bought jubaea

[palm789]

hey i bought one says 40-50cm trunk from palmtreecompany in the uk eta delivery tomorrow,im very limited on soil choices here in the uk i can get horticultal grit,sharp sand,multipurpose compost,john innes 1,2,3 compost,ericaceous compost

i need it to be super draining

palm comes in 90liter pot so how big of hole i need and how many bags of soil etc should i buy for tomorrow

 

jubaea in photo

 

please help

Edited July 5, 2022 by palm789

[awkonradi]

Would you like to post pictures of where you intend to plant this?

[PalmatierMeg]

Agree with @awkonradi. Very nice palm. I can’t grow it but I read it is more of a dry climate palm so I would make sure it is planted in a place that doesn’t collect standing water and perhaps mound plant it.

[palm789]

19 minutes ago, awkonradi said:

Would you like to post pictures of where you intend to plant this?

in my small garden theres a big patch/hole about 3ft wide its going there or center of garden is my prefer spot of choice to give me natural shade as its a natural heat/sun trap garden gets way too hot in to sit in sometimes

Edited July 5, 2022 by palm789

[palm789]

11 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Agree with @awkonradi. Very nice palm. I can’t grow it but I read it is more of a dry climate palm so I would make sure it is planted in a place that doesn’t collect standing water and perhaps mound plant it.

mound plant aka higher than ground level? does this help prevent root rot and root issues?

[Merlyn]

1 hour ago, palm789 said:

mound plant aka higher than ground level? does this help prevent root rot and root issues?

Yes, typically you'd want a palm like Jubaea (which prefers it drier) on a "high spot" in your yard.  Palms like Licuala grow happily in swamps, so they'd want to be in a low, maybe even mucky area.  But if you put a Jubaea planted low in a bowl area that holds water in rains, it'll have a greater risk of root or trunk rot later.  So pick a spot that is at least a couple of inches above the surrounding ground, or build that area up with loose draining soil mix (add perlite, pumice, or small gravel to enhance drainage) and plant the palm in that slightly higher area.  Do not use compost for backfill, especially on a Jubaea.  Compost is great for vegetables and plants that like it rich and wet...but it'll compact into a mucky mess next to a Jubaea and contribute to root rot problems in the future.

This is slightly different than picking the right depth for the palm out of the pot.  The "root initiation zone" should be at the level of the nearby soil, see the below link for some great diagrams.  So your "soil line" is your newly graded slightly higher area, or the "mound."  Then dig the hole for the palm, drop it in place, and check from the side.  The "Root Initiation Zone" should be at approximately the soil level.  If you get it too low then pull the palm out, add a little fast-draining soil to the bottom of the hole, and drop it back in.  If you get it a little bit too high you can always just make your "mound" a little taller.  A tape measure can help make sure your hole is about the right diameter and depth.  Of course, I've planted hundreds of palms and just screwed up a 30 gallon Arenga Engleri planting...twice!  My first try had the hole the right depth and the right diameter at the top, but my hole had a ton of taper towards the bottom.  So I dropped it into the hole and it was sitting a whole 4 inches too high.  Then I had to try and lever a 300lb plant back out of the hole...and dug it out bigger.  I then made it what I thought was the right size, and even doublechecked it with the tape measure...dropped it back in...and it was 2 inches too low!  Argh! 

Anyway, the best method is to dig the hole a bit larger than necessary, and add a little quick draining soil to the bottom.  Test drop the palm into the hole in the pot to make sure it's at the right overall height (or slightly too high), then take it out of the pot and plant it for good.  If you have an inch or two extra diameter then backfill that with your soil mix.  Rinse the soil mix in around the side with a hose to make sure there are no air pockets.  Check from the side and add a little extra dirt on top to make sure you are approximately even with the Root Initiation Zone.  Add mulch around the trunk up "close" to the trunk but not touching the trunk.

http://www.marriedtoplants.com/palms/palm-tree-growing-tips-mounding/

[palm789]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Yes, typically you'd want a palm like Jubaea (which prefers it drier) on a "high spot" in your yard.  Palms like Licuala grow happily in swamps, so they'd want to be in a low, maybe even mucky area.  But if you put a Jubaea planted low in a bowl area that holds water in rains, it'll have a greater risk of root or trunk rot later.  So pick a spot that is at least a couple of inches above the surrounding ground, or build that area up with loose draining soil mix (add perlite, pumice, or small gravel to enhance drainage) and plant the palm in that slightly higher area.  Do not use compost for backfill, especially on a Jubaea.  Compost is great for vegetables and plants that like it rich and wet...but it'll compact into a mucky mess next to a Jubaea and contribute to root rot problems in the future.

