Fertilizer, Fertilizer Osmocote 18-6-12, 8-9 Month

[_Keith]

I scored a 50 pound bag of Fertilizer, Osmocote 18-6-12, 8-9 Month at half price. Not quite sure how to use is. Scratching it into the soil surface not going to happen. I could either just throw it out on top of the soil, or spread it and cover with mulch. What say you? And remember it is hot, humid and rainy here. This is the opposite of California.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

I use nutricote that is similar

Good slow release fertilizer

Just spread it evenly around the root zone - no need to dig in !

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

  On 8/8/2014 at 2:22 AM, _Keith said:

I scored a 50 pound bag of Fertilizer, Osmocote 18-6-12, 8-9 Month at half price. Not quite sure how to use is. Scratching it into the soil surface not going to happen. I could either just throw it out on top of the soil, or spread it and cover with mulch. What say you? And remember it is hot, humid and rainy here. This is the opposite of California.

Keith, laying it on the surface is fine. Thats how we use it in Citrus groves. You can also lay mulch over it so it stays put. that product has helped make my house payment for the last 19 years. I'm in an airport at the moment and don't know the rate off top of my head. Label may explain it adequately but if not send a pm and i'll dig into it soon.

[Moose]

Go back and get every bag at 1/2 price they are willing to part with.

[Pedro 65]

N18 P6 K12 and no trace elements? That N is very high , all good in summer but once it starts dumping it out in winter ( which palms "dont want") it will have the same effect as and sorry about the following terminology , a junkie overdosing, its your choice but I wanted to share my thoughts.

Osmocote is very good at "dumping" esp when warm and wet, Nutricote is more expensive but much better gear, look for Nutricote Total + TE with a US NPK of 13 13 13

Pete

[_Keith]

  On 8/9/2014 at 5:07 AM, Pedro 65 said:

N18 P6 K12 and no trace elements? That N is very high , all good in summer but once it starts dumping it out in winter ( which palms "dont want") it will have the same effect as and sorry about the following terminology , a junkie overdosing, its your choice but I wanted to share my thoughts.

Osmocote is very good at "dumping" esp when warm and wet, Nutricote is more expensive but much better gear, look for Nutricote Total + TE with a US NPK of 13 13 13

Pete

I do appreciate your thoughts. I have heard both sides of the growth in winter theory. One is that new tender growth is more susceptible to freeze damage. The other is that palms don't go dormant and nitrogen helps them recover more quickly and push out freeze damaged fronds. I don't pretend to have any answers.

[Pedro 65]

Higher Potassium is beneficial to Palm and plant health in winter Keith, I dont know how cold you get but even growers in the Tropical Nth here in Oz go for ferts with K the same level or higher than N.

All the best with it anyway and keep us posted on future updates

Pete

[_Keith]

  On 8/9/2014 at 5:23 AM, Pedro 65 said:

Higher Potassium is beneficial to Palm and plant health in winter Keith, I dont know how cold you get but even growers in the Tropical Nth here in Oz go for ferts with K the same level or higher than N.

All the best with it anyway and keep us posted on future updates

Pete

Winters here are highly variable, some years cool Zone 10a, other years a warm 8b. They are usually very short, 60 days on average. And they are always wet. For Citrus, July is our recommended last fertilization date as we don't want to much tender growth going into Winter which is late December to early February. Cold wise last year was an anomaly so to say, but so was 2010. Before that we had a 15 year break, so who knows what this year will bring.

[ghar41]

I like Nutricote alot but that formula is more like what I use for cycads. I like a more even balance of NPK for palms and it has to have a good supply of minors.