Fertilizing (foreclosure, rental, big house)

[born01930]

I see on a couple posts here about the need to fertilize palms. Any words of wisdom? Maybe a brochure or website that I can review the hows and whys? Thanks for your assistance.

[nphomeowner]

Not sure that I'm doing it right but I buy the fertilizer spikes that you pound in the ground around the canopy of the tree. Just follow the instructions on the package. My palms are doing really well. Make sure you buy the ones made for palms. You can get them in Lowes and probably Home Depot.

[TamRE]

When you first plant the palms you want to use milorganite. Then you want to buy a palm fertilizer that is made for that particular type of palm. They sell it at Home Depot. It is important to fertilize palm trees because otherwise they don't get the right type of nutrients from the ground around here. But you need to make sure you don't over-fertilize too, or that can kill the palm.

There are a lot of web sites that explain how to fertilize a palm.

Here is one on the Do's and Dont's of Fertilizing Palms - Fertilizing Palm Trees

Florida Palm Trees - Florida Palm Trees - Palm Tree Pictures and Palm Tree Catalog

[Trbl39]

We had a pygmy palm out front that had seen better days. The house was only 5 years old but was a rental and then a foreclosure, so you know there was never any fertilizing done. Just bought the fertilizer at home depot and within about a month or so it was looking good.

We have found the soil to be very poor no matter what you plant. We have gotten blood meal for the Bird of Paradise, but found it to be good for other plants as well. Also there are a lot of household items that can be used for fertilizer. Egg shells, coffee grounds, coffee, water you boil eggs in. Also Epsom salt and water mixture. Just google any of those items and the word fertilizer and you'll find tons of info on amounts and combos. There is even one with beer...shhh don't let Big House hear that I am giving my plants beer. I might be shot for such atrocities!

[born01930]

Thanks for the info. I was of the opinion that fertilizer was fertilizer never thought about it being plant specific.