Injury Prevention: Because palms, like all monocots, do not produce secondary wood, they have very different growth characteristics and requirements then woody trees. For example, palms cannot form callouses over wounds the way that woody trees can, so injury to their trunks is permanent. Injuries can eventually develop into trunk cankers, which can weaken the trunk and result in trunk failure. The improper removal of fronds, by tearing away outer trunk tissue, can cause cankers in some species of palms. We never use spikes to climb the trunks, as they cause permanent injuries. We have all seen palms that have been trimmed so severely that only three or four green fronds are left. Since the palms depend on green fronds to manufacture their food, this practice places them under serious stress and makes them vulnerable to disease. Knowledgeable arborists have long campaigned against this practice.

Plant Selection: Southern California is fortunate to have a climate suitable for growing palms fro many places around the world. Many palms do well at Lotusland, although we have experienced injury to some from the more tropical regions on those rare occasions when the temperature drops below freezing. This damage appears a few weeks after the freeze, when the new foliage turns brown. While most palms recover from this injury, we have has a few that went into decline and died some months or years later. It is important to research the temperature requirements before purchasing palms. Suitable microclimates, near a south-facing wall, for instance can often be found for the more tender ones.

Disease Prevention: Palm diseases were one of the compelling reasons that influenced us to transition to sustainable management, and our collection is thriving under these practices. Nearly all of our palms are in mulched areas. While we originally focused on applying prescribed amounts of nutrients in chemical forms to individual palms, our focus now is on improving the soil through the use of compost, compost tea, organic mulches, and organic fertilizers.

Some of the more virulent palms diseases such as fusarium have no conventional cure and are always fatal. While other less-severe diseases can be managed by conventional methods, our sustainable management practices are a preferred approach. Our goal is to develop a healthy soil in which the disease pathogens are out-competed by beneficial micro-organisms. Mycorrhizal fungi, rarely found in conventionally managed soils, help these sustainable systems prosper in many different ways including enhancing the plant's disease resistance.

Exclusion: New plants brought into the garden are closely scrutinized for any possible problem before adding them to our collection, thus minimizing the importation of new problems.

Sanitation: Sanitation is especially appropriate for palms, as many of the more serious palm diseases, including fusarium, are easily spread through infected pruning tools. As a general rule, chainsaws are not used when working on palms because of the near impossibility of disinfecting them completely. At Lotusland, all pruning tools are disinfected between uses on individual palms. We soak pruning tools in a 10% solution of household bleach for ten minutes after each tree pruned. After rinsing the tools with water, a quick spray of WD-40 helps to prevent corrosion. This standard disinfectant procedure can be used by anyone to ensure that they do not spread pathogens from an infected palm to a healthy palm.