fertilizing palms planted in concrete deck holes

[miamicuse]

I understand when you fertilize palms, you are supposed to put the fertilizer around in a circle away from the trunk, near the drip line of the fronds.

But in this case where the palms are planted in smaller holes, and the holes are close to the trunk, how would you do it?  Put the fertilizer around the edge of that hole?

 

[Merlyn]

That's a good question...another good question is how does it get water?    I've always sprinkled fertilizer roughly evenly under the canopy, and just avoided chucking a lot of it at the trunk.  But a lot of the fine roots are near the trunk, so it didn't seem to make sense to fertilize only at the edge of the canopy.  In the case of this one, maybe fertilize with Osmocote/Nutricote under the rock, and then replace the rock back on top of the fertilizer?  Since it's controlled release theoretically it won't torch the roots right near the trunk...maybe?

[miamicuse]

5 hours ago, Merlyn said:

That's a good question...another good question is how does it get water?    I've always sprinkled fertilizer roughly evenly under the canopy, and just avoided chucking a lot of it at the trunk.  But a lot of the fine roots are near the trunk, so it didn't seem to make sense to fertilize only at the edge of the canopy.  In the case of this one, maybe fertilize with Osmocote/Nutricote under the rock, and then replace the rock back on top of the fertilizer?  Since it's controlled release theoretically it won't torch the roots right near the trunk...maybe?

I don't think water access is an issue.  I live less than 50' from a river so water table is high.  If I dig down 20" the soil is moist.  If I dig down 30" within ten minutes the hole will be full of water.  So a large palm like this has constant access to water, now of course the water level of the river rise and fall throughout the year, so my water level rises and drops too.

I was just thinking, people who grow palms in pots, have to fertilize inside the pot and can't go sprinkle fertilizers over an area inside the drip line right?

[Merlyn]

Yeah, access to water probably isn't an issue.    In a pot theoretically all the roots are in the pot, so any fertilizer stays there or washes through and out.  Many of mine try to root into the ground through the bottom of the pot, but I guess the roots are still sorta below the fertilizer anyway.  In your case that's not true, they probably go all over the place.  Like in your root depth thread, that Archontophoenix has some crazy roots under and between the concrete.  Maybe just toss fertilizer into any open spot anywhere near the palm?