the essentials in brief
- When buying Palm soil you should pay attention to the grain and structure. Peat-based potting soil is not recommended.
- Not only the pH value plays a role in the vitality of the plant. The substrate composition is also important. The earth differs between palm trees from dry and humid areas.
- Palm soil is easy to mix yourself. A good soil provides the basis for a healthy palm. Coordinated care is just as important.
How to recognize good palm soil
The shelves of garden centers are overflowing with special soils that are supposed to meet the different requirements of indoor plants. Many plants also thrive in normal Potting soil optimal. Palms, on the other hand, have very specific requirements for the substrate.
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What to look out for
Not all palm soil is the same
Of the known 3,000 Palm species every crop has individual requirements for the substrate. When buying palm soil, you should pay attention to the basic aspects, because all species attach great importance to this:
- Grit: soil that is too loose causes the plant to dry out and waterlogging quickly develops in the compacted substrate
- Pore structure: Roots need air to absorb nutrients
- stability: Palms are top heavy and can tip over if the substrate is too light
Most commercially available substrates are based on peat and do not have the optimal combination of nutrients. Packaged peat or more pure humus is not suitable as palm soil, as the substrate tends to compact after regular watering. As a result, the roots are no longer adequately ventilated and rot. Such substrates must be made with sand, perlite or Expanded clay(€ 16.36 at Amazon *) be loosened up.
Peat-based palm soil may be good for the plant. This is not a good choice for nature.
Digression
Why peat substrates harm nature
With the moors, unique ecosystems, in which endangered animal and plant species live, are disappearing. In addition, important buffers in the climate system are lost. Peat stores enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, which is a significant greenhouse gas. These CO2 deposits are released again through the peat extraction.
PH value
Every palm has its own pH requirements
This value has a great influence on the vitality of the ornamental plants. The pH value generally ranges between 5.0 and 9.0. Nevertheless, you should take into account the requirements of your species, because the palm tree can be damaged if the limit values are exceeded.
| PH value | origin | Substrate | scientific | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentia palm | 5.4 to 7.0 | Lowland shaped by sand-lime bricks | Earth and sand, moderately moist | Howea forsteriana |
| Hemp palm | 5.5 to 7.2 | subtropical regions | Mix with compost or humus, drainage necessary | Trachycarpus fortunei |
| Gold fruit palm | 5.5 to 6.5 | sandy river banks, wet forests | Compost-based soil mix | Dypsis lutescens |
| Stick palm | 5.8 to 7.0 | subtropical forests | permeable, slightly acidic soil mixture | Rhapis excelsa |
| Palm lily | 6.0 to 7.0 | arid and semi-arid regions | permeable with sand or gravel | Yucca spec. |
| Mountain palm | 6.5 to 7.9 | moist to wet forests | permeable and slightly alkaline, preferably loamy | Chamaedorea elegans |
| Christmas palm | 6.5 to 8.4 | tropical regions | well drained and nutritious, moderately moist | Veitchia merrillii |
How is palm soil composed?
Prefabricated green plant and palm soil meets the requirements of many palm trees. A start fertilization provides the plants with nutrients for the next two months, while added substances promote a loose and airy structure. Pay attention to the exact composition of the respective palm soil. As there is a general distinction between palm trees from moist and dry areas, not every substrate is equally suitable.
General
All palm trees need drainage in the pot so that there is no waterlogging. The bucket is filled with palm soil via the approximately two centimeter high drainage layer. Palms attach great importance to a loose soil that stores and gradually releases water. The soil must not be too loose, as it dries out quickly. To improve the structure and permeability of the soil, you can add different substrates. The top layer consists of normal soil without additives. It is always kept a little moist.
Loosening substances and nutrient additives:
- Sand or quartz chippings also supply the palm trees with silicates
- Styrofoam balls for a loose structure
- guano(€ 9.82 at Amazon *) or Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) as a jump start
Tips
High quality palm soil contains the Slow release fertilizer Agrosil and Kokohum instead of peat. It does not have to be poured as often as coconut fibers can absorb many times their own weight in water.
