I also have a question why this pygmy date palm's lower fronds are starting to arc way over even though they are still green.

depends, what type of sabal is it?

I dug it up from under a mature sabal palmetto so I am assuming it is a sabal palmetto palm.

It's a bit small, but will you be willing to protect it as a seedling?

Do you also happen to know anything about Queen Palms?

I do plan on protecting it for its first few years and since it looked like this year would be when it got its first palmlike leaves it would be a good year to put it in the ground.
If you are planning to plant a Queen palm in the ground I do not believe you will succeed. If you are planning on using it as a houseplant you will have to ask someone else as I have never grown a Queen Palm.

At that age, you should plan on shielding it from water. And when it starts forming a trunk, use x-mas lights on the trunk and burlap around them. mulch the base also, now and also when it's older. It'll be succesful. I plan on using x-mas lights on the trunk of the palm and then wrapping the trunk with burlap, and then mulching it. You think the queen palm will survive? Also, do you think there is a way for it not to get TOO tall?

If you are set on getting a Queen Palm then you will need to also put it really close to the south side of your house so it can get the radiant heat that comes off of your house at night. You cannot stop it from growing but you can slow down its growth by not fertilizing it at all. Otherwise I would go with one of the Butia species if you only want a feather leaved palm although I would recommend the same kind of protection for those too.

Where did the palm come from? Most sabal palms are not hardy in zone 7 and may require protection their entire life. Once the palm starts gaining height the crown will be exposed to colder air and wind. I would think even a great micro climate it will need to be protected and covered. Especially when its taller than your house. But there is a chance it will harden and survive without protection. I have a small sabal palmetto ' Tifton hardy' said to be hardy to 7b. That has already suffered spear pull. My larger ones are fine this winter with just burlap. If your not into protecting palms 20ft tall, I would suggest leaving it in a pot. Try planting a Sabal x brazoria.

I would say absolutely not. Larger palms establish better and are hardier. Is that a minor or a palmetto? I would wait until it at least has fan leaves if a minor. I would grow that thing to at least a rootbound 7 gallon if a palmetto. That might take 7-10 years. I've also found that palms that size grow much faster in a pot than in the ground. If you wait, you should be able to find a much larger plant for $20 or so come spring.

I dug this palm up in a shaded spot on Hilton Head Island when it only had its first two leaves and I have exposed it to plenty of nights in the low 20s without any damage at all to its leaves. Our house is 20 feet high on the south side. It could be at least 8 more years till it starts getting a trunk. If I am able to harden it off at a young age it should be able to take colder weather than other sabals. I have a sabal minor that is unprotected from northwest winds and it shows no kind of cold damage.

I would say yes, because if you protect it, it WILL survive. Use mulch and protection from moisture. It might also get used to the cold over time and generate better cold hardiness. (i think). so give it a try. I think itll work!

I would definitely wait before planting the sabal in the ground. I wouldnt plant it until it is too big for the pot that it's in. If you were to unpot it now you could risk damaging the roots since the roots are definitely not filling that entire pot yet. You should wait until it starts making some adult fronds which might take a few years since sabals are so painfully slow growing when young.
-Alex

If I left it in the pot is the plant big enough for me to give it fertilizer or is it too young for that also?
Also, by adult leaves how many leaflets do you mean?

Come spring you can give it fertilizer if it stays in the pot. If you plant it, then no fert. It would only need some super thrive for improved root growth. by adult fronds they mean split fronds like those at the beach. Not those little strap leaves that havent separated.

Example of mature fronds for a sabal palmetto.

That's exactly what I'm thinking by adult fronds. They dont have to be fully mature like the one's in chadec's picture, but they do need to have a good number of leaflets on them! I planted a seedling chamaedorea microspadix in the ground 2 years ago and it died because it was just too small to be transplanted in the ground. Seedlings need extra care so unless they are grown in the ground from seed, they need a few years in pots before they are usually ready to plant!

Good luck!
-Alex

I have a slow release granular fertilizer that is made specifically for palms that I use on my larger palms that are in the ground. Could I use this same fertilizer on this potted palm or should I use some other form of fertilizer?