When Should You Fertilize Palm Trees? Palm Tree Fertilization
Palm trees are a popular specimen plant throughout Florida, Louisiana, and other similar regions due to their tropical, exotic look. Experienced farmers will know these plants are heavy feeders, and the sandy, calciferous soil can’t always accommodate their nutritional demands. If you plan to grow a palm tree in your garden, one question you should know is, “when should you fertilize palm trees?”
You’ll need to feed palm trees two to three times per year during the season (from March to October) with manure specifically formulated for palms. Keep reading to learn more about palm tree fertilization with Swipe Garden!
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When Should You Fertilize Palm Trees?
Start fertilizing your trees in early summer
Though the feeding schedule depends upon the palm fertilizer you apply, the best time to treat them with nutrients is during the growing season, from March to October.
Palms can thrive in both tropical climates and regions where the temperatures can go under freezing.
If your living area has warm climates and the temperatures rarely drop too low, you may need to fertilize your trees four times per year.
In regions with year-round chilly weather, you’d better stop feeding them a couple of months prior to the first frost snap.
Some beginner gardeners believe that applying palm fertilizer during the cold season can help strengthen the plants and help them be ready to thrive in the growing season in spring.
Indeed, winter is the wrong time for palm manure application. The new growth promoted will weaken the tree and make it vulnerable to harsh weather conditions.
If you’ve just had newly planted palms, don’t feed them until it produces a new shoot – around two months after planting. Unlike newly planted trees, you can follow the normal feeding schedule for mature palms.
Read more:
What Month Do You Fertilize Palm Trees?
Since the shooting season starts in March, March is the best time to feed your palms and other herbs and shrubs in your landscape.
To keep them green and healthy, keep fertilizing palm trees early when the season starts and every three months. So, you need to conduct a total of at least three applications in March, June, and September.
As said, if you live in warmer areas, you may need to feed them once more at the end of October. We recommend using Milorganite to fertilize four times annually.
Maybe you don’t know that lawn fertilizer probably won’t hurt your palm tree, but palm fertilizer can hurt your lawn.
How Often Should You Fertilize A Palm Tree?
Feed your palms with palm tree fertilizer at least 2-3 times a year
The frequency of fertilization largely depends upon the rain amount in your area and the type of soil.
Slow-release fertilizers are best for fertilizing palm trees since they release nutrients slowly over time, reducing the possibility of leaching.
In Florida, the downpours are heavy, and the soil is calciferous, and sandy during the growth season. Thus, the pool of crucial nutrients is pretty low.
Nutrients will quickly leach away from sandy soil due to the heavy rains. Therefore, you’ll need to apply fertilizer three to four times per year to maintain an adequate nutrient level.
In areas where soils have better quality and rainfalls are lower, like California, you can fertilize the soil two or three times per year only.
How Often Should Palms Be Watered?
Newly planted plants
You should water newborn palms every day in the first week, every other day the next week, and three times the third week. After the first three weeks, start to water as you normally do for mature plants.
Established palms
Treat your established greeneries with water two to three times a week only during the period of low rainfall. For most palms, you should do watering only when the 2-inch top of the soil is drained.
Adjust the water amount as per the season
Most of the growth occurs in the warm months in summer, so palms will need plenty of humidity to accommodate the energy needed for growth.
Usually, rainfall is low in summer. The farmer should water their trees regularly during this time to retain an adequate moisture content underneath the soil.
You will rarely notice much growth during winter, so the water levels should also reduce during this period.
In winter, plants need warmth, while water will cool the surface. Thus, water at times when there is little rainfall.
How Do I Make My Palm Tree Green?
Ensure to provide the plants with essential nutrients
Here are step-by-step instructions to keep your trees green and fix your palm’s yellow tint:
- Conduct a soil test to check if the soil lacks any vital nutrients. You can find out more in the video below.
- Replenish the soil with those missing nutrients by applying a slow-release manure
- Follow a proper fertilizing schedule. Feed your greeneries 2-4 times a year.
- Also, look for signs of fungus or pests in the soil. If there are any, deal with them instantly to prevent them from gradually killing your plants.
Why Are My Palm Plants Turning Yellow?
As palm trees grow, old leaves may naturally change to yellow and drop off. Provided that the majority of the tree fronds stay green, there’s no need to worry.
However, if you notice that the problem is lingering, it might be a red flag.
The major reasons palm leaves turn yellow are nutrient deficiency, improper light, improper light, and pest infestation.
Notably, the lack of minerals and nutrients, including nitrogen, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and iron, is possibly the most well-known cause of yellow leaves.
Conclusion
Learning about “when should you fertilize palm trees?” is critical to the path to your palm tree success.
You can easily prevent palm nutritional deficiency and ensure green, thriving plants as long as you stick to an annual fertilization program.
Swipe Garden hopes to see your charming garden.
Thank you for reading!
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