Outrageous cost of palm fertilizer

[weldertom]

Perhaps this economic crisis for fertilizers might be a blessing for the Indian River Lagoon.......................

[buffy]

On 1/6/2020 at 7:56 AM, sonoranfans said:

Unlike other slow release fertilizers the (membrane)coating does not dissolve.   Unlike osmocote, the prill membranes are engineered for each nutrient, no one else does that. Those other slow release fertilizers are "fake slow release", once the coating dissolves it washes away fast.  Osmocote has a membrane but does not deliver potassium late in the cycle as they have not engineered the membranes for each nutrient(its patented).  I am a scientist(chemist) with over 30 patents, I know patent BS when I see it.  These guys have the science nailed for slow release, glad I don't work for a competitor.  Unless it has an osmotic membrane, its not an effective timed release in florida, and you really need different pore sizes for different nutrients as some will deplete faster with the same pore size.  The membrane also tightens up in the cold so it wont release until its warm out.  these guys really have it nailed.  the coat the prills with a polymer ethylene vinyl acetate and control the polymerization rate to control pore size for different nutrients.  Technically, the others have no competitive answer, kind of the way a valuable patent works.  So I pay 20 bucks(40%) to use half the amount and get better results on my cuban copernicias(yes they are potassium pigs) and some other palms.  I get my florikan at big earth, but there are also places that have off brand versions(like lexus toyota) that also work well.   Some of the smaller nurseries buy it by the pallet so they get a nice price break. 

I was about to say the same thing......  

Wow. You got some knowledge there amigo. 

[waykoolplantz]

Anyone know what a pallet of Florikan costs delivered to S Florida. Tom, do you supplement any deficiencies ?

last January we took delivery of a pallet of Harrells...have 8 bags remaining out of 40.  

Reordering is $$1175 incl tax. While billed as slow release...it cannot be as well engineered as Tom explained.

how this translates to real world use to be determined in my case. So far the only complaint I have heard has been the smell but I’ll check today with Greg to see if any supplemental nutrients were needed....and our re-fertilization schedule to see if increased cost can be offset by reduced labor and frequency of application. 

As far as performance is concerned...it would be hard to beat the success we’re having.

[JANAIY]

23 hours ago, buffy said:

I was about to say the same thing......  

Wow. You got some knowledge there amigo. 

 

6 hours ago, waykoolplantz said:

Anyone know what a pallet of Florikan costs delivered to S Florida. Tom, do you supplement any deficiencies ?

last January we took delivery of a pallet of Harrells...have 8 bags remaining out of 40.  

Reordering is $$1175 incl tax. While billed as slow release...it cannot be as well engineered as Tom explained.

how this translates to real world use to be determined in my case. So far the only complaint I have heard has been the smell but I’ll check today with Greg to see if any supplemental nutrients were needed....and our re-fertilization schedule to see if increased cost can be offset by reduced labor and frequency of application. 

As far as performance is concerned...it would be hard to beat the success we’re having.

I ordered 1 bag , give them a call at 3052464225. FLORIKAN 8-2-12 controlled time release , choose between 180 or 365 days,  good fertilizers smell

https://www.florikan.com/distributors

 

[Jubaea_James760]

Title couldn't have said it all. Just spent $107 for a 50lb bag of palmgain. Shipping & taxes included. Still have to get me a bag of dolomite lime, ironite,  Epsom salt & maybe a small bag of azalea fertilizer for Queens. My palms & cycads are still small so I should be good for a few years, except on Epsom salt. I usually buy about 15 lbs a year to use.

[waykoolplantz]

23 hours ago, JANAIY said:

 

I ordered 1 bag 

 

How much was the single ?  You do 180 or 360 ?

[JANAIY]

2 hours ago, waykoolplantz said:

How much was the single ?  You do 180 or 360 ?

I ordered 180 to be on the save side. I intend to apply less but maybe twice in 6 months, depending how my palms react. 
where did you ordered it? Are you in S Florida? 

[sonoranfans]

1 hour ago, JANAIY said:

I ordered 180 to be on the save side. I intend to apply less but maybe twice in 6 months, depending how my palms react. 
where did you ordered it? Are you in S Florida? 

Florikan takes 1 month(and warm weather) to become active so if you have known deficiencies now, I put down a little palm gain to make sure they get something the first month.  I use the 180 day bags and overlap them a bit(1-2 months) in the growing season.  I have about ~40 adult palms and another couple dozen juveniles, and a dozen containers.  The ones that seem to need the florikan(in my soil)re cuban copernicias(bailey, fallaense, hospita, macroglossa, kentiopsis O.  My royals are the fattest(~30") I have seen in my area with over 20' clear trunk, they might be benefitting in size and robustness as may big palms like sabal causiarum(40" thick clear trunkbase).  The before and after was most pronounced on my baileyana, just a huge difference from lesco.  I understand that florikan will only sell by the 1000lb load, 20 50 lb bags.  I can't rationalize buying that much at once.

[JANAIY]

Well with so many palms I understand that Florikan will be quite expensive , however it’s said that you need less in quantity than other cheaper fertilizers. 

[NOT A TA]

2 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

Florikan takes 1 month(and warm weather) to become active so if you have known deficiencies now, I put down a little palm gain to make sure they get something the first month. 

Good point to consider!

[sonoranfans]

yes IF you live in a climate where it rains in summer and you have high drainage soil, you will need less to prevent nutrient deficiencies.  I am using about (5) 50 lb bags a year at this time with many grown specimens.  With small palms it takes notably less.  Back in say 2014 it was 2-3 bags/yr, but I have some pretty big palms now.  I also plant my crownshafts closer together(except royals, they drop big leaves that would damage other palms).  If I plant an archie next to a kentiopsis for example, they can share the fertilizer and wgat the archie doesn't get the kentiopsis will get.  Some big an wide palms like becarriopheonix alfredii and sabal domingensis as well as the big copernicias I plant as stand alone palms(10-15' from anything else..

[JANAIY]

I wanted to update. I never received my order , was really unprofessional.

I finished my palm gain and ordered today from Big Earth Supply. I guess this stuff you can only get by the pallet and nobody buys it here because they dont earn enough selling it, I guess. I can't believe Tampa region sells it in 4 locations and here in Miami with all our gorgeous palms  there is NONE ??? 

 

[WaianaeCrider]

Just bought 2  50 lb bags of Apex (? ) 12 4 12 at $40 each.  Gone in one day.  I figure next application will be in January will probably need 150 lbs.