If the Alfalfa pellets are working, why change?

If the Alfalfa pellets are working, why change?

Ive never used them on my palms before. I usually buy an Organic Palm fert, but its too expensive for the amount of palms I have now.

It my understanding that palms nutritional requirements are higher than those for other types of plants. The latest University of Florida recommendation for palms is to use 8-4-12 with both magnesium and manganese + micronutrient "Palm Special".

This is why I thought of alfalfa pellets which contains all of the required major and minor elements. I just not sure if it will be enough.

Okay, I missed the distinction. The simple answer to your question is to test them and see what happens.

Most gardners over-fertilize their palms. And it takes anywhere from a month to a year to really see the changes, so you're going to have to be careful. Even the 8-4-12 may eventually be too much for your palms, depending on what else is in the soil.

If the palms are mature, I would use one quarter cup of Alfalfa pellets for every inch of trunk diameter at chest height. For example a 25' Foxtail should have around a 12" diameter at chest height. Thus you'll need 3 cups of pellets for that palm. Fertilize them in mid-March and again in early October.

If by July, they start to look less green, with smaller fronds, fertilize then as well. If by October, they don't look better, I would either double the October feeding and wait for results the following March or buy some 8-4-12 and use the pellets on what's already happy with it.

Hi skoot cat. I have quite a few palms in my yard and I feed them alfalfa and soybean meal a couple of times a year. They always look good and healthy. Although I don't know if truly considered organic, last year I gave the coconuts epsom salts and manganese sulfate. None of the palms have shown any signs of deficiency, but I guess I was just being cautious. I might skip it this year and see how it goes. I don't have any amount formula, I just throw a few handfuls around them. I also use a lot of organic mulches around all palms in beds (leaves, wood chips, etc.). Good luck! I think they will be just fine.

Anna

Thanks guys,

Im going to give the Alfalfa Pellets a try. Im also going to feed them monthly with with liquid seaweed for added potassium and micronutrients.

Anna, approximately how much Alfalfa and SBM do you use on your palms.

I use a mixture of 1/2 cup of Epson salts, 1 cup liquid soap any flavor, 1 cup of lemon ammonia, and some water soluable plant food. My palms are growing green and very happy.

Thanks islandpete

Im looking for a soil amendment/fertilizer derived from natural sources. (plants, rock powders, seaweed, etc)

well sea weed or turtle grass that you find on the shore is loved by palms as well as bananas. It puts all kinds of sea water food into the soil and it's free if you know how to harvest it off of boat ramps

Hi skoot,

I'm sorry to say I don't have a formula. Depending on the size of the palm I use more or less. For my large coconuts I probably use the equivalent of a half-gallon container for each one. I kinda disperse it so it doesn't get real stinky, or cover with mulch. For a small pygmy date, I use maybe a couple of fistfuls. I don't know if any real formula exists. I also give them compost tea whenever I go around the yard, coffee grounds when I have them, grass clippings, etc. I just keep collecting stuff and taking turns with my beds. I am presently collecting bagged, raked leaves on recycling days to mulch as many of my beds as I can. A couple of months ago we spread a couple of truckloads of wood chips on beds as well, and at Christmas time we got three pickup truckloads of Christmas tree mulch which has been great stuff and looks wonderful. I just keep piling it on, whatever the organic material of the month is. It never seems enough, though, no matter how much we collect! We have an acre, and most of it is beds. We started with subsoil, and no worms, and now there are worm castings everywhere and our soil is improving tremendously in just the 2 years we've been piling it on. I'm sure you're experiencing the same thing after 3 years. It's fun and rewarding. I only use kelp and fish emulsion on my orchids usually cuz it's so expensive. I love compost tea for orchids made out of rain water. They respond beautifully to that, and it's free!

Anna