your tree’s leaves. Don’t worry, you can fix it by feeding the soil with potassium sulfate and adding slow-release magnesium to your Christmas palm.

 

Additionally, the adonidia palm tree can be attacked by insects known as scale. These hard-bodied insects appear on the tree leaves and trunk as brownish-raised spots. The best treatment for this is spraying a solution of light horticultural oil with 30 ml per gallon of water.