Palm trees have been grown for many years. While some grow naturally in the wild, they’re also ideal for growing in the home. Palm trees are grown at home for their multiple benefits. Actually, each part of a palm tree is beneficial. First, growing palm trees can bring a tropical feeling to your home. They also add height to the garden. The leaves of palm trees are used in making DIY boxes and hats. The branches are great for making DIY baskets and ropes. On the other hand, the trunk is ideal for making furniture. Palm trees also produce palm fruits. The root of the tree is often used as traditional medicine.
Although palm trees are hardy and grow throughout the year, you can boost their growth by adding fertilizer. Essentially, palm trees grow best in sandy soils and have a slow growth rate. However, nutrients get drain quickly in sandy soils, especially during the rainy season. Thus, they may suffer from nutrient deficiencies. You can deal with this challenge by applying the best fertilizer for palm trees.
Just like fertilizers for fruit trees, palm trees also require a fertilizer that contains all essential micronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Additionally, palm trees require magnesium, manganese, and iron. Deficiency in nitrogen causes uniform yellowing of palm leaves while a deficiency in potassium cases palm leaves to have yellow spots. Deficiency in manganese causes withering or yellowing of newly growing palm leaves while a deficiency in magnesium causes yellowing of mature palm leaves and deep greening in new leaves. Iron deficiency also causes yellowing of newly growing palm leaves.
Besides affecting the look of palm leaves, deficiencies in essential nutrients can kill a palm tree. You can cure and prevent such problems by applying the right fertilizer correctly. The fertilizers are available in different forms such as spikes, liquid concentrates, and granules. Read on through this guide for detailed reviews on the most suitable fertilizers for palm trees.
Quick Comparison Table
| Fertilizer for Palm Trees Product Name) | Fertilizer Analysis (NPK Ratio) | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miracle-Gro Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes | 15-5-10 | 4.8 | Check price |
| Jobe’s Organics 09126 | 4-2-4 | 4.7 | Check price |
| Miracle-Gro 3002910 Shake ‘N Feed | 8-2-12 | 4.6 | Check price |
| Jobe’s 05101 Fern & Palm Fertilizer Spikes | 16-2-6 | 4.5 | Check price |
| Dr. Earth INC 756P | 5-4-6 | 4.5 | Check price |
Top 5 Fertilizer for Palm Trees
It’s important to choose a fertilizer for your palm trees carefully. They’re available in several types. Also, there’re dozens of manufacturers who make them. To make your shopping easier, here’re the top 5 fertilizers for palm trees.
1. Miracle-Gro Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes
Miracle-Gro is one of the most popular manufacturers of lawn and garden control products. This fertilizer from Miracle-Gro is specially designed to feed palm trees and shrubs with essential micronutrients. It’s available in the form of spikes.
Top Features
- Natural ingredients– If you value the environment, then you wouldn’t want to pollute it with toxic chemical fertilizers. In this case, take advantage of this organic fertilizer. It comprises of spikes made of natural ingredients. Thus, it won’t leave any toxic remnants in the environment.
- Adds vibrant color– You’re probably growing palm trees in your garden to beautify it with a tropical effect. If your palm trees look pale, they’ll make your garden look dull. This fertilizer contains ingredients that add vibrant color to palm trees. By applying it correctly, your palm trees will add a decorative tropical effect to your garden.
- Effortless to use– Applying fertilizer repeatedly can be quite hectic. Luckily, these fertilizer spikes are designed for application just once per season. You’ll only apply them once during spring and once during fall. This makes them effortless to apply.
- Long-term feeding– The spikes use a slow-release mechanism to release nutrients to the soil and palm trees. That way, they’ll continue feeding your palm trees with important micronutrients throughout their active season.
- Simple application– These spikes are a user-friendly palm tree fertilizer. They’re ready to apply without requiring any form of mixing. You’ll just drive the spikes into the soil as instructed. The spikes release measured micronutrients into the soil.
Pros
- Promotes stronger palm trees
- Promotes lush foliage
- Continuous nutrient release
- Enhances the production of palm fruits
- Comes with a plastic cap
Cons
- They break easily when driving them into dry ground
- Not the best for young trees
Verdict
The Miracle-Gro Tree & Shrub Plant Food Spikes are a great option for anyone who wants to feed their palm trees with an organic fertilizer. You can also use the spike asan organic fertilizer for fruit trees.
2. Jobe’s Organics 09126
Jobe’s Organics is famous for its organic and eco-friendly garden products. The Jobe’s Organics 09126 fertilizer is manufactured to feed palm trees with the much-needed micronutrients for healthier and stronger growth.
Top Features
- Contains Biozome– This fertilizer contains special Biozome that comprise of beneficialfungi and bacteria. These beneficial microorganisms enhance the quality of soil, thereby giving palm trees a better environment to grow.
