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 Location:
Chilean wine palms do best in a sunny location.
The trees are
wind-tolerant, but their low salt tolerance make
them generally
unsuitable as beach palms.
Soil: The trees are widely adaptable
to most soil conditions.
Irrigation: The palms are highly
drought-tolerant once
they are established.
Fertilization:Young trees benefit
from an occasional light
fertilizing with a complete fertilizer.
Older trees generally
thrive without fertilizing.
Pruning: Pruning
is is seldom needs since the trees tend to drop older leaves as
they begin to die.
Propagation: Propagation is from
seed, which germinate erratically in six months to over a year.
Pests and diseases: The palms have
no major pests, diseases or physiological problems.
Harvest: The fruits are harvested
as they ripen or fall to the ground. They are sometimes candied.
The edible kernels are eaten raw or made into confections. The
nuts will keep for months in cool, dryish storage. In Chile the
sap from the trunk is fermented into palm wine or boiled down
to a syrup known as palm honey. To harvest the sap, the crown
of leaves is cut off, after which the sap begins to flow. This
will continue for several months, provided a thin slice is shaved
off the top each morning, until the tree is exhausted. Individual
trees can yield up to 90 gallons.
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