Need liquid fertilizer recommendation

[Christopher Dillman]

Three times a year I fertilize with Palm Plus or Palm Gain, plus a refresh in soil amendments.

Still getting this brightish green in leaves than the richer healthier green. Also in my philodendrons.

Looks like I could use a quick n heavy hit of nitrogen. Any liquid fertilizer brand or type recommendations? 

[Kim]

Too much sun on both? is the palm in question a Chrysalidocarpus lutescens?

[Christopher Dillman]

6 hours ago, Kim said:

Too much sun on both? is the palm in question a Chrysalidocarpus lutescens?

Nope, partial sun only.  Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (triple king). 

[Merlyn]

@Christopher Dillman I use generic Miracle Gro for liquid fertilizer.  I bought one of their little jug-on-a-hose sprayers and packets of concentrate.  It works fine for tropicals, shrubberies, and I even use it on my palm and cycad seedlings nursery area.  It's quick, cheap, and easy, and doesn't burn roots.

I think that philodendron is going to struggle there, even with extra fertilizer.  They handle full sun here and are dark and lush green, but we also get 60ish inches of rain in the summer.  Every leaf on the layer below looks at least a bit greenish, but they are being shaded by the full yellow leaves above.  I'm not sure if selloum/bipinkdfjdijaddummm needs acidic soil or if it's ok with alkaline soil.  I've never looked, because they grow into trees down here in the swamp just by ignoring them. 

[Christopher Dillman]

12 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Christopher Dillman I use generic Miracle Gro for liquid fertilizer.  I bought one of their little jug-on-a-hose sprayers and packets of concentrate.  It works fine for tropicals, shrubberies, and I even use it on my palm and cycad seedlings nursery area.  It's quick, cheap, and easy, and doesn't burn roots.

Fascinating. I've been avoiding MG all this time thinking it was a forbidden over-televised steroid. Then my neighbor just recently shared his giant plumerias he grows from ground and pots, and he pulls out the Miracle Gro liquid fert as his go-to. Who knew?

Appreciate the recommendation. Going to give the Triples and Philos a hit and see how they respond.

[Looking Glass]

On 11/23/2024 at 6:32 PM, Christopher Dillman said:

Three times a year I fertilize with Palm Plus or Palm Gain, plus a refresh in soil amendments.

Still getting this brightish green in leaves than the richer healthier green. Also in my philodendrons.

Looks like I could use a quick n heavy hit of nitrogen. Any liquid fertilizer brand or type recommendations? 

 

I was thinking it was a sun or soil thing, but this guy is definitely unhappy.  That’s quite a yellow.  Might be worth getting the soil tested to see what is really going on with the pH, N, and Fe.   Make sure the water is adequate, and also not soggy suffocating soil  

I too am guilty of using Miracle Grow plant crystals at times, especially on young palms in the growing season.  I also use it as a very dilute bromeliad spray.  I think of it as a quick booster shot of steroids, or a rescue supplement for palms in needs of help ASAP.   Not something for continuous use for palms.  But it does work and I’ve never had issues.  
I like the tomato formulation for a little less nitrogen vs potassium.  

That same philodendron grows forrest green here in terrible sandy soil with no fertilizer though, so I wonder if it’s soil or temperature related, over a direct deficiency of nutrients. 
 

 

Me, after pouring fertilizer down the planting holes, and using miracle grow on baby palms….

 

[D Palm]

Southern Ag Palm Nutrional spray. Mix into spray bottle and apply at dusk. Your soil PH is likely way off balance. What is on the ground?

[Christopher Dillman]

14 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

Me, after pouring fertilizer down the planting holes, and using miracle grow on baby palms….

 

Well done. 🤣👏

Huge Jeremy Irons fan, and I've never seen this clip. 

[Christopher Dillman]

14 hours ago, D Palm said:

Southern Ag Palm Nutrional spray. Mix into spray bottle and apply at dusk. Your soil PH is likely way off balance. What is on the ground?

The philodendron is on a slope, just nearby ground cover of African daises. Slope is of course full of clay, but hole dug deep enough and enough Palm/Cactus mix into the hole - some Palm Plus.

As I write this, maybe my boo boo was adding a mix of compost + worm castings as a soil topping back in Sept.  

Would Southern Ag be a good rescue product, or something like this? It's got 17% Nitrogen, 2% Magnesium, 24% Soluble Potash.

 

[Merlyn]

4 hours ago, Christopher Dillman said:

Well done. 🤣👏

Huge Jeremy Irons fan, and I've never seen this clip. 

The Watchmen is worth...er...watching!  It is a pretty violent and demented series though, so fair warning!  My favorite line is still Rorschach in prison, "None of you seem to understand.  I'm not locked in here with you...you're locked in here WITH ME!!!" 

The Southern Ag Palm Nutritional spray is a micronutrient only type.  It's 2.5% Manganese, 1.5% Magnesium, 1% Iron, 3.5% Sulfur.  The MG or that EZ-Gro would be a better choice if you need a big dose of N.  I may have to try the EZ-Gro myself, as it is probably a better mix for a seedling spray.

[SeanK]

Honestly, I have never seen in-ground plants as deep green and lush as those grown in shade houses with high humidity.

It may help if you water first, then apply the liquid fert. Otherwise, the solution will pour through dry soil too quickly. 

[D Palm]

If you’ve measured your PH in the soil and it’s not crazy off balance, Get one of the miracle-gro sprayer attachments.Fill it with fish emulsions and an ounce or 2 of liquid potassium fertilizer. Do that once a month in cool months. Once a week in warm. Same application period with the Southern Ag  palm nutritional spray. The citrus spray is actually more common in stores and it’s close enough.

My birds of paradise around the pool were crazy with blooms. Enjoyed them all the way up Until last week when we had 27F frost.