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Palm Fertilizer...Anyone Else Using This


Jim in Los Altos

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I started using this last month and my palms LOVE it! I'm seeing growth and deep green like never before. I'm getting more on Amazon soon.image.thumb.png.54ad2adc2bde9c2261a25c5f

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Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

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Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Not me...ends up being $100 a bag with shipping...is it worth it Jim?  I have been thinking about giving everything one more push in the next couple of weeks.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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Very well thought out formula, IMO. Lacks Ca for our conditions locally; obviously in SoFlo, SoCal and SoTex, not needed. Thanks for the reco. I use nutricote plus a micro cocktail I have cooked up on my own to compensate for Hetch Hetchy water quirks, but just bought 10 lbs of Palmgain to play around with. I have been incorporating encapsulated gypsum into my growing mixes for some time to deal with chronic Ca deficiencies I've seen here using nutricote, so this should work great for me.

J

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Jay, my South Bay Area tap water, which in my part of Los Atos is sourced from wells, has a high calcium content so I don't need to supplement it. 

Ben, it's worth the price. I've never gotten this sort of quick result from any other feeding method. Several of my normally very slow palms started cranking out new growth about three weeks after applying Palm Gain. It has a bit of a sulphur smell that goes away in a couple of days. 

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Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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It is what I use here in Houston and it works great. I also use their citrus fertilizer. They sell it at every Home Depot locally.  You also can get it from Home Depot website for $15/10 lb bag and I believe they ship anything for free if you buy $45 or more.  So a little cheaper than you find on Amazon currently.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/BGI-10-lb-Palm-Fertilizer-FPALM10/203029591

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39 minutes ago, meteorologistpalmguy said:

It is what I use here in Houston and it works great. I also use their citrus fertilizer. They sell it at every Home Depot locally.  You also can get it from Home Depot website for $15/10 lb bag and I believe they ship anything for free if you buy $45 or more.  So a little cheaper than you find on Amazon currently.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/BGI-10-lb-Palm-Fertilizer-FPALM10/203029591

With free shipping it is a better deal to go with Home Depot in the smaller bags. The Amazon one is in a 50 lb. bag for $70.00 but shipping from the private vendor using Amazon is $30.00. 

I wonder if it's the exact same formula though. Anyone know?

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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It is the same formula.  I actually purchased that 50 lb bag off Amazon before finding it at Home Depot.

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What a coincidence. I literally just bought this 3 hours ago to try out. Ran into Tracy from PT while at the garden supply place (palmtalkers are everywhere :) ). Love the formula and if I were to make a Palm specific formula for my area it is literally what I would choose. Most palm ferts are 3:1:2 or 3:1:3 ratios. This is 4:1:6. Don't need super high N, don't want much P, but love high K and Mg. The deep greening comes from fast acting N (has slow release in it too), chelated and water soluble Fe's they use plus the Mn.  Even thought the K comes from Potash, at least it is a Sulfate of Potash and not the cheap muriate of potash. So the Chloride levels are low. Looks like great stuff. Glad to hear the results you are having with it. 

  • Upvote 2

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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1 hour ago, meteorologistpalmguy said:

It is what I use here in Houston and it works great. I also use their citrus fertilizer. They sell it at every Home Depot locally.  You also can get it from Home Depot website for $15/10 lb bag and I believe they ship anything for free if you buy $45 or more.  So a little cheaper than you find on Amazon currently.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/BGI-10-lb-Palm-Fertilizer-FPALM10/203029591

Geez. I just paid $13 for a 2 pound bag!

 

 

image.jpg

  • Upvote 2

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Thanks for the tip.  Just ordered (4) 10lbs bags from Home Depot for $60- free shipping.  Just in time for the last round of fert before winter.

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Haha, home depot guys will be wondering what is going on. Got 40 lbs myself for 60.

Edited by enigma99
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Unrelated to palms, but their HIBISGAIN got really good reviews. I have some Hibiscus that are about 9 ft tall now but never bloom that well. Looks like this should fix that problem :)

Can't wait to try this new fertilizer on my palms

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1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Order for 200 lbs in!  UPS guy gonna be pissy...

