PalmsNorth.com

I am planning on planting two windmills in the spring, should I be mixing palm fertilizer into my planting soil when do this or just use a root stimulant? Also I have read that it is a good idea to mix sand in with the top two inches of soil for better drainage. Thanks for the tips.

Hi RJ, you'll get various opinions on this.

Here's mine.
I never mix any fertilizer into planting hole or soil, nor do I buy soil that has fertilizer already mixed in (that MG stuff).
The soil I use for palms/cycads etc. is a coarse aggregate, lots of granular stuff to let water drain really fast, almost looks like a cactus mix.

To that I add even more coarse stuff...undeodorized kitty litter (and unused ) for even faster drainage.
Kitty litter is cheaper than perlite, but just as good.
I never use vermiculite in my mix as it holds water, whereas perlite virtually repels water.

I use sand only as a top dressing (1 or 2 inches) as it dries fast in both indoor and outdoor temps.
Sand on top is supposed to reduce fungus gnat population/infestation.
The jury's still out on that in my house.

And I NEVER (any more) mix sand into potting mix...pots get really heavy and sand will keep the soil mix too wet for too long (if you tend to overwater, as most people do).

Barb

Great, thanks for the tips Barb.

Come on, folks.

I know you don't agree 100%...

Barb- It's not that I agree 100%, it's just that I think Trachys are so tough they can handle damn near any soil.

Personally I use a dark compost mixed with manure AND with something like 20-30% mulch mixed in as my 'base' planting mixture. Depending on the species (and due to my crappy soil) I also sometimes do sulphur treatments, more mulch, peat, etc...

I will say plant the palms where they can get a decent amount of sun and lots of water. Oh, and where you'll be able to get the protection in place easily!

sulphur treatments, more mulch, peat,

Proof that Trachies can even handle acidic soil.

One thing the article doesn't touch on is that Trachy leaves often shred in high wind areas.
Since planting mine on the East side of house, where we get the least amount of wind, the fronds look so much better.

In addition, mine thrives in afternoon shade.

Barb

Good for you Barbie (boing-bonk)your out!

Barb,

My palms arrived today and I'll be planting the big one later today. I'm going to be using a quality triple mix and use your idea of adding the kitty litter vs the perlite. How much should be mixed in the soil, one 20kg bag per 1/4 yard or?

Also, Paul, when you say mulch at the bottom of your hole, do you mean a regular cedar mulch or?

Undeodorized kitty litter...
and unused, LOL.

Re how much to use, depends on your soil.
How long does it take for water to drain out of a freshly dug hole?

I'd use about the same amount of kitty litter/soil as if I were planting it in a container.
Say 1 part kitty to 3 or 4 parts soil?

I think Paul (he's on his way to Cali) means that he mixes mulch INTO the soil mix the palm sits on in the hole.
So, 1 part kitty, 2 shovels full bark nuggets (or whatever is used as mulch), and 3 or 4 parts soil.

It's a good recipe for crappy soil, as Paul says he has.

And Erik had really crappy soil and made some changes a couple of years ago with gravel.
I think he discovered afterwards that water just sits where the gravel ends.
So he planned to divert standing water in a longish trench.

We've got rocks in our soil, so digging is a struggle, but it drains quickly.

Looking forward to seeing your project done.
Barb