A new Syagrus vs a Syagrus which I've had for a year

[Than]

I got a new Syagrus today. I made a raised bed, filled with acidic sandy soil and local alkaline soil + some acidic compost and sulfur pellets. 

Looking at the tree I realized how chlorotic my other Syagrus are, those I've had in the soil for a year. Despite the acidic soil I have added, the humic and fulvic acids etc... probably it lacks Nitrogen? So, this time I'm trying a raised bed. Let's see.

I am attaching photos of the two trees.

 

[happypalms]

Raised beds work, plus you can garden on top of a rock shelf with a raised bed. The garden in the pictures is sitting on top of a rock shelf with raised edges to hold the soil in place. Only disadvantage is it gets dry, I don’t think I will be planting any joeys in this garden! 

[Than]

50 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Raised beds work, plus you can garden on top of a rock shelf with a raised bed. The garden in the pictures is sitting on top of a rock shelf with raised edges to hold the soil in place. Only disadvantage is it gets dry, I don’t think I will be planting any joeys in this garden! 

God if I had your garden I'd even sleep there! 

[Than]

@happypalms from your experience, do you think this is N or Mg deficiency?

[happypalms]

20 minutes ago, Than said:

@happypalms from your experience, do you think this is N or Mg deficiency?

She is a bit light lime green yellow looking. Most likely at first look nitrogen, but a complete NPK with trace elements should give her a bit more green, could even be in a hot spot but being a syagrus I doubt that. Some good old blood and bone with a good feed of chicken poo should do the trick if you want to go organic! 

[Phoenikakias]

Iron and potassium deficiency cause for some reason they are there but not available to the plant. Second picture displays a palm in trouble. If you let it so it will sooner or later get infected by root fungi, which are always there but not harmful to a robustly growing palm. Start with a good dose of  sequestrene eddha and, were I you, also a dose of root fungicide tolclofos-methyl. But latter is up to you. Former is indispensable.  The fact that you have experienced a rainy winter supports the theory of iron deficiency.

[Than]

2 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Iron and potassium deficiency cause for some reason they are there but not available to the plant. Second picture displays a palm in trouble. If you let it so it will sooner or later get infected by root fungi, which are always there but not harmful to a robustly growing palm. Start with a good dose of  sequestrene eddha and, were I you, also a dose of root fungicide tolclofos-methyl. But latter is up to you. Former is indispensable.  The fact that you have experienced a rainy winter supports the theory of iron deficiency.

Sequestrene eddha you mean Fe-EDDHA? I will give it today. I also gave slow release fertilizer, Epsom salts and sulfur pellets this week!

[Phoenikakias]

Epsom was a mistake. How did you come to this solution, recommended by someone?

[Than]

1 hour ago, Phoenikakias said:

Epsom was a mistake. How did you come to this solution, recommended by someone?

I thought it might be Mg deficiency. Why was it a mistake? Because too much N can make K-deficiency worse?

[Phoenikakias]

Syagrus is not very tolerant of salty soil, magnesium antagonizes potassium and in our soils and rain pattern and water quality potassium deficiency is much more likely.  We ain't living in Florida with coral substrate and frequent rain during summer. Have you looked in the web for magnesium deficiency symptoms in Arecastrum? It is a very widespread and common sp in cultivation, therefore it is very probable, that you find very specialized information.

[Than]

3 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Syagrus is not very tolerant of salty soil, magnesium antagonizes potassium and in our soils and rain pattern and water quality potassium deficiency is much more likely.  We ain't living in Florida with coral substrate and frequent rain during summer. Have you looked in the web for magnesium deficiency symptoms in Arecastrum? It is a very widespread and common sp in cultivation, therefore it is very probable, that you find very specialized information.

Hmmm... it just rained so I guess the Mg has already leached into the soil. Not much I can do now but I won't add salts again. Thank God I only gave 50gr and not 100gr as recommended. Tomorrow I will apply Fe-EDDHA and repeat in 20 days.

[Mazat]

23 hours ago, Than said:

I got a new Syagrus today. I made a raised bed, filled with acidic sandy soil and local alkaline soil + some acidic compost and sulfur pellets. 

Looking at the tree I realized how chlorotic my other Syagrus are, those I've had in the soil for a year. Despite the acidic soil I have added, the humic and fulvic acids etc... probably it lacks Nitrogen? So, this time I'm trying a raised bed. Let's see.

I am attaching photos of the two trees.

 

Hi Than, hope you're doing well. I really think it's a great idea to use raised beds like Richard does; I have nothing but good things to say about it. Well done, Than. That’s a good long-term move, and I think it’s beneficial if you dig everything up (yes, that can be exhausting) and mix the substrates in a way that’s suitable and balanced for each type of exotic plant.
I wanted to mention something else about your indoor Howea foresteriana—surprisingly, it didn’t thrive at all indoors for me, even though I tried to pay attention to everything: location, light, substrate. Maybe sometimes the substrate isn’t rich enough in minerals, like when we’re lacking calcium, magnesium, or other elements. I would have emptied everything out again and mixed it with what’s recommended. I use a lot of used coffee capsules and mix them in frequently, sometimes also organic banana peels—just whatever is definitely good for the plant in question. Also, I never use the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer, even if it’s organic. I don’t want to “dope” anyone, so to speak.

Good luck, my friend.