This is slightly different than picking the right depth for the palm out of the pot.  The "root initiation zone" should be at the level of the nearby soil, see the below link for some great diagrams.  So your "soil line" is your newly graded slightly higher area, or the "mound."  Then dig the hole for the palm, drop it in place, and check from the side.  The "Root Initiation Zone" should be at approximately the soil level.  If you get it too low then pull the palm out, add a little fast-draining soil to the bottom of the hole, and drop it back in.  If you get it a little bit too high you can always just make your "mound" a little taller.  A tape measure can help make sure your hole is about the right diameter and depth.  Of course, I've planted hundreds of palms and just screwed up a 30 gallon Arenga Engleri planting...twice!  My first try had the hole the right depth and the right diameter at the top, but my hole had a ton of taper towards the bottom.  So I dropped it into the hole and it was sitting a whole 4 inches too high.  Then I had to try and lever a 300lb plant back out of the hole...and dug it out bigger.  I then made it what I thought was the right size, and even doublechecked it with the tape measure...dropped it back in...and it was 2 inches too low!  Argh! 

Anyway, the best method is to dig the hole a bit larger than necessary, and add a little quick draining soil to the bottom.  Test drop the palm into the hole in the pot to make sure it's at the right overall height (or slightly too high), then take it out of the pot and plant it for good.  If you have an inch or two extra diameter then backfill that with your soil mix.  Rinse the soil mix in around the side with a hose to make sure there are no air pockets.  Check from the side and add a little extra dirt on top to make sure you are approximately even with the Root Initiation Zone.  Add mulch around the trunk up "close" to the trunk but not touching the trunk.

http://www.marriedtoplants.com/palms/palm-tree-growing-tips-mounding/

shop i bought from said best soil mix for jubaea is sand,grit,john innes no 3? what you think? i plan to make it more grity,i will plant it on the mound as you said

Edited July 5, 2022 by palm789

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, palm789 said:

shop i bought from said best soil mix for jubaea is sand,grit,john innes no 3? what you think? i plan to make it more grity,i will plant it on the mound as you said

The only planting experience I have is in the super-fast-draining sandbar I live on called Florida.  So I really don't have any good suggestions for planting palms in other kinds of dirt.  I'm guessing you are on an acidic loamy soil, being in SE Wales.  If your soil drains pretty well after storms and doesn't stay wet or mucky then it's a great starting point.  As an example, we got an inch of rain in about 10 minutes Sunday afternoon, and it didn't even puddle in my backyard.

I've heard the name "john innes no.3" but I don't have any experience with it.  Generally "compost" is not recommended for palms, but that might be a language thing.  In the US "compost" means decomposed horse or cow manure mixed with some sand and decomposing shredded wood.  It's dense, black, rich, and gets mucky really fast.  That might be totally different than the John Innes no3 stuff.  Hopefully some UK people can chime in here with some suggestions!

As a reference, a bonsai YouTube guy did some drainage tests on various additives.  For low water retention look towards the bottom (coarse grit, lava rock, shale, granite):

• Coconut Coir 14.6%
• Akadama26.7%
• Kanuma Pumice 29.0%
• Diatomaceous Earth 30.2%
• Compost 31.6%
• Pine Bark 33.3%
• Turface MVP – LECA 36.2%
• Perlite 36.4%
• Commercial Peat Moss 40.0%
• Vermiculite 41.7%
• Sand – coarse grit 67.6%
• Lava Rock (Scoria) 76.5%
• Expanded Shale 84.6%
• Granite Chips 94.4%

[palm789]

7 hours ago, Merlyn said:

The only planting experience I have is in the super-fast-draining sandbar I live on called Florida.  So I really don't have any good suggestions for planting palms in other kinds of dirt.  I'm guessing you are on an acidic loamy soil, being in SE Wales.  If your soil drains pretty well after storms and doesn't stay wet or mucky then it's a great starting point.  As an example, we got an inch of rain in about 10 minutes Sunday afternoon, and it didn't even puddle in my backyard.

