I like MG and perlite, but the best thing for a palm is to get it in the ground!

wxman then you understand what im talking about !

I don't have any prob with miriclegrow,if its taken in moderation! (-;

The problem with Miracle-gro soil mixes are that we don't know exactly what is in them. They are vague with the quantity of ingredients - peat, composted bark, etc.

If someone intends on manipulating ingredients to suit their needs, Miracle-gro is not ideal. It probably contains a lot of peat but I don't know for sure. I have yet to see any good evidence that peat moss as a potting substrate has good long-term properties. I don't consider hearsay to be good evidence.

x

I've used Miracle-Gro and I happend to know that it is not great. The materials aren't of the quality needed. Scotts/Miracle-Gro may be one the best consumer grade potting mixes but that doesn't mean they are in any way good compared to what is available.

I did not say it was the best i said as a supplement it works well. Some of us can't get these other soils( let alone afford it ) thats why i mix mg/ sand and i have never had any problems. i also fertilize with mg too.I am currently growing about 50 diffrient kinds of palm trees

I like to mix a little Miricle-Gro in with my sand

How much sand to you mix in??...I've added sand, but not sure how much is the right amount...I buy my potting mix from a local nursery here that makes their own.

Thanks from a "newbie" palm grower :)

knotz

Knotz
Most of your mix should be sand then you just add just a little miracle grow about a 70 - 30 mix is what i use.

Some perlite and leaf mold is good too.

Thanks guys!!...I'll try that...I got two silver mazaris and they're not looking so good...Maybe the potting mix is too wet??...I did mix sand in, but not as much as you suggested.

Should I repot them using more sand in the mix??

You guys are awesome!!

knotz

I use Miracle grow,since it's the best if the easily available potting mixe's. But even then I dilute with perlite depending on the plants need. BUT,it isnt THE best mix. For example a potting mix sold here by American soils is far better as is the U.C. Berkeley mix it's based on. No peat in either,great minerals. But American soils is just about on the far end of the bay area from me and not practical.
Laugh if you want-but Martha Stewart's premium mix is better than Miracle grow-but,also much more expensive. If you can afford it or fid it on sale-try it.

So I should be mixing Miracle Grow Potting Soil with sand? Much more sand than potting soil? And for good measure add in some perlite? Will do. That said why does every website say to use sphagnum peat moss? Thanks.

Something very important i forgot to mention !
I use play sand from home depot. All the other sand i have tried tends to clump and hold moisture dont use it

Yea,you need coarse sand,Mazari palm is a tough one when small,you may want to wait to transplant until its warm out.
I never got a Mazari to stick until I planted it in mid summer,now its a matter of keeping all this chilly rain,snow?,off it until it gets warm out again,as it is pretty fried right now!

Thank you Jim...Maybe I need to bring them back inside the house until mid April...My greenhouse still gets down to lower 40's at night..Maybe that's too cool and I will repot using more sand in the mix.

knotz

Everything i have seen silver mazari is good to 10 degrees so i think 40 would not hurt it once acclimated
GOOD lUCK !

There is no such thing as THE best mix. The individual palm and the conditions will determine what is best for a palm. Example: I had a Dypsis pilulifera in a pot I bought from a nursery where it was kept in a greenhouse. The greenhouse was always HOT and humid. I took it to my garden, plunked it in semi-shade, and the palm started to go downhill. I couldn't figure out why. A good friend, who really knows his palms pointed out the soil was way too heavy for my conditions. He knew the soil mix the nursery uses, and it's THE PERFECT SOIL -- but only if your palm --and a tropical palm at that-- is in a hot greenhouse.

So we changed out the soil to a lighter mix (sorry no Miracle Gro) and moved the palm to a brighter, warmer location, and it's stopped declining. (This is a SLOW palm so I won't know if it's a survivor for another year at least.)

So if you have found the perfect mix for you, hey, fantastic. But it is a mistake to presume that is the right mix for every palm everywhere in every condition, because that's just not true.

Another example: peat. In southern California, we never use peat in our mixes. Peat is death. Why? Because with 8 inches of annual rainfall, even with automatic irrigation, it is bound to dry out, and re-wetting peat is difficult. However, if you live where rainfall is regular, peat could be great stuff.