 

[Mazat]

13 hours ago, happypalms said:

Raised beds work, plus you can garden on top of a rock shelf with a raised bed. The garden in the pictures is sitting on top of a rock shelf with raised edges to hold the soil in place. Only disadvantage is it gets dry, I don’t think I will be planting any joeys in this garden! 

It just looks amazing, too—wonderful, Richard, with so much love, passion, and vast knowledge 🤗.simply perfectly designed - oops, I just borrowed a quote from Lisa—hope it still works 😁

[Than]

12 minutes ago, Mazat said:

Hi Than, hope you're doing well. I really think it's a great idea to use raised beds like Richard does; I have nothing but good things to say about it. Well done, Than. That’s a good long-term move, and I think it’s beneficial if you dig everything up (yes, that can be exhausting) and mix the substrates in a way that’s suitable and balanced for each type of exotic plant.
I wanted to mention something else about your indoor Howea foresteriana—surprisingly, it didn’t thrive at all indoors for me, even though I tried to pay attention to everything: location, light, substrate. Maybe sometimes the substrate isn’t rich enough in minerals, like when we’re lacking calcium, magnesium, or other elements. I would have emptied everything out again and mixed it with what’s recommended. I use a lot of used coffee capsules and mix them in frequently, sometimes also organic banana peels—just whatever is definitely good for the plant in question. Also, I never use the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer, even if it’s organic. I don’t want to “dope” anyone, so to speak.

Good luck, my friend.

 

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why a plant doesn't do well. We do everything and yet.. If only the plants could speak!

I am not sure if digging up the tree and moving it to a bed would be a good idea. I don't know how well Syagrus responds to moving. I'll consider it though if nothing else helps. 

I have stopped using liquid fertilizer for palms; replaced it with slow release.

[Phoenikakias]

1 hour ago, Than said:

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why a plant doesn't do well. We do everything and yet.. If only the plants could speak!

I am not sure if digging up the tree and moving it to a bed would be a good idea. I don't know how well Syagrus responds to moving. I'll consider it though if nothing else helps. 

I have stopped using liquid fertilizer for palms; replaced it with slow release.

Than, it is mostly our own fault, not the plant's. Usually genetically weak plants die already as seedlings. So doing 'anything' equals to nothing really necessary for the plant's well being. That is plant philosophy lol

[Mazat]

On 3/24/2026 at 6:34 PM, Than said:

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why a plant doesn't do well. We do everything and yet.. If only the plants could speak!

I am not sure if digging up the tree and moving it to a bed would be a good idea. I don't know how well Syagrus responds to moving. I'll consider it though if nothing else helps. 

I have stopped using liquid fertilizer for palms; replaced it with slow release.

Yeah, Than. I’d do that for your plant and change the potting mix—meaning I’d adjust the mixture to get it just right. I think your plant will appreciate it. 

And yeah, it always takes some effort, but you’re good at it, and besides, your partner can help out. If I were closer, I’d be happy to do it for you 🤗

[Than]

4 hours ago, Mazat said:

Yeah, Than. I’d do that for your plant and change the potting mix—meaning I’d adjust the mixture to get it just right. I think your plant will appreciate it. 

And yeah, it always takes some effort, but you’re good at it, and besides, your partner can help out. If I were closer, I’d be happy to do it for you 🤗

Haha I can wait for you. Thanks a lot for the offer. 

I'll see how it goes. If it doesn't respond to Fe EDDHA then I will do it. 

You see the red colour that iron has left from yesterday's application 

 

[Phoenikakias]

Oh no, you have already drenched the soil!

[Than]

6 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Oh no, you have already drenched the soil!

Why not? It's Fe EDDHA 

[Phoenikakias]

Fe is toxic in overdose. And it is oxidized quickly. It would be better if you used from the start the Chaufer at a reduced rate and repeat application after a while.

[Than]

10 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

Fe is toxic in overdose. And it is oxidized quickly. It would be better if you used f4om the start the Chaufer at a reduced rate and repeat application after a while.

Hmmm. I gave less than the recommended dose, about 30-35gr and I was planning to repeat with the same dose in 3 weeks.

What's your regime? 

[Phoenikakias]

30 - 35 gr for just one plant?!  What time of the day did you apply?

[Than]

45 minutes ago, Phoenikakias said:

30 - 35 gr for just one plant?!  What time of the day did you apply?

Dosage says 5-20 gr for a bush, so I thought 30gr would make sense for a young tree... Also I thought EDDHA Fe is not toxic unless 10x the recommended dose. 

I applied it at noon, two days ago. It's rained since and it is also raining now.

 

[Phoenikakias]

As a thumb rule, we never fertlize heavily a palm, unless we are sure about the nutritional deficiency, plant grows in sand and rainfall is very frequent. I usually go with 10 gr in 10 lt water and repeat after half to a whole month.

[Than]

2 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

As a thumb rule, we never fertlize heavily a palm, unless we are sure about the nutritional deficiency, plant grows in sand and rainfall is very frequent. I usually go with 10 gr in 10 lt water and repeat after half to a whole month.

OK next time will be much less. Thank you. 

God I have made so many mistakes it's a miracle this palm is still alive. 

Hopefully the rains and sand will help remove the excess of fertilizer. 

[Phoenikakias]

29 minutes ago, Than said:

OK next time will be much less. Thank you. 

God I have made so many mistakes it's a miracle this palm is still alive. 

Hopefully the rains and sand will help remove the excess of fertilizer. 

Keep us apprised Than, we all live to learn through new experience.