Palm Fertilizer

[Brian]

Last autumn i bought a windmill palm from B&Q i planted it out and left it alone over winter then in spring and again at the end of summer i gave it a good sprinkling of chicken manure pellets but the leaves have started to yellow someone has told me that palms need a more specific fertilizer is this right? if so what do you guys recommend and where are the best places to buy it from. i also have some bamboo Bananas and a tree fern what is best for these?
Thank you in advance Brian

[irish dave]

Brian, I use Miracle-Gro 16-6-16,I found this very good,and keeps your palms a dark green.

[Dave in Warrington]

I would be surprised if it's a fertlizer issue. Another cause is drought in the summer months, roots should not be allowed to dry out especially with strong manure applied.

[ElTel]

you cudtry palm booster as well

BUT ITS NOT A FERTILISER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adam D]

How yellow are the leaves on your palm?

I live up in Scotland and the tips of last year's growth on my waggie are yellow and that certainly is not down to lack of rainfall

In the past I have tried Nigel Kembrey's palm fertiliser and I am now on the Palm Centre's palm fertiliser. My palms always look a bit sad after the winter, but soon green up again when summer arrives.

As for bamboo, I tend to use chicken pellets, manure and the Palm Centre's bamboo fertilser.

Never fed my tree fern, I think. However, I have given it Maxicrop Seaweed Organic Growth stuff, lol. This was after reading about the best stuff to give it on Gardening on the Edge.

[redsquirrel]

if the centre is pushing up new growth i wouldnt worry about it too much.you have already done the best thing possible and put it in the ground.i would guess it has concentrated on putting out new roots this year.

[Brian]

Thanks for you replies here are some pictures so you can see how it is looking it has had plenty of water as i have been watering pretty much every day since buying my bamboo,s and tree fern from the urban jungle at the start of summer

[weve]

Hmmm that does look somewhat yellow! I wouldn't have thought it required watering daily. Perhaps a good soaking every week or so and only that in exceptionally dry spells would suffice (that's what I do with mine anyway).

A thought tho'. Its difficult to tell from your photos, but is that a gravel mulch around (or near) it? It looks to me like its Flint, but if not, it may be a limestone. Now, I have a limestone gravel mulch around my trachies in my front garden and they are slightly chlorotic, despite feeding. This slight chlorosis I now have put down to too alkaline conditions (a combination of my alkaline soil, plus any dissolving lime leeching out from the gravel) thus causing an iron deficiency. (Iron deficiency can also be caused by waterlogging and overfeeding). Trachycarpus are suppose to be alkaline/liime tolerant, but nevertheless I apply iron sulphate in spring and it seems to help. (chelated iron is probably better). Might be worth experimenting with next year.

best
weve

[Brian]

Hi weve, sorry i wasn't very clear with the watering i was watering the bamboo and tree fern daily (and the bit i didn't mention) giving the windmill palm a good soak twice a week, it is a wood chip mulch around the base

[Brian]

Hi and thank you all for your advice and tips i have decided to go with the Palm Centers Palm fertilizer i have also got there bamboo and fern fertilizer to try my next question is when should i start applying the fertilizer I presume it is to late in the year to feed them now sorry if this seems basic i really am a novice at this

[Adam D]

I would not fertilise the palm or fern, but you may be safe giving the bamboo a feed.

From what I have learned on here Spring and Autumn is the time to feed them as that is when they do most of their active growing.

[themes]

I would not fertilise the palm or fern, but you may be safe giving the bamboo a feed.

From what I have learned on here Spring and Autumn is the time to feed them as that is when they do most of their active growing.

I agree..now is not the time to fertilize..late March onwards. August I stop.

[simon]

I would not fertilise the palm or fern, but you may be safe giving the bamboo a feed.

Fertilising bamboo at this time of year depends on what the temperatures are like. If it is still warm then the rhizomes will still be in growth and they would benefit from some feed. The Palm Centre bamboo fertiliser is however slow release so is better applied in late sommer. If fertilising now, I would use some soluble Miracle Gro for an instant hit but I have stopped feeding them now.

[John P]

Feeding palms should stop in August otherwise fertilizer promotes soft growth late in the growing year that may then cause frost damage when the temperature drops. Trachys like a good mulch of well rotted manure in the Spring. I also use a number of fertilizers including the one from the Palm Centre, the stuff Nigel used to supply and in between anything going cheap including chicken pellets. Wilkinson has buckets of things like fish blood and bone that is cheap but they would have packed up their gardening sections this time of year. Yellowing which affects some trachys but not normally fortunei, can be fixed with a packet of Doff chelated iron powder.

John

[Imran Khalid]

Has it only recently been planted? It will green up in due course, but do not feed over winter.

I am yet to be convinced by Palm Booster, I still suspect that it is an expensive gimmick, rather than anything useful in most situations.

There have been a few discussions on here in relation to Palm Booster, I shall have a look to see if I can find them.