Best pH for palms

[DALION]

I know that this is a loaded question because the answer is, "it depends." But, is there a rule of thumb as to what is an acceptable range? Does anyone even look at that or care about it? Am I now just causing undue stress and work?

My cycads have thrived in a mix that has been tested from 5.0 to 6.6 with no ill effects. But do the palms need something special?

Leo

[DoomsDave]

My experience has been that the overwhelming majority of palms don't care much about PH as long as you avoid extremes.

That said, a few Cuban species and others adapted to extreme habitats might have different requirements. Of course, I'll always listen to evidence of PH being important . . .

[Jastin]

6.5 - 7. I just fould out that my tap water is 7.5 - 8ph. When you mix the fert in there it dropped it to 6.7. I have already seen an improvement on nutrient uptake. Things are greener, look healthier, seeming to grow faster than in previous years

Edited May 14, 2012 by Jastin

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Hey Jaston, What type of fertilizer are you using? Most that I use, raises my rainwater PH that I use in indoor palms, so when add fert, I use a chemical called PH down to counter this. Most palms seem to like soil/water PH around 6.5.

Jeff

6.5 - 7. I just fould out that my tap water is 7.5 - 8ph. When you mix the fert in there it dropped it to 6.7. I have already seen an improvement on nutrient uptake. Things are greener, look healthier, seeming to grow faster than in previous years

[Jastin]

A pic just for you Jeff

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Hmmm, Never saw that type before, Thanks.

Jeff

A pic just for you Jeff

[Tomw]

Dalion,

“Am I now just causing undue stress and work?” I say no! It’s obvious that you’re not afraid of a little hard work and if more people took the time to understand all of the conditions that makes a particular plant happy before they planted it, the plant and owner would all be happier. You’re already ahead of the game by binging in 40 cubic yards of great soil and setting up the drainage. You can now adjust the pH around individual palms or groupings according to there specific requirements. You’re not going to be able to get it perfect for every plant, but a step in the right direction and proper fertilization will pay off in spades. I’ve always gone by the motto of a $10.00 hole for a $1.00 plant. With the approach that you’re taking in your garden the results are going to be truly awesome!

Edited May 17, 2012 by Tomw

[Jastin]

Dalion,

“Am I now just causing undue stress and work?” I say no! It’s obvious that you’re not afraid of a little hard work and if more people took the time to understand all of the conditions that makes a particular plant happy before they planted it, the plant and owner would all be happier. You’re already ahead of the game by binging in 40 cubic yards of great soil and setting up the drainage. You can now adjust the pH around individual palms or groupings according to there specific requirements. You’re not going to be able to get it perfect for every plant, but a step in the right direction and proper fertilization will pay off in spades. I’ve always gone by the motto of a $10.00 hole for a $1.00 plant. With the approach that you’re taking in your garden the results are going to be truly awesome!

Preach it brotha!

[DALION]

Dalion,

“Am I now just causing undue stress and work?” I say no! It’s obvious that you’re not afraid of a little hard work and if more people took the time to understand all of the conditions that makes a particular plant happy before they planted it, the plant and owner would all be happier. You’re already ahead of the game by binging in 40 cubic yards of great soil and setting up the drainage. You can now adjust the pH around individual palms or groupings according to there specific requirements. You’re not going to be able to get it perfect for every plant, but a step in the right direction and proper fertilization will pay off in spades. I’ve always gone by the motto of a $10.00 hole for a $1.00 plant. With the approach that you’re taking in your garden the results are going to be truly awesome!

Thank you. I hope it does pay off in the long run since this project has been a marathon. I told my wife when I was buying the soil that I was not putting $1000 plant into $5 worth of dirt. It does take patience and endurance to get where I want my garden so keep looking for my garden updates.

Leo

[MattyB]

At my old place, I brought in several yards of special palm mix garden soil. My palms and newly planted plants were very slow to get established. I speculated that there was a nitrogen deficiency due to the manufactured soil basically being sterile and a possible nitrogen drop due to non-composted organics being mixed in; I think soil manufacturers use shreaded wood from the lumber industry. Also, there was no microbial activity in this freshly constructed soil. So I fertilized a lot and added tons of worms and then finally after a year or two the soil came alive and the plants started to grow.

[DALION]

At my old place, I brought in several yards of special palm mix garden soil. My palms and newly planted plants were very slow to get established. I speculated that there was a nitrogen deficiency due to the manufactured soil basically being sterile and a possible nitrogen drop due to non-composted organics being mixed in; I think soil manufacturers use shreaded wood from the lumber industry. Also, there was no microbial activity in this freshly constructed soil. So I fertilized a lot and added tons of worms and then finally after a year or two the soil came alive and the plants started to grow.

I know that nitrogen is going to be a problem so I am adding extra nitrogen to the soil.

Where did you find "tons of worms" to be able to add to the soil?

[MattyB]

They are available at some local nurseries. City Farmers and Andersen's is where I've bought all of my worms. You can find them on sale on craig's list also. These are usually red worms, which require a thick compost/mulch layer to live in. Earthworms will live directly in the dirt and you can buy those at any bait/fishing store. If you're doing a gravely, non-mulched area for your cycads don't add the red worms there, just earthworms.

[Dypsisdean]

Read up on creating a worm bed. A small area of the garden for a compost area of kitchen/garden scraps, if managed correctly and seeded with some worms, will yield hundreds (if not thousands) of worms. Eight redworms become 1,500 redworms in six months!

Check this out WORMPOOP.COM

[MattyB]

That's what we do now DeanO. We have a worm bin just outside the kitchen door where we throw all of our kitchen scraps. We'll periodically clean the bin all out and spread the finished worm castings, and most of the worms, around, and then let the whole bin start all over again.

[Dypsisdean]

That's what we do now DeanO. We have a worm bin just outside the kitchen door where we throw all of our kitchen scraps. We'll periodically clean the bin all out and spread the finished worm castings, and most of the worms, around, and then let the whole bin start all over again.

There may be nothing better for your soil than worm castings. And as you have mentioned before, worms in your soil is like having a little army of gardeners working hard at improving your soil 24/7. And if you mulch the whole garden regularly, then your whole garden becomes a worm bed.

[MattyB]

I like the trolls better. At least I can have a conversation with them.