Site soils should remain correct and most importantly have proper drainage. My arborist has informed me that he recommends that an annual application of 1-2 inches of a composted organic matter be made to all the planter beds - working this material lightly into the top 2-3 inches of the soil.

It is also recommended that granular wetting agents are another material that is helpful in increasing drainage, apply one before each application of organic matter. The application of a granular gypsum product is also recommended. It is always good practice to apply this product in order to lessen the effect of salty irrigation water or reclaimed water on all plants in the landscape.

I've heard it's best to apply a split application of a pelletized Gypsum product 2x per year. These applications should be timed to take advantage of the winter rains in an attempt to leach out some of the accumulated salts from the top layer of the soil. Apply 10 #'s per/ 1000 square feet in November and another 10 #'s per/ 1000 square feet in January - do this every year. This will help leach the sodium ions down deep into the soil and away from the upper root zone of the palm.

Another suggestion I have learned is to begin to apply a couple different types of worms (wigglers and night crawlers) to the planter beds - the supplier can suggest proper rates. Worms are nature's aerifiers and over time will increase the drainage of the soils, make the soil structure better and their castings will add humus to the soil. Also worm suppliers can provide bulk worm castings that are very beneficial to the soils - these can be applied at the same time as the organic matter.

Your landscaper can be used to apply any of the above materials but I would suggest the aide of a qualified arborist such as Plant-Tek / Jack Olmstead @ 800 779-3337 for the San Diego area.