I've heard the name "john innes no.3" but I don't have any experience with it.  Generally "compost" is not recommended for palms, but that might be a language thing.  In the US "compost" means decomposed horse or cow manure mixed with some sand and decomposing shredded wood.  It's dense, black, rich, and gets mucky really fast.  That might be totally different than the John Innes no3 stuff.  Hopefully some UK people can chime in here with some suggestions!

As a reference, a bonsai YouTube guy did some drainage tests on various additives.  For low water retention look towards the bottom (coarse grit, lava rock, shale, granite):

• Coconut Coir 14.6%
• Akadama26.7%
• Kanuma Pumice 29.0%
• Diatomaceous Earth 30.2%
• Compost 31.6%
• Pine Bark 33.3%
• Turface MVP – LECA 36.2%
• Perlite 36.4%
• Commercial Peat Moss 40.0%
• Vermiculite 41.7%
• Sand – coarse grit 67.6%
• Lava Rock (Scoria) 76.5%
• Expanded Shale 84.6%
• Granite Chips 94.4%

heres info about john innes

John Innes No. 3 Compost: The Benefits

• Great air/water balance
• Easy to water
• Natural pH levels
• High levels of nutrients
• Long-lasting
• Sustains plants at all stages of growth

Product Composition

• John Innes No. 3 Compost
• Sterilised loam, peat, sharp sand and ground limestone
• 8mm Loam: 55% v/v
• Peat: 25% v/v
• Grit: 17% v/v
• Contains Super Phosphate
• Contains Potassium Sulphate

if i do use this compost with extra added grit and sand what would be perfect mix ratio

Edited July 6, 2022 by palm789

[Tyrone]

Actually these are not really that fussy. I live in a warmer climate than the UK obviously but I live on what is basically a peat swamp and they grow fine here without a care in the world. Mounding is good as you don't want standing water around it in the winter. If you plant it in good chunky compost with a bit of grit it will do just fine on a mound. Especially if it's in a bit of a heat trap like you say. I scrape the soil out of my chicken pen that has been scratched over for ages and is naturally well aged and plant them in a raised mound on that in my garden and they just love it. You can get as technical as you like with exactly the ratio of this to that, but I don't think it's needed. If you've got solid clay, then maybe I'd spend more time amending the soil, but if you have anything better than solid clay, good open airy compost and a bit of grit with lavish servings of organic fertiliser will make your Jubaea as happy as a pig in mud in my opinion. They are my set and forget palm in my garden. Always happy and not needy at all. 

[palm789]

11 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

Actually these are not really that fussy. I live in a warmer climate than the UK obviously but I live on what is basically a peat swamp and they grow fine here without a care in the world. Mounding is good as you don't want standing water around it in the winter. If you plant it in good chunky compost with a bit of grit it will do just fine on a mound. Especially if it's in a bit of a heat trap like you say. I scrape the soil out of my chicken pen that has been scratched over for ages and is naturally well aged and plant them in a raised mound on that in my garden and they just love it. You can get as technical as you like with exactly the ratio of this to that, but I don't think it's needed. If you've got solid clay, then maybe I'd spend more time amending the soil, but if you have anything better than solid clay, good open airy compost and a bit of grit with lavish servings of organic fertiliser will make your Jubaea as happy as a pig in mud in my opinion. They are my set and forget palm in my garden. Always happy and not needy at all. 

need to amend surrounding soil around perimiter of the hole also stab holes in side add claybreaker to the mix see if can increase drainage more

[palm789]

just arrived its fcking huge time to buy soil