Just got a bunch of soil

[Kansas]

Wondering if this would be good to grow Palms or a Rostada in.
It is very silty dirt that is basically dirt that used to be in the bottom of the river. Very Airy and moist, but dries on top very quick.

[Okanagan desert-palms]

Kansas my tip would be to purchase sterilized soil from a nursery. I would then add perlite or vermiculite and coarse sand for proper drainage. Spending more at the start will reap better plants and trees later.
John

[desertdave]

That stuff would probably be good to mix into your garden soil, esp. if it is a sand or clay soil. Be sure to mix plenty of organic matter in as well. My favorites are peat moss and cow manure but I know some ppl object to use of peat... Compost is supposedly better but I cannot get a good batch of compost to save my life!

[Kansas]

Well I took the soils and mixed it with a bunch of pine bark, peat moss, Sagnum moss and sand. Mixed it up very well and just took ONE Robusta seed to see how the soil is.
The rest of the Robustas will go in the Soil I buy from Lowe's today.
But I am going to watch the river soil seed closely.

[desertdave]

That is about as scientific a test as you could try. That one Robusta will tell you a lot about that soil. Keep us informed!

[Kansas]

As 13 of the 15 Robusta have grown above the ground level, I think that the one with the soil I talked about in the start of this thread is actually the best. It is greener and growing faster than the others that I potted in a regular potting soil mixture.
Also, I am confused, I always hear about how potting soils that you buy have Peat moss and Spagnum that prevent mold. However I see mold growing on EVERY one of the ones in the mixture but NO MOLD at all on the soil I found out in mother nature????

[Okanagan desert-palms]

Kansas great news that the soil is better than the store bought .That river silt must have the nutrients Robusta like. I`m sure by adding the other ingredients to your soil also helped with drainage as silt is just like clay. Send us some photos of your Robusta when they get older. I`m interested to see the difference between juvenile W. Robusta and W.filifera.
John

[Kansas]

I did plant those Filifera seeds in baggies even thou I thought I got took cause they didn't look like Fily seeds.
But as I looked at the bag yesterday, I saw one had sproated, HOWEVER, me being a dumbass, when went to inspect it, it broke off. It was a VERY VERY fine root. Was not think at all, bout the size of a hair. I am still not convinced it is filifera.
I REALLY need somebody kind enough to send me a few Fily seeds to compare them to.