- Organic ingredients– Just like its name suggests, this fertilizer is made of natural ingredients. It doesn’t contain any synthetic chemicals. It’ll boost the growth of your palm trees naturally without having any negative effects on the ecosystem.
- Increased resistance– The fertilizer contains ingredients that increase the resistance of palm trees to insects and diseases. It also makes palm trees resist drought. Besides, the fertilizer can make palm trees resist unfavorable conditions during the growing season.
- Safe around pets and children– If your kids or pets like playing around the garden or lawn, you’ll be worried about their safety when fertilizing plants. Luckily, this palm tree fertilizer is pet and kids friendly. They can continue playing around the garden after applying the fertilizer.
- Encourages root growth– Plants that grow in sandy soils require a good root system to uptake the little available nutrients. This fertilizer encourages better root growth in palm trees. That way, the trees can uptake more nutrients and water for enhanced growth.
Pros
- Certifiedorganic fertilizer
- Non-dusty granules
- Complete fertilizer formula
- Long-term soil quality improvement
- Mixing instructions are provided
Cons
- Has a strong odor
- Tends to cause fungus
Verdict
If your soil structure and quality aretoo poor to grow palm trees, thisJobe’s Organics 09126 fertilizer is your best bet to improve the soil quality to make it conducive to grow palm trees.
3. Miracle-Gro 3002910 Shake ‘N Feed
This is yet another great fertilizer from Miracle-Gro. It contains all the essential micronutrients that tropical plants need to thrive, especially palm trees. By applying it as directed, you’ll grow lush palm trees.
Top Features
- Great for container planting-If your outdoor space doesn’t have a garden, you can still grow palm trees in containers. In this take, take advantage of this fertilizer to feed your container planted palm trees. It comes in the form of granules and is safe for use in garden containers.
- Contains compost-Besides the micronutrients and minerals contained in this plant food, it also contains compost. Compost works by nourishing the garden below and above the soil. It also feeds beneficial microbes in the soil. The microbes make it easier for roots to absorb micronutrients.
- Prevents curling and yellowing-The plant food also contains 5.1 percent magnesium, 0.92 percent iron, and 0.34 percent manganese. These minerals assist in growing lush palm trees. They also prevent fronds from curling and yellowing.
- All season feeding-A single application of this fertilizer will release nutrients continuously for up to three months. It’ll keep feeding your palm trees throughout the growing season without requiring frequent reapplication.
- Easy application– It’s quite simple to apply this fertilizer. It doesn’t require any premixing with water. You’ll simply apply the granules onto the soil in their dry nature, mix them into the soil, and water the soil to start feeding your palm trees.
Pros
- Doesn’t burn palm trees
- Suitable for young and mature palm trees
- Ideal for all types of tropical plants
- Assists palm trees to grow stronger roots
- Works quite fast
Cons
- Not safe to use around kids and pets
- Can burn foliage and the trunk if it comes into contact with them during application
Verdict
This Miracle-Gro 3002910 Shake ‘N Feedfertilizeris a great fertilizer for long-term feeding of potted tropical plants including palm trees and cycads.
4. Jobe’s 05101 Fern & Palm Fertilizer Spikes
This fertilizer from Jobe’s is designed in the form of fertilizer spikes. It comes in a pack of 30 spikes that can fertilize several potted palm trees. Each spike contains a balanced NPK formula comprising 16 percent nitrogen, 2 percent phosphate, and 6 percent potash, making it one of the best fertilizer for palm trees.
Top Features
- Time-release spikes– These fertilizer spikes are designed to release nutrients using a time-release mechanism. This means that they release nutrients slowly but continuously over a long period. They make it effortless to apply fertilizer since you’ll only need to apply them once every 60 days.
- Easy to use-The spikes contain a pre-measured formula that’s specially made to feed all types of potted palm trees and ferns. Thus, you can rest assured they won’t burn your potted plants. You’ll simply drivethe spikes into the soil in your potted plants and allow them to feed the palms.
- Non-hazardous formula– Another benefit of these spikes is that they have a non-hazardous formula. They don’t cause any wasteful runoff when watered. Also, they don’t have any smells and won’t attract your pets. Besides, they don’t cause any mess when working with them.
- Feeding through the roots– The spikes nourish the soil from below with essential micronutrients. That way, your palm trees will get nutrients where the roots are actively growing below the soil for faster enrichment.
- Usable in most potted palms– These fertilizer spikes work best for palm trees planted in containers with a diameter of 4 to 12 inches. Instructions are provided on the number of spikes to use per container depending on the diameter of a palm tree.
