Palm Potting Mix

[Antonino Giglio]

What is your favourite potting mix for palms?

In garden centres I saw bags of Potting Mix for Palms and Ferns.

What are they like and do you prepare your own mix?

Cheers,

Antonino

Edited September 11, 2008 by Antonino Giglio

[TikiRick]

A mix of equal parts sand and soil with some peat and perlite is best. You want some water moisture to hold, but not sit in wet soil. Freely draining. You should be able to make a fist full of soil, hold together slightly, then fall apart in the palm of your hand. If you can not make it stick slightly, then it is too sandy. If it stays as a ball, it is too heavy.

Of course, many palms prefer the extremes. As a general rule, freely draining soil is best...particularly in potted plants.

[ThunderSRQ]

Antonino,

Here's a link to a recent discussion about potting soils -- although a lot of it pertains to the Jungle Growth brand and I don't know if you will be able to find it in Australia.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=5673

Re: the comments in the above link -- it would help if the exact type of both Jungle Growth and Miracle Grow soil mix is specified from each member since both companies produce several varieties.

I can add that I also like the Jungle Growth Tree & Shrub soil mix (red bag) -- having started using it per a recommendation from Christian Faulkner. It has soil, peat, perlite, bark, & vermiculite (but no sand). JG also has a Professional Growers mix (silver & black bag) that has more peat than the Tree & Shrub mix and so retains water a little better.

I also like the Miracle Grow Tree & Shrub mix (per a recommendation from another quality cool tree contact who specializes in tropical stuff); however, I just noticed that the Miracle Grow bag specifically states that this mix is not to be used in pots (?) -- I found that statement to be a little odd and intend to contact them for clarification (so far, I've only used it for in-ground planting work with mostly Ceiba and Erythrina tree species).

And I found the comment about the light-weight soil very interesting since I have noticed that the Jungle Growth red bag soil is relatively light in weight (when carrying a bag) as opposed to the Miracle Grow Tree and Shrub mix (which is much heavier) -- after reading this, I think all I need to do here in sandy Florida is just mix in some native/natural soil in with the Jungle Growth at the time of planting to get the added benefits of the sand it may be lacking from the manufacturer. Any input/comments from Florida (and other) folks? (I had been advised in a previous discussion here on Palmtalk that Florida soil is pretty good, as-is, but I still like to think that there are some benefits from the additional components of the commercial soil mixes)

Tim

[BS Man about Palms]

Antonio, try to be very aware of the usual climate in your area, and choose from that info what suits your area best.

[Neofolis]

Just to totally contradict Rick, I hate sand or soil in mixes, particularly sand. I find that this kind of mix gets too heavy and too easily compacted with root growth and requires repotting far too often to rejuvenate the mix, before the plants are ready to move up to the next pot size. It also shrinks, if it dries out too much and is difficult to make it wet again. Within a relatively short time it loses it's free draining properties. That said, I do have some plants that seem to like that kind of mix and seem to flourish the older and deader the mix gets. Phoenix dactylifera springs to mind as one that loves it, but I mostly try to grow more tropical, understorey palms and they really don't seem to like it, unless I use fresh medium every few months, which I'm not prepared to do without the growth to justify it. In general, the larger, faster growing palms, particularly those with robust root systems seem to like the sand/soil mixes, but the more delicate, tropicals, particularly with less robust root systems, seem to prefer a more open structure, which is why I use coco peat (coir), perlite and composted bark chips. I usually use them in fairly equaly proportions, but the coir, although free draining, can hold a lot of moiture, so for plants that prefer to be a little drier, I reduce the amount of coir in the mix.

[Alicehunter2000]

Always a useful topic of discussion. I also use Jungle Mix (red bag). I've had mixed results. Sometimes I mix a little builders sand to add weight and Perlite to help drainage. At the moment most everything seems to be doing ok except my Spindles which seem to be yellowing quite a bit. My triangle seems to love it.

I think my biggest problem is how to feed/fertilize in pots. After a recent scare involving too high a concentration of Miracle Grow (and subsequent death of two Gainesville Avocadoes) I'm scared to do anything. I have poor results with growth rates on most everything, but I'm not sure if it is the soil, fertilization, watering, sun........just can't pinpoint why growth is slow (after seeing some of the other members growth rates).

[Neofolis]

I know what you mean David. After recent multiple deaths in my polytunnel, which appears to have been successfully diagnosed on Palmtalk as excessive salt build up in pots, it does seem a lot easier to get things wrong than right. This had never been an issue for me previously, using soluble regular use fertilizers and although there were probably other contributing factors, It does make you re-think situations when you see a rapid decline in health of almost every plant. I still think that a regular liquid or soluble fertilizer is easier for potted plants, providing it is smallish quantities of pots, but no system is without faults.

I think best potting mix as well as being species specific will also depend on such things as temperatures, environment, watering system, type of fertilizer and even pot size, shape and material. Then there is just the personal preference of what you like working with. Suggestions are always great and always welcomed, but nothing beats experimentation and observation.

[Alicehunter2000]

Cory, how many did you lose in the end. I remember that thread, but don't remember what the final outcome was.

I believe that alot of commercial potting soils are on the acidic side so maybe my spindle problem may lie in low ph

[Neofolis]

I probably lost about 15 plants, which consisted of 5-6 species, but there are still others that probably won't recover. On the plus side, there are others that seem to be recovering, so hopefully I'm over the worst of it.

[Antonino Giglio]

Thanks guys for all your precious suggestions!!!

First time I'm growing palms and so far I've killed many of them... lol

I've also managed to kill a couple fo interior plants like chamadoreas that I bought. I think watered them too much or maybe I disturbed too much the roots! Who knows. I haven't been lucky with plants in the last 6 months! Ha ha ha