Be strong, even after bathing . . .

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Related, I wonder how much of this to put in one's EZFlo container? Does it need to be a measure amount, or as much as you can fit in?

image.thumb.jpg.321280a181ecac65b1c58b9f

  • Upvote 1

Shimoda, Japan, Lat: 36.6N, Long: 138.8

Zone 9B (kinda, sorta), Pacific Coast, 1Km inland, 75M above sea level
Coldest lows (Jan): 2-5C (35-41F), Hottest highs (Aug): 32-33C (87-91F)

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Does this EZ Flow thing work? Do you just put the fert in there vs applying to the palms? Pros, cons?

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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EZflos require water soluable fert. 

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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7 minutes ago, LJG said:

EZflos require water soluable fert. 

Are they worth using? I've not really used a water soluble fert outside of Miracle Grow back when I had a lawn.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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You on drip or high pressure pop ups? I have a few mainline units and love them. They have their faults and I would choose a Dosetron over them, but yes. They work great for what they are intended to do.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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4 minutes ago, LJG said:

You on drip or high pressure pop ups? I have a few mainline units and love them. They have their faults and I would choose a Dosetron over them, but yes. They work great for what they are intended to do.

Almost the whole yard (1/3 acre) is set up for drip.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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It will do fine just know that longer drip runs get less fert with ezflo. Just the nature of the beast with drip and how EZFlo works. 

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Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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3 hours ago, LJG said:

What a coincidence. I literally just bought this 3 hours ago to try out. Ran into Tracy from PT while at the garden supply place (palmtalkers are everywhere :) ).

 

3 hours ago, LJG said:

Geez. I just paid $13 for a 2 pound bag!

So I'm lucky.  My cart was full and I was checking out already and didn't look to see what Len was buying.  I probably would have bought it after hearing how enthused Len is about the product, but at least now, I can look into buying it cheaper through HD online.  Len, I will need to follow up on the hibiscus discussion, as my wife wants to put a couple more in the yard. 

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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Glad to see members are still using chemical based fertz.

We dont get such refined stuff here but D.A.P (Di-Amonium-Phosphate)works great for my palms,cycads and cactus. ..

And iam a fan of chemical based plant products.

Love,

Kris.

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love conquers all..

43278.gif

.

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25 minutes ago, Kris said:

Glad to see members are still using chemical based fertz.

We dont get such refined stuff here but D.A.P (Di-Amonium-Phosphate)works great for my palms,cycads and cactus. ..

And iam a fan of chemical based plant products.

Love,

Kris.

Yes Kris, used properly, some chemical fertilizers are very effective without detriment to healthy soil. Overused cheaper chemical fertilizers can destroy beneficial bacteria and other organisms. I'm so impressed with the results I'm getting from Palm Gain that I will use it occasionally along with my usual organic regimen. 

  • Upvote 2

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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35 minutes ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Yes Kris, used properly, some chemical fertilizers are very effective without detriment to healthy soil. Overused cheaper chemical fertilizers can destroy beneficial bacteria and other organisms. I'm so impressed with the results I'm getting from Palm Gain that I will use it occasionally along with my usual organic regimen. 

:greenthumb:

love conquers all..

43278.gif

.

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9 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Are they worth using? I've not really used a water soluble fert outside of Miracle Grow back when I had a lawn.

I installed a EZFlow this year (thanks Len) and I have seen improved growth and better color on the plants.

The water soluble fertilizer I'm using is Grow More 18-6-18.

My irrigation system is mostly drip with some main spray areas as well.

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13 hours ago, LJG said:

Geez. I just paid $13 for a 2 pound bag!

 

 

image.jpg

Len, is this in addition to what you were doing or is this a change?

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I have a few plants in pots I wanted to test this out on as I can't get them to really green up for some reason. I might start adding this to replace the Best Palm Fert I use to put down sometimes outside. 

