Fertilizing soilless palms

[JohnAndSancho]

Dumb newbie question. I have a couple palms in soilless potting media, the turface/bark/leca. Can I add slow release palm food IE Carl Pool or regular fertilizer to this, or am I limited to just liquid? I kinda did the whole crazy newbie thing last year and bought one of everything. 

[Silas_Sancona]

59 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Dumb newbie question. I have a couple palms in soilless potting media, the turface/bark/leca. Can I add slow release palm food IE Carl Pool or regular fertilizer to this, or am I limited to just liquid? I kinda did the whole crazy newbie thing last year and bought one of everything. 

Yes, granular will work fine in this mix.. 99% of everything i grow is in various %'ages of these mediums ( minus any Bark ) and i only use granular organics. Granular stuff will release a pulse of it's nutrient content each time you water, working it's way to the roots. Turface ( ..and possibly Leca and Bark as well )  will absorb some of the nutrients as they pass through the mix as well, releasing them over time.  If you eat Eggs, shells can be pulverized when dried out and mixed in w/ your soil mixes. Great source of natural Calcium.

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Yes, granular will work fine in this mix.. 99% of everything i grow is in various %'ages of these mediums ( minus any Bark ) and i only use granular organics. Granular stuff will release a pulse of it's nutrient content each time you water, working it's way to the roots. Turface ( ..and possibly Leca and Bark as well )  will absorb some of the nutrients as they pass through the mix as well, releasing them over time.  If you eat Eggs, shells can be pulverized when dried out and mixed in w/ your soil mixes. Great source of natural Calcium.

Great to know. I just got a promotion and a raise, so I'm on the hunt for a house with a yard. More room for palms and another dog. 

[Philly J]

19 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Great to know. I just got a promotion and a raise, so I'm on the hunt for a house with a yard. More room for palms and another dog. 

John I’m taking the newbie plunge with you this summer my friend:  both 8ft R.Rivularis, my S.Romanzoffiana, P.Elegans, and H.verschaffeltii  are all getting that Pal Meir mix as best as I can recreate it up here in Saskatchewan!

[JohnAndSancho]

10 minutes ago, Philly J said:

John I’m taking the newbie plunge with you this summer my friend:  both 8ft R.Rivularis, my S.Romanzoffiana, P.Elegans, and H.verschaffeltii  are all getting that Pal Meir mix as best as I can recreate it up here in Saskatchewan!

FWIW 

 

I didn't need 50 pounds of Turface, so I ordered "Mondo Clay" from Bonsai Jack, and I'm using Repti Bark I found at Petco. I currently only have 2 tiny L. Weddelanium in the mix, but I'll eventually repot others in the mix..... And regret paying so much for smaller bags lol 

[cisco]

My soilless mix is Seramis, pine bark, crushed leca gravel. I use soluble Palm fertilizer from MyPalmShop once a month. I use also chicken manure & seaweed spikes once every three months. 

Soluble fertilizer:

COMPOSITION:
NPK 21+7+21(+3MgO)+trace elements.
Trace elements: Boron 0.02
Copper 0.02
Iron 0.15 (!!)
Manganese 0.10
Molybdenum 0.004
Zinc 0.0525

I take the palm to the shower.
I first wet the mix and leaves well. I'll let it drain for a while. I then pour the fertilizer into the pot and leave the pot to drain there for an hour or overnight. I have a heated floor in my bathroom. Palms likes it.