Planting a beccariophoenix alfredii how cold tolerant are they

[Than]

30 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Happypalms tip. If you want your palms to grow faster raised beds backfilled with the best soil you can get

These stones look similar to those I am planning to get for my raised beds! They look great. 

Soil-wise I am totally lost. We don't have volcanic and rich soil here, let alone on sale.

I understand that peat is not a good idea for the ground so pot soil should not be added in the ground.

The only soil that is available on sale here is some sort of reddish sandy soil, very acidic (ph =4), high in iron but poor in anything else. It is good for drainage as it is full of sand but poor in nutrients. So, my idea is to buy that and benefit from its acidity and drainage and mix it with my homemade compost and native soil (very alkaline) + some sulfur. On top I can add worm manure.

What do you think?

[Phoenikakias]

11 minutes ago, Than said:

These stones look similar to those I am planning to get for my raised beds! They look great. 

Soil-wise I am totally lost. We don't have volcanic and rich soil here, let alone on sale.

I understand that peat is not a good idea for the ground so pot soil should not be added in the ground.

The only soil that is available on sale here is some sort of reddish sandy soil, very acidic (ph =4), high in iron but poor in anything else. It is good for drainage as it is full of sand but poor in nutrients. So, my idea is to buy that and benefit from its acidity and drainage and mix it with my homemade compost and native soil (very alkaline) + some sulfur. On top I can add worm manure.

What do you think?

Go for it Than. If difference in quality and properties is enormous between fill in and surrounding soil, the risk of the palm refusing to spread and deepen its root system is really serious. And you need in our climate extended and deep root system for coping better both with drought and cold.

[Than]

3 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Go for it Than. If difference in quality and properties is enormous between fill in and surrounding soil, the risk of the palm refusing to spread and deepen its root system is really serious. And you need in our climate extended and deep root system for coping better both with drought and cold.

So that means very big beds! And I will add some native soil too. I don't see any other way; just planting Syagrus in the alkaline native soil won't be a good idea

[Phoenikakias]

1 minute ago, Than said:

So that means very big beds! And I will add some native soil too. I don't see any other way; just planting Syagrus in the alkaline native soil won't be a good idea

NO!

[Phoenikakias]

At least 40% native soil in the mix. You can add sulphur pellets in to the deeper layers beneath the root ball. I usually dig about half the diameter of the root ball deeper and amend soil plus I try to loosen even deeper soil layers adding sulphur pellets at about 1/4 depth  of root ball' s diameter. 

[Than]

2 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

At least 40% native soil in the mix. You can add sulphur pellets in to the deeper layers beneath the root ball. I usually dig about half the diameter of the root ball deeper and amend soil plus I try to loosen even deeper soil layers adding sulphur pellets at about 1/4 depth  of root ball' s diameter. 

Thanks, that's exactly what I'll do. One thing I've noticed with Syagrus btw, is that the younger they are, the less time they need to settle; bigger specimens take forever. The one you gave me looks much happier than another one, bigger, that I bought. Yours is pushing a new leaf now while the bigger guy is quiet. So, i think I'll go for smaller size this time and that means less digging

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Than said:

These stones look similar to those I am planning to get for my raised beds! They look great. 

Soil-wise I am totally lost. We don't have volcanic and rich soil here, let alone on sale.

I understand that peat is not a good idea for the ground so pot soil should not be added in the ground.

The only soil that is available on sale here is some sort of reddish sandy soil, very acidic (ph =4), high in iron but poor in anything else. It is good for drainage as it is full of sand but poor in nutrients. So, my idea is to buy that and benefit from its acidity and drainage and mix it with my homemade compost and native soil (very alkaline) + some sulfur. On top I can add worm manure.

What do you think?

Get whatever you can, at a reasonable price. You need a lot of compost material to make soil. Peat is ok as an additive mixed with whatever you have on hand. 
If finances allow it buy a pallet of good quality bagged potting mix, worm castings, lucerne hay, get the neighbours lawn clippings anything animal manure whatever you can get at a reasonable price or free, blood and bone mixed in the soil, organic organic organic all the way! 

[Than]

2 minutes ago, happypalms said:

blood and bone mixed in the soil,

High phosphorus!! 💀

[happypalms]

7 minutes ago, Than said:

High phosphorus!! 💀

Not to mention where the product actually comes from! And I heard straight from the horse’s mouth it was Colin Wilson’s grandfather who was the one in Australia to discover it and start to get into gardeners hands!