Pros
- Very affordable
- 30 spikes in one packet
- Long-lasting feeding
- Enhances the health of palm trees
Cons
- Takes time to see results
- May burn plants if not used as directed
Verdict
The Jobe’s 05101 Fern & Palm Fertilizer Spikes are ideal for anyone looking for a budget-friendly fertilizer to feed container and indoor palm trees and ferns.
5. Dr. Earth INC 756P
Just like its name suggests, this fertilizer from Dr. Earth is specially made with the safety of the environment in mind. It’s fully organic and non-GMO. It’s available in the form of granules and three different packet sizes including 1lb, 4lb, and 24lb.
Top Features
- Non-synthetic ingredients– As the world tries to make the environment safer for all living things, it’ll help to use environment-friendly fertilizers when feeding your palm trees. This fertilizer doesn’t contain any synthetic ingredients. Thus, any runoff and remnants won’t harm waterways and the general environment.
- Safe around pets– The formula used in this fertilizer is safe for use around pets and humans. It doesn’t contain toxic ingredients. Thus, it can be used in the indoor environment without affecting pets and humans.
- Feed grade ingredients– Another benefit of this fertilizer is that it’s handcrafted from feed grade ingredients. The ingredients include carbohydrates, minerals, humic acid, and proteins among others. The ingredients make the soil more nutritious for the healthier growth of palm trees.
- Ideal for new palm trees– Besides using this fertilizer to feed mature palm trees, it’s also ideal for use when planting new palm trees. In this case, you’ll mix 2 tablespoons of the fertilizer to a gallon of potting soil to enrich the soil in readiness for boosting the growth of new palms.
- Quick-release– The granules are formulated to release micronutrients into the soil quickly. Also, they release micronutrients over several months to ensure your palm trees grow healthy in lush in their entire growing season.
Pros
- Non-GMO verified
- Easy to apply
- Mixing instructions are provided
- Ideal for all tropical and subtropical plants
Cons
- Has a strong smell
- Attracts flies
Verdict
Dr. Earth INC 756P palm tree fertilizer stands out for being among the few non-GMO verified and organic verified fertilizer for palm trees. If you like growing palm trees organically, then this is the right fertilizer for you.
Tips for Choosing the Best Fertilizer for Palm Trees
The environment in which palm trees grow requires fertilization during their growing season. If you fail to fertilize them, their leaves will develop a yellow color and the plants may die, especially when the soil has mineral deficiencies. However, you should only apply the right type of fertilizer. Here’re some tips that can assist you to choose the best fertilizer for your palm trees.
1. Complete fertilizer formula
Most importantly, the fertilizer you’re choosing should contain nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Also, ingredients such as magnesium, manganese, and iron would be an added advantage. These ingredients provide sandy soil in which palm trees grow with sufficient nutrients for healthier and lush growth.
2. Synthetic vs. organic ingredients
Some fertilizers for palm trees are synthetic while others are organic. Synthetic fertilizers contain chemical ingredients while organic fertilizers contain ingredients derived from natural ingredients. If you prefer growing palm trees organically, then it’s advisable to use organic fertilizer. However, organic fertilizers may take a little longer to show results. This makes synthetic fertilizers more ideal for use where palms are already showing signs of nutrient deficiency to help them recover faster.
3. Ease of application
Fertilizers that come in the form of spikes are the easiest to apply. Some fertilizer spikes are used just once in a growing season. They contain a premeasured formula such that you don’t have to mix them with water. You’ll only need to water your palm trees as you normally do. Also, some granular fertilizers don’t require premixing with water. However, liquid fertilizers require mixing with water. Also, liquid fertilizers often show results more quickly since they get absorbed by the roots quite quickly. However, liquid fertilizers require more regular application than spikes and granular fertilizers.
4. Safety around pets and kids
Pets and kids tend to be extremely curious. If they spot you applying fertilizer on your palm trees, they might be curious to smell it or touch it. If you have pets and kids in your home, ensure the fertilizer you’re using is safe for use around them, especially if the palms are planted indoors or on garden areas where they frequently visit. If you’re using spikes, make sure you insert them into the ground completely to avoid them being visible by pets and kids as they might get tempted to pluck them out if they notice them.
5. Odor
If you’re looking for a fertilizer to use in indoor potted palms, ensure it doesn’t have a strong smell. A smelly fertilizer would be uncomfortable to use indoors. If the fertilizer is smelly, only use it outdoors away from areas you frequently visit.
Final Words
There’re several factors that affect the growth of palm trees.For instance, if they lack sufficient nutrients, they’ll be discolored, weak, and eventually die off. By choosing the best fertilizer for palm trees, you’ll provide them with sufficient nutrients to grow lush, strong, and healthy. Also, feeding them with the right fertilizer will make them resist drought, diseases, and other harsh conditions. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the fertilizer you choose.