Plant cabbage palm at the same depth the palm grew, and do not field-dig a trunkless sabal.
Plant it at the same depth the palm grew, and do not field-dig a trunkless sabal
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | Set the stem at the same line it sat in the nursery pot or in the field | Do not bury the trunk deeper — the new roots suffocate |
| Stock | A container plant with an intact root ball, or a field-dug cabbage palm that already has a trunk | Do not dig a trunkless sabal from a pasture |
| Backfill | The soil you took out, packed firm | Do not make a rich clay pocket that ponds |
| When | Warm months, while the palm can grow new roots | Do not move a field-dug tree into cold, idle soil |
cabbage palm replaces cut roots from a zone at the base of the trunk, not by branching the old stubs. A trunkless field plant does not have that zone yet, so a pasture dig almost always fails. A nursery container plant already has its roots and can go in at the same depth it sat in the pot. [1] [2]
- Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and wider than it is deep, so the sides are not a slick clay cup. [3]
- Set the palm so the stem line matches the old soil line. Do not add a mound of extra soil over the trunk.
- Backfill with the soil you took out. Slope the bed if water sits. Do not dump a pocket of amended mix into heavy clay.
- Water once to settle, then keep the root zone moist through the first year. A field-dug cabbage palm may arrive with the leaves cropped; that is a transplant trick, not a reason to hurricane-cut a landscape tree.
- Stake only if the ball rocks. Do not cinch the trunk.
Can I transplant a trunkless cabbage palm from the field?
No. Wait until the palm has a real trunk, or buy a container plant. Cut roots on a trunkless sabal do not replace themselves.
Leave room for the crown, and water through the first year
Give a cabbage palm about twelve to fifteen feet from a house or from the next trunk so the fans can clear. Dwarf palmetto needs about four to six feet in a row. [4] Water through the first year so new roots can run. After that, soak when the top has dried some. Do not build a watering basin that holds salty irrigation against the trunk.
- Measure twelve to fifteen feet from walls, walks, and the next cabbage palm trunk before you dig.
- Mulch the root zone, and keep mulch off the stem.
- Water deeply the first season whenever the top few inches have dried. A new dwarf palmetto wants the same first-year water, even though it takes wet ground later.
- Do not fertilize in the hole. Wait until new growth shows, then spread a palm fertilizer under the canopy, not in the planting mix.
When should I plant dwarf palmetto?
Plant in the warm months, in a wide hole, and water through the first year. June and July are the usual window in a cold-edge garden.
Set the stem at the old soil line, skip a trunkless field dig, and water through the first year.
FAQ
Why did the nursery crop all the leaves?
Field-dug cabbage palms are often moved leafless so the trunk can live on stored water while new roots form. That is not how you prune a tree that is already in the yard.
How deep should I plant it?
At the same depth it grew. A deeper hole suffocates the new roots and can kill the palm.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] UF/IFAS Extension -
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST575 - [2] UF/IFAS Extension -
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP001 - [3] Virginia Cooperative Extension -
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/HORT/HORT-60/HORT-60.html - [4] North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sabal-palmetto/
This note is part of Sabal Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors