When to Fertilize in Florida

[Hombre de Palmas]

When is a good time to apply Palm granular fertilizer in the Port Saint Lucie area? I am using a slow release 12-4-12 for pretty much the entire landscape, including the lawn, so I don't run into any issues with high nitrogen products. The last time I applied was early October. 

 

Many Thanks

[PalmatierMeg]

We usually fertilize in Oct/Nov. and Mar/Apr.

[Hombre de Palmas]

Thank you for the response.

 

I didn't know if mid-February was too early.

[Merlyn]

Last year I kept doing landscaping projects and putting off fertilizing.  It was probably because you don't see instant results, like I do when I dig out a stump and plant a new palm.  Then I realized it was the end of May and I had missed giving my palms a good boost in the spring.  That was a bad idea for growth rate and health, especially on a few palms that had some winter cold damage.  This year I'll be fertilizing when the threat of severe cold fronts is past, which for me is late February/early March.

[sonoranfans]

when soil temps hit 65F, the soil bacteria are not active to help roots in nutrient uptake as temps drop.  65F is a general number for good activity.

[Hombre de Palmas]

  On 1/30/2020 at 11:17 PM, Merlyn2220 said:

Last year I kept doing landscaping projects and putting off fertilizing.  It was probably because you don't see instant results, like I do when I dig out a stump and plant a new palm.  Then I realized it was the end of May and I had missed giving my palms a good boost in the spring.  That was a bad idea for growth rate and health, especially on a few palms that had some winter cold damage.  This year I'll be fertilizing when the threat of severe cold fronts is past, which for me is late February/early March.

Expand  

I understand that completely.

  On 1/30/2020 at 11:55 PM, sonoranfans said:

when soil temps hit 65F, the soil bacteria are not active to help roots in nutrient uptake as temps drop.  65F is a general number for good activity.

Expand  

Thanks, good to know.

[JLM]

So i kind of fertilized my queens in late November in the FL panhandle, it had already been getting cold at that point. One of them is still opening a spear, it been opening since December but is almost done. My main question is, is when do i fertilize again? Should i wait until April, or should i do it during March?

[Steve in Florida]

  On 1/30/2020 at 11:55 PM, sonoranfans said:

when soil temps hit 65F, the soil bacteria are not active to help roots in nutrient uptake as temps drop.  65F is a general number for good activity.

Expand  

Cold hardy palms can absorb nutrients through their roots down to at least 50F.  Nitrification also continues to occur at a declining rate as temperatures drop until 50F when it becomes approximately 20% of optimum.

[pj_orlando_z9b]

I'm in Orlando and fertilize every Jan, Apr, Jun, Sep. People say that's too much but it's working for me. My soil temp is 62F right now. 

[Steve in Florida]

  On 1/30/2020 at 11:39 AM, Hombre de Palmas said:

When is a good time to apply Palm granular fertilizer in the Port Saint Lucie area? I am using a slow release 12-4-12 for pretty much the entire landscape, including the lawn, so I don't run into any issues with high nitrogen products. The last time I applied was early October. 

 

Many Thanks

Expand  

Your soil temperature at night has maintained 65-68F in the last seven days.   Bermuda grass tends to take off after a minimum of three nights soil temperature of 72F or above.  If you have normal seasonal temperatures you should see grasses and weeds start to take off in 2-3 weeks if you get rain or irrigate.  That would be a good time to fertilize if you have fast release fertilizer.  

[Steve in Florida]

  On 1/31/2020 at 3:32 AM, JLM said:

So i kind of fertilized my queens in late November in the FL panhandle, it had already been getting cold at that point. One of them is still opening a spear, it been opening since December but is almost done. My main question is, is when do i fertilize again? Should i wait until April, or should i do it during March?

Expand  

It varies depending on the kind of fertilizer and if it is fast or slow release.  Also, are you just fertilizing queen palms?

[Hombre de Palmas]

Great insights, I appreciate everyone's input and information.

Last year, I was trying to get an early start on fertilizing, in order to take advantage of spring growth. I looked at my notes, and I fertilized in late January.  My decision was good in hindsight, as we had a very warm February, and I had exceptional growth last year in all my palms, which I planted in Autumn 2017.

The seasonal outlook, and 8-14 day forecast from the NWS, as of now, is for above average temps for this area, so I may go ahead and fertilize in mid-February, as I like to do 3 applications a year. I have been using Diamond-R 12-4-12 which is a slow release product, so I figure that it takes a few weeks to activate anyway.

Have a Great Weekend Everyone.

