Hardy Tropicals UK

Having just quadrupled my in-garden palm populace, (i.e. I now have four! LOL) I was wondering what members use to feed their palms to keep them top-notch?

I use Nutricote total 180 day slow release that i spread around every spring .

I also use liquid kelp that is distributed through a fertigation system and come out the drippers each time i water !

If I had much palm feeding to do I would probably use Nigels (Hardy Palms) slow release fertiliser, like many on here already do, as it has the right sort of NPK.

For potted palms - I use a Professional, 8-9 month controlled release fertilizer with an NPK of; 13-4-12 + Extra Magnesium & extensive micro-nutrients.

Vagetarian wrote:If I had much palm feeding to do I would probably use Nigels (Hardy Palms) slow release fertiliser, like many on here already do, as it has the right sort of NPK.

Just bought some of Nigels and fed all mine at the weekend. I'm hoping to achieve the dark green look of his trees.

6X chicken manure!

Rob S wrote:6X chicken manure!

good stuff that 6X, but not sure if it's balanced for palms though ....

I'd go for Nigels palm fertilizer
http://www.hardy-palms.co.uk/category.asp?section=15

Dim wrote:good stuff that 6X, but not sure if it's balanced for palms though ....

I'm not complaining about the stuff (I know I'm a critical so and so ), and the price looks right, but I don't get the "it's 6 times more concentrated" bit as it's got roughly the same NPK as any other pelleted chicken manure

But anyway, the NPK is 5.8:3.5:3 so it's not quite a proper palm fertiliser but having said that;

Palm fertiliser NPK ratios are probably designed for sandy tropical soils where the nitrogen and potassium wash away easily. Without having a soil test done it's impossible to know what you've already got and so you'll never know what you need to add. Farmers have their soil tested and apply what's needed, they don't chuck stuff around willy nilly like us gardeners. Most UK garden soils are rich in pretty much everything and should really only need nitrogen.

Growing in pots in the long term is of course a different kettle of fish.

Thanks for the advice, one and all. I've decided to try Nigel's mix first; see how that goes.

SueW wrote:Thanks for the advice, one and all. I've decided to try Nigel's mix first; see how that goes.

I have to commend Nigel at Hardy Palms. I ordered some of his slow release palm fertiliser and it arrived promptly. Sadly although the package was intact, the tub had popped it's lid in transit and a lot of the pellets filled the bottom of the box and drizzled out of the box onto my carpet. (I now have the best fertilised carpet in Cornwall!) To Nigel's great credit, when I let him know, he immediately posted another tub which arrived yesterday, intact.

So I will definitely be returning there. Some of the palms on his pages look tasty too.................

this has been working well for me, also slow release, and you can use it for cordylines and cycad.
http://www.palmcentre.co.uk/.Fertilizer ... t_FERT.htm

I have used the palm centres fertiliser for the last two years. The first year my triple trunker washy put out a single leaf, last year I had 9. I also water all my exotic plants with hot water so that may have had a bearing. Hoping for great growth on it this year.

I have just started watering the banana with hot water, but didn't know it works with other tropicals. I'll have to try that.