My personal favorite is the mix from Jungle Music, just the right weight and balance for my palms in my location. But as wxman81 said, the best place for a plam is in the ground!

Not sure about 10F mine is fried from only as low as 14F(mine is the silver form so maybe a little less cold hardy,at least when young) but the general idea is right,low 40s,30s,20s should not be a problem,just keep it on the dry side esp in "cold" weather. I love Mazari \,such a great palm,hope mine comes back!

And thanks again guys...I watered them good when I put them in their pots (I got them bareroot)...The pots are still a bit wet, I potted them up abt 1 month ago...Maybe I should repot them with more sand in the mix and just give them some bottom water??

Should I make a new post for this??..Kinda taking away from the original post :)

knotz

Catkim yes i agree with you which is why i have made the statement this works for me i never said this was the perfect soil. Palms like diffrient kinds of soils as most other plants.
Jim did your soil drain good did you acclimate your ground ?

Yes and yes,if you are referring to the Mazari,its not a soil issue,so not sure where your going here,help me out.

You say you lost a mazari at 14 i just asked was the ground not draing good and it stayed wet all the time ?
Silver mazari is a cold hardy palm as i said before most sellers offer this palm to 10 degrees farenheit

Sorry Topher,I was not very clear in my post,I have tried about 4-5,most were small and never made it through summer to deal with winter, they can be a little delicate when very small.What I meant by fried is that the leaves are fairly toasted(they are toasted!) after this winter but the color is a little better now,however still toast for all practical purposes,the soil stayed just to the dry side all winter so,pretty good there,the palm is still solid and if I can keep it from getting to soaked this spring it may pull through,the spear and the trunk are still solid so good there. I would recommend to anyone trying this palm to let it get some size before planting as they can be a little root tender.Here is a pic of what it looked like this past summer

Silver Mazari

{{gwi:1123775}}

I really appreciate all your info on the Silver Mazaris...This is my first year with them...I'm not planting them in the ground until at least the end of April.

The smallest one is turning from their pretty green to light brown...Maybe it's just transplant shock??...As I stated above, I got them bareroot about 1 1/2 months ago and potted them up right away when I got them.

I'm afraid to repot them again, don't want to stress them anymore.

I think I'll start a new post with a picture of them so you can see what I'm talking about...I really don't want to loose them :(

knotz

Yea,probably a good idea not to move them around to much,as I mentioned they are a little root tender but man do they have some massive roots!

Back to subject matter:
I use "Perfect Mix" from Wally World and instead of sand, I cut up styrofoam shipping (packing) peanuts and add them to the mix.
Perfect mix is a less expensive altenative to MG mix and contains much the same ingredients, (perlite, peat, slow release fert., etc.).

While sand is added to mixes to improve drainage, it also adds weight to the pot which becomes undersirable if transporting from one place to another. However, packing peanuts help improve drainage while displacing the soil and do not contribute to the weight of the pot.

Recycle whenever you can.

They(styrofoam peanuts) are also toxic to all life over time.

Before becoming a "green preacher", think about all the ubiquitous petroleum based products you currently have in, around and on your home.
Also, wanna be "tree huggers" never take into consideration the carbon footprint they leave behind every time their foot comes in contact with the gas pedal.

The quantity of peanuts one uses relative to the amount of emissions one releases daily is insignificant.
Besides, as consumers we have little control over what retailers use as packing medium and peanuts become destine for our doorsteps.

Far better to use them in soil mixes for non-edibles than it is to send them to the local landfill where they will eventually contaminate the aquifer.

jimhardy...in the image you posted of your Silver Mazari; where will that black plastic end up?

Alright let's just calm down, It seems we have gotten way off topic. We have many things polluting our environment every day not to mention what already has so lets please not bring this in here . We are all friends here lets stay that way. I realy don't think it matters if we use black plastic or styrofoam peanuts considering whats already out there do you ?

All I meant was I don't think peanuts are good for your plants,sorry I did not write that the first time,my bad if I did'nt get that across in my post.If you are referring to the black marble I have on both sides of my Mazari,I use that to try and keep my little guy a little drier and warmer and I would probably use black peanuts if I thought it would keep one of these dang things alive!