[sonoranfans]

yes its true that some grow below soil temps of 65F, my Butia x Jubaea and (butiaxJubaea)xJubaea grow best in winter here, they are clearly faster and happier.  But the overwhelming majority of palms in my yard, including a few sabals that are good to 8b, grind to a halt in growth when temps drop to the mid or low 50's over night for a week as in winter.  this year has been a very warms one till the last few weeks.  Its a serious waste of fertilizer to put down a slow(not controlled) release when most of your palms cannot use it.  

[sonoranfans]

I don't have to worry about exactly when to fertilize since the fertilizer I use doesn't release at cool soil temps and cant be washed away by a cool rain.  The consistency of delivery is often more important than the total amount in high drainage soil, especially with low cation exchange(sandy).

[JLM]

  On 1/31/2020 at 4:54 AM, Steve in Florida said:

It varies depending on the kind of fertilizer and if it is fast or slow release.  Also, are you just fertilizing queen palms?

Expand  

Yes just my queens. Those are the only palms that i have besides sagos, and they tend to do well on their own.

[Steve in Florida]

  On 1/31/2020 at 11:20 PM, JLM said:

Yes just my queens. Those are the only palms that i have besides sagos, and they tend to do well on their own.

Expand  

I fertilized with quick release and water soluable in mid-March when I lived in Panama City.  180 day Nutricote takes up to 21 days to achieve maximum release rates and has worked well in SW Suwannee County when the warm season application was put on the last week of February.

[JLM]

  On 2/1/2020 at 12:45 AM, Steve in Florida said:

I fertilized with quick release and water soluable in mid-March when I lived in Panama City.  180 day Nutricote takes up to 21 days to achieve maximum release rates and has worked well in SW Suwannee County when the warm season application was put on the last week of February.

Expand  

Im considering getting another type of palm, do you think a christmas palm would work up here. I heard you can find them in the Orlando area. If not, what would you recommend. I have also considered sabal palm aswell.

[Estlander]

  On 2/1/2020 at 1:59 AM, JLM said:

Im considering getting another type of palm, do you think a christmas palm would work up here. I heard you can find them in the Orlando area. If not, what would you recommend. I have also considered sabal palm aswell.

Expand  

You can find them in Lowes/HD/Walmart here sometimes. Bought my triple Christmas palm from Walmart garden center in Destin.

Unfortunately they will not survive up here for long. Not only are they not cold hardy at all, they are not even little bit cool hardy. They seriously hate anything below 50F. They’re just like Coconuts pretty much.

[Steve in Florida]

  On 2/1/2020 at 1:59 AM, JLM said:

Im considering getting another type of palm, do you think a christmas palm would work up here. I heard you can find them in the Orlando area. If not, what would you recommend. I have also considered sabal palm aswell.

Expand  

A Christmas palm would have to be brought indoors for every frost/freeze.  You can plant outdoors Brahea clara, Butia catarinensis, Butia odorata, Butia yatay, Chamaerops humilis cerifera, Chamaerops humilis, Cycas panzhihuaensis, Dioon angustifolium, Livistona nitida, Phoenix theophrasti, Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Sabal bermudana, Sabal 'Birmingham', Sabal x Brazoriensis, Sabal causiarum, Sabal etonia, Sabal 'Louisiana',  Sabal minor, Sabal palmetto, Sabal 'Riverside', Sabal rosei, Sabal miamiensis, Sabal uresana, Serenoa repens.

[JLM]

  On 2/1/2020 at 5:39 AM, Steve in Florida said:

A Christmas palm would have to be brought indoors for every frost/freeze.  You can plant outdoors Brahea clara, Butia catarinensis, Butia odorata, Butia yatay, Chamaerops humilis cerifera, Chamaerops humilis, Cycas panzhihuaensis, Dioon angustifolium, Livistona nitida, Phoenix theophrasti, Rhapidophyllum hystrix, Sabal bermudana, Sabal 'Birmingham', Sabal x Brazoriensis, Sabal causiarum, Sabal etonia, Sabal 'Louisiana',  Sabal minor, Sabal palmetto, Sabal 'Riverside', Sabal rosei, Sabal miamiensis, Sabal uresana, Serenoa repens.

Expand  

 

  On 2/1/2020 at 3:33 AM, Estlander said:

You can find them in Lowes/HD/Walmart here sometimes. Bought my triple Christmas palm from Walmart garden center in Destin.

Unfortunately they will not survive up here for long. Not only are they not cold hardy at all, they are not even little bit cool hardy. They seriously hate anything below 50F. They’re just like Coconuts pretty much.

Expand  

I did my research on christmas palms lastnight and i just cancelled out of anything related to christmas palms lol. No way they would even be close to surviving even one month into winter here.