Palm trees from arid areas
Plants that are originally native to arid regions of the world like mineral components in the soil. A drainage as perlite, lavalite or vermiculite ensures optimal growth conditions. If you use soil based on bark humus, you should mix this with coconut fiber in a ratio of 3: 2.
Ideal substrate mix:
- 50 percent flower or coconut soil
- ten percent quartz sand
- 20 percent clay or loam
- 20 percent drainage layer
Palm trees from humid areas
Palm soil contains up to 70% flower or coconut soil
Plants that thrive in moist habitats value a humus-rich soil in an acidic environment. For vital growth, you should mix potting soil with bark humus and small amounts of quartz sand, clay or loam. For drainage, you can enrich perlite, lavalite or vermiculite with organic additives such as peanut shells or pine bark.
Optimal substrate mix:
- 70 percent coconut or potting soil
- ten percent quartz sand
- five percent clay or loam
- 15 percent drainage layer
Mix the palm soil yourself
If you want to offer your palms optimal growth conditions, you should mix your plant substrate yourself. Basically, you won't make any mistakes with a mixing ratio of 1: 1: 1. Take a third of each potting soil, quartz sand and loam or clay and mix the substrate thoroughly.
Nevertheless, you should pay attention to the respective requirements of the species and adjust the substrate accordingly. While the earth for the Hemp palm is easy to manufacture, the Mountain palm greater demands on the substrate mixture. There are palms that require a higher proportion of drainage and those that place more value on substrates:
- Kentia and Christmas palms prefer a high proportion of sand
- Date palm values a loose substrate that stores water
- Hemp, honey and coconut palms are undemanding and like a moderately sandy substrate
- Mountain palm likes moderately sandy substrates that are somewhat calcareous
- Mountain, kentia, honey and coconut trees value good drainage
Tips
If the substrate is too clayey, you can enrich it with fine quartz sand and humus. Soils containing sand should be mixed with low-lime and fine-grained clay or loam.
Caring for palm trees properly
The best soil will not bring plant health if it is not properly cared for. With larger palms, the need for water and nutrients increases, which is why such plants need more attention.
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irrigation
If the palm soil has a high nutrient content, watering is particularly important. Especially on hot days you have to pay attention to optimal irrigation. Substrates with a higher proportion of sand dry out faster than loamy soils. Before each watering, put your finger halfway into the substrate. When the layer below the surface of the earth has dried out, the plant desperately needs water.
fertilization
A balanced supply of nutrients ensures vital growth. In addition to the main nutrients, many palms need trace minerals such as molybdenum or boron. A lack of nutrients is often indicated by discoloration of the leaf edges or completely dead leaf sections.
frequently asked Questions
When are palm trees repotted?
Young plants should be repotted for the first time after about six months. Older plants are allowed to thrive in their pots until they have completely rooted the pot ball. A new pot is recommended after three years at the latest. Ideally, the palm is repotted in the spring, before the growing season begins.
How are palm trees repotted?
A drainage layer in the flower pot protects the palm from waterlogging
Tie large crowns loosely with a rope so that the leaves cannot break off. Prepare the new planter with a drainage layer. Take the root ball out of the old pot and carefully tap off the substrate. The palm is placed in the new bucket in such a way that the top of the ball of the pot is about a finger's breadth below the edge of the pot. Fill the gaps with fresh substrate and water the plant thoroughly.
How can I regulate the pH of the palm soil?
The addition of peat lowers the pH value into the acidic range. Coconut fiber is an alternative to peat. If the substrate is too acidic for your palm, you should improve it by adding lime. A pH tester gives you information about the current value.
What do palm trees need?
The exotic plants need the main nutrients that all plants need for healthy growth. Silicates are important because they support the development of plant cells. Magnesium, iron and manganese are essential trace elements that are administered through additional fertilizers. Take advantage of one Complete fertilizerthat is low in phosphorus. Alternatively, you can supply your palms with organic matter. Basically, palm trees should be fertilized every two to three weeks during the vegetation phase. Don't let your palms dry out and avoid waterlogging.
