Potting Soil For Palm Trees

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	Potting Soil For Palm Trees by Phil Bergman The difference between a "universal soil mix" and formulating a soil mix that meets the needs for your palms. Also includes potting soil recipes used at Jungle Music Nursery.

	(Please note that the following article was written about six years ago for a palm publication. Since that time we have dropped topsoil from our mix. This was not done because the topsoil was not desirable, but rather because it gave us a "soil-less" mix. The important thing below is that many mixes work for different growers and this may vary from locality to locality.)
	Some of you may recall that, about 10 years ago in our Palm Journal, I wrote a series of articles on palm culture entitled “All About Palms”. In one article, I surveyed the main palm growers at the time to obtain their formulas for potting soil. I would like to recap a few of the conclusions drawn at that time, most of which I still agree with today.
	First, there was no single formulae that everyone used. And yet, most growers were growing successfully. Secondly, it depended on what area you were doing your growing. It also depended on whether it was for greenhouse or outdoor culture. Finally, it depended upon whether you were growing seedlings or large plants. The one thing that almost everyone had in common was the use of sand. Only one grower used the classical peat moss/perlite combination.
	One must also remember that not all palms like the same sort of mix. It would be ludicrous to assume that Brahea armata and Nypa fruticans would like the same soil. Yet, most growers try to use a “universal mix” for the majority of their palms. This is certainly a practical approach, but not the most scientific one.
	A potting soil should offer the plant a substratum for both stability and obtaining it’s needed water, nutrients and aeration. If a soil is too porous, it will dry out too rapidly and the plant either has to be watered daily or suffer the consequences of desiccation. If it is too dense, it may become waterlogged and lead to rot. Thus, there is an ideal soil that offers drainage but adequate water retention and root support. I like to guarantee good drainage by the usage of perlite, sand, and pumice in my mix. One will find the needed frequency of watering with experience with their soil. A mix of topsoil and sand may stay wet for some time, whereas a “Hawaiian” mix of lava stone and peat will tend to dry out very quickly and succumb to our dry hot winds without frequent watering. As a consumer, a palm buyer must look at the mix and adjust his watering accordingly.
	With the usage of peat moss, humus and bark, soils tend to be on the acidic side. The soil I describe below has a pH of about 6.3 to 6.5. This seems to be acceptable to most palm species, especially the more tropical ones. It is rare indeed that I have to adjust the pH on the soil formulae below to accommodate a particular palm. However, I do use some dolomite in my mix during preparation to offset the very acidic organic material. If one has alkaline water in their municipality, salts can build up leading to a higher pH. A soil too alkaline can lead to various nutritional problems and microelement deficiencies. Thus, adjust the amount of dolomite if you have extremely alkaline water.
	Additionally, a palm grower has to use what is available to him. Every locality has different supplies for making the soil. This gets back to the idea that there are many good potential soils, whether you are using ground up macadamia shells, rice husks, or coconut fiber. You just have to experiment with what’s available and talk to experienced growers.
	The potting soil I have been using for five years has the following formulae: 10% amended topsoil (has about 1/3 high quality topsoil and 2/3 humus) 15% pumice #2 15% 0 - 1/8 inch pine bark 15% nitrolized redwood shavings 20% perlite #2 10% coarse washed sand, #12 15% coarse peat moss
	To this I add per cubic yard: one lb. Dolomite, one lb. Osmocote (14-14-14), and ½ lb. of a microelement mix called Micromax Plus. The entire mixture is turned many times before using. I use about 100 yards of this mix a year and have it professionally mixed in batches of ten to twenty yards each time.
	For brand new seedlings or very young plants, I may “amend” this mixture with more redwood shavings and perlite to “open it up”. Very young plants like good root aeration (lighter soil) and also require more attention and watering. Older plants (2 gallon and larger) seem to thrive in the above mix. In the greenhouse, I have found that most mixes seem to age quicker, getting more dense and retaining more water with age. The same thing happens outdoors but not quite as quickly. The above mix seems to be adequate in most environments for about 2 years. After that point, repotting into a larger pot with fresh mix around the existing rootball is needed.
	Remember that new mixes tend to repel water and adequate care must be taken to ensure that the soil is thoroughly and adequately watered during the first watering. Penetrating agents can be used but are not necessary if one waters multiple times on the new mix. My rule is to water at least three times, each time bringing the water to the top of the pot. The small amount of fertilizer in the mix above is to theoretically offset any nitrogen loss from the large amount of organic material in the mix. It is not meant to replace a regular fertilization program. The microelements I feel are important for overall plant health as very little topsoil is being used. If plants yellow in time in the above mix, I will topdress with blood meal and this seems to green them up.
	Remember, there is no single perfect potting soil. That magical and scientifically formulated soil may or may not be best. If one works for you, then it works for you. Experiment!