Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Hi again
Looking for some more advice.
I usually use Blood, Fish & Bone on my palms, bamboos and Sagos is this good or is there something better (like Chempak palm food)?
Also looking for something for Sago palms, is Blood, Fish & Bone ok, some places say a liquid feed is better, someone suggested tomoato food and then I read about Chempak 2. Now my head is spinning.
So, looking for advice on the best food for my palms and the best for my Sago. The main palms in question are a Chamaerops humilis, Trachycarpus wagnerianus, Butia Odorata and a Brahea Armata. Can these all have the same food?
Thanks again.
Dave
Looking for some more advice.
I usually use Blood, Fish & Bone on my palms, bamboos and Sagos is this good or is there something better (like Chempak palm food)?
Also looking for something for Sago palms, is Blood, Fish & Bone ok, some places say a liquid feed is better, someone suggested tomoato food and then I read about Chempak 2. Now my head is spinning.
So, looking for advice on the best food for my palms and the best for my Sago. The main palms in question are a Chamaerops humilis, Trachycarpus wagnerianus, Butia Odorata and a Brahea Armata. Can these all have the same food?
Thanks again.
Dave
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Haven't any experience of chempak but Palm fertiliser from the palm centre works well on all palms and I even use it on Sago or Cycas Revoluta, I presume you mean, due its high nitrogen content.
Phostrogen works equally as well on Cycads for the same reason.
Paul M Murray.
Phostrogen works equally as well on Cycads for the same reason.
Paul M Murray.
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Not actually palm food but have you come accross palm booster? (available from Nigel who is a member on here at www.hardypalms.co.uk). It promotes root growth which in turn should leave to healthier and stronger plants.
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
I think it all comes down to personal preference and any balanced fertiliser would be fine for all the plants you've mentioned.
Chempak 2, which is very high in Nitrogen is used to induce/promote flushing of Cycads, done as soon as it starts to warm up from April onwards. Also as a spring feeding. I wouldn't use it all the time during the entire growing season as it promotes too lush a growth that becomes leggy, or more prone to winter damage.
Balanced is the safest choice
Personally, we use generous Pelletted Manure twice a year for all plants but Miracle Grow for those with gravel mulch and pot plants. Chempak 2 for Cycads until they flush. Supplements of Palmbooster for Palms and Maxicrop for Treeferns
Chempak 2, which is very high in Nitrogen is used to induce/promote flushing of Cycads, done as soon as it starts to warm up from April onwards. Also as a spring feeding. I wouldn't use it all the time during the entire growing season as it promotes too lush a growth that becomes leggy, or more prone to winter damage.
Balanced is the safest choice
Personally, we use generous Pelletted Manure twice a year for all plants but Miracle Grow for those with gravel mulch and pot plants. Chempak 2 for Cycads until they flush. Supplements of Palmbooster for Palms and Maxicrop for Treeferns
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Thanks all.
Sounds like it's worth getting some Chempak for next year, might help the Cycas to flush.
Worth looking into the Palmbooster, sounds good for the younger plants if it aids root growth, then it sounds like it's ok to keep using blood, fish and bone (guess that's a balanced fertiliser).
Is tomato food a balanced fertiliser?
Somone mentioned it was good for Cannas, might try that on the Cycas as well.
Sounds like it's worth getting some Chempak for next year, might help the Cycas to flush.
Worth looking into the Palmbooster, sounds good for the younger plants if it aids root growth, then it sounds like it's ok to keep using blood, fish and bone (guess that's a balanced fertiliser).
Is tomato food a balanced fertiliser?
Somone mentioned it was good for Cannas, might try that on the Cycas as well.
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Hi Dave
I only have one cycad, a Cycas revoluta, and it was not doing a lot but this spring, based on advice, I gave it a few feeds of Chempak No.2 and it has had its first flush, 6 great new fronds - and is looking very healthy.
I'm putting it down to the Chempak (who can say whether it was just due a flush anyway).
I also repotted it in spring, and used a mix of JI no.3, peatfree multipurpose and perlite.
Seems okay so far...
Pete
I only have one cycad, a Cycas revoluta, and it was not doing a lot but this spring, based on advice, I gave it a few feeds of Chempak No.2 and it has had its first flush, 6 great new fronds - and is looking very healthy.
I'm putting it down to the Chempak (who can say whether it was just due a flush anyway).
I also repotted it in spring, and used a mix of JI no.3, peatfree multipurpose and perlite.
Seems okay so far...
Pete
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
That's interesting Pete, so the Chempak sounds well worth a try, from what I've read sound like it's best to leave until next spring though, any thoughts?
Also, interesting you used a mix containing peat free muli purpose. Do Cycases not like Peat? (Think I've bought normal multipurpose that includes peat).
Cheers
Also, interesting you used a mix containing peat free muli purpose. Do Cycases not like Peat? (Think I've bought normal multipurpose that includes peat).
Cheers
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Hi Dave,
I'm not aware cycads have anything against peat - I'm sure it'll be fine. It's just me - I try not to use peat as far as possible (though I have to say when peat wasn't seen as un-pc to use and most composts were based on it, I actually found things less challenging to keep going.
I accept it's essential to use peat sometimes - e.g with carnivorous plants - and certainly don't have issues with others using it - I just try to avoid it when I can.
I think you're probably right about not going overboard with Chempak 2 on cycads until next spring, high nitrogen feed is likely to produce lusher, sappier growth and on some slightly tender evergreens like cycads, that could expose the new foliage to more cold weather damage in winter.
Pete
I'm not aware cycads have anything against peat - I'm sure it'll be fine. It's just me - I try not to use peat as far as possible (though I have to say when peat wasn't seen as un-pc to use and most composts were based on it, I actually found things less challenging to keep going.
I accept it's essential to use peat sometimes - e.g with carnivorous plants - and certainly don't have issues with others using it - I just try to avoid it when I can.
I think you're probably right about not going overboard with Chempak 2 on cycads until next spring, high nitrogen feed is likely to produce lusher, sappier growth and on some slightly tender evergreens like cycads, that could expose the new foliage to more cold weather damage in winter.
Pete
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Here's a photo I took this evening of my Cycad's nice newly flushed fronds!
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Thanks Pete, looks great.
Definately worth getting some Chepak for next spring!
Definately worth getting some Chepak for next spring!
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
I updated the webpage on Cycad today and added pics of last years flush of 43 fronds. Click HERE
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
The new flush looks really good Dave - did you cut off the old fronds or leave them on?
- Dave Brown
- Site Admin
- Posts: 19742
- Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Chalk, (Thames Estuary) Kent, England 51.5N 0.3E
- Contact:
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
No, I have left them on actually, they have gone a bit yellow but make the plant look fullerMick C wrote:The new flush looks really good Dave - did you cut off the old fronds or leave them on?
Best regards
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Dave
_________________________________________________
Roll on summer.....
http://www.hardytropicals.co.uk
Re: Best Cycas & Palm food (doesn't need to be one product)
Looks great Dave.
What do you use to fertilise?
What do you use to fertilise?