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Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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I was looking for this down in Florida last year, but I couldn't find it. I didn't know Home Depot sold it online so I just ordered it. I know the Osmocote I used this year has long since worn off or dumped, I only applied it once. Looks like I'll be trying PalmGain (when it arrives) for the remainder of the growing season.

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Is anyone else concerned that only 3.52 of the 8 units of Nitrogen and 0 of the Potassium are slow release?  If you are on heavy clay soil it may not matter as much, but for FL people in particular, half the N and nearly all the K being all water-soluble is going to wash right through our sandy soil.  You'll be left with slow release N pushing new growth and an induced K deficiency.

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Presumably, the relative immobility of K in most soils prevents is from leaching through into deep subsoil. Indeed, for orchard plantings of macadamia on volcanic sand soils we would usually mix generous amounts of rock phosphate and potassium ammended organic mulches the the bottoms of 2 m holes we drilled for the installs. Both of these elelments don't move south very much when top-dressed or fertigated, so you really on have one shot to get then into the deep root zone other than lateral tube drills later on.

The relatively high ratio of K to the other two macros in this fert suggests the manufacturers are aware of the high uptake of this element by palms and its deficiency in poor, sandy soils. 

As for the N, I think there is a growing consensus that much of what we apply is wasted through runoff, volatization, etc. Small, frequent doses of slow-release N appear to vastly improve plant growth vs the old traditional urea or ammonium nitrate dumps on field crops.

This topic has been scrutinized to deaths by both camps of crop scientists and the fert industry. Everyone here with true palm collections should own (as a bare minimum) a copy of "Ornamental Palm Horticulture" by Broschat and Meerow. Useful reference tool to hand around for aficionados.

J

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On August 21, 2016 at 10:23:07 AM, Loxahatchee Adam said:

Is anyone else concerned that only 3.52 of the 8 units of Nitrogen and 0 of the Potassium are slow release?  If you are on heavy clay soil it may not matter as much, but for FL people in particular, half the N and nearly all the K being all water-soluble is going to wash right through our sandy soil.  You'll be left with slow release N pushing new growth and an induced K deficiency.

No. But I don't intent to use this as my primary fert. I prefer to fertigate in low doses 8 months out of the year. However this stuff looks perfect for spot treatment or for providing a fast boost for spring or early fall. In my opinion this shouldn't be used to replace controll-released formulas like Nutricote. If you read carefully the manufacturer even says it needs to be reapplied every 4-6 weeks. So they are letting you know there is very little slow release in this formula. 

One of the issues with this formula that I could see is if your soil pH is way off and you are having deficiencies in minors, you might not be able to fix that deficiency with this formula because none of the minors past Fe is chelated. But I doubt many people have such poor soils to run into this. 

The best Palm fertilizer I have found is the water soluable stuff from Peters. All chelated minors and made with the best stuff. Like Potassium nitrate verse potash. But of course it is water soluable so you need to fertigate. 

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Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Just now, Hammer said:

I stopped by my local HD today.  They didn't have it in stock, nor any shelf tags for that matter.

They don't have it up here either...just Vigaro junk.

Ben Rogers

On the border of Concord & Clayton in the East Bay hills - Elev 387 ft 37.95 °N, 121.94 °W

My back yard weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=37.954%2C-121.945&sp=KCACONCO37

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24 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

They don't have it up here either...just Vigaro junk.

Yes, the Vigoro stuff never worked well for me and I don't like all the little green residue castings left behind after the fertilizer is spent.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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interesting thread.

I may have to look into buying some of this myself for some spot treatments.

thanks for posting this product Jim

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

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9 hours ago, LJG said:

The best Palm fertilizer I have found is the water soluable stuff from Peters. All chelated minors and made with the best stuff. Like Potassium nitrate verse potash. But of course it is water soluable so you need to fertigate. 

Len I finally got the Peters stuff from the local store. When I showed them the picture of the bag, they turned totally serious, looked at me and said that this is some really good stuff. Then they found a bag in the back that I was able to buy. They had an interesting response like it was some big secret or something.  :mrlooney:

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