Need some help with Sylvester Palm Tree

[Nyhockeyref93]

Hey guys, I planted my Sylvester tree in March, it’s starting to turn a little yellow.  I have watered it religiously all the time. I don’t think that’s the issue.  Is it time for fertilizer? And how much and what is recommended?

 

 

[SeanK]

Looks good. On days it doesn't rain, it should get a decent hour of watering. Probably 20 gal, twice a day, but not overhead.

[Merlyn]

@Nyhockeyref93 overall it looks good, with no visible signs of any major nutrient deficiencies.  The most commonly recommended fertilizer on the forum is PalmGain or Florikan, though I tend to use Sunniland 6-1-8 Palm or now the Sunniland 8-0-10 Tree, Shrub and Ornamental fertilizer.  The recommended dose is 1.5lb of 8-2-12 for every 100sqft of canopy, 4x per year.  So if you have a ~12' diameter crown on the Sylvester, then that's 6*6*3.14 = 113sqft.  Roughly speaking you'd use 113 / 100 * 1.5 = 1.7lb of 8-2-12 fertilizer, sprinkled under the crown area.  If you use a lower concentration fertilizer like 6-1-8 you'd just add a bit more based on the Nitrogen and Potassium numbers (the 8 & 12 or 6 & 8).  In FL soils a low (or zero) middle number is preferred due to the high Phosphorus content in the soil.  

[Nyhockeyref93]

Okay, I was just worried it looked a little more yellow than normal lately.

[PalmBossTampa]

I use 8-2-12 on several hundred quarterly accounts. Summertime you should look for 0-0-16 since most municipalities have Nitrogen ordinances /restrictions during the rainy season. Check SiteOne