Palm trees are exotic plants that place special demands on the substrate. The original origin of the species provides important information about the composition of the soil. In order to meet the demands of the palm tree, you should mix the substrate yourself.

Palm soil is a mixture of coconut or potting soil, quartz sand, clay or loam

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Buy palm soil
  3. Palm soil: composition
  4. Make palm soil yourself
  5. Maintain palm trees properly
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. 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 soil differs between palm trees from dry and wet areas.
    • Palm soil is easy to mix yourself. Good soil provides the basis for a healthy palm tree. Proper maintenance is just as important.

    How to recognize good palm soil

    The shelves in garden centers are overflowing with special soils that are supposed to meet the different needs of indoor plants. Many plants also thrive in normal potting soil. Palm trees, on the other hand, have very specific requirements for the substrate.

    What to look out for

    Palm soil is not just palm soil

    Of the 3,000 known palm species, each plant has individual substrate requirements. When buying palm soil you should pay attention to basic aspects, because all types attach great importance to this:

    • grit: soil that is too loose allows plants to dry out and waterlogging quickly occurs in the compacted substrate
    • pore structure: Roots need air to absorb nutrients
    • stability: Palm trees are top-heavy and can topple over if the substrate is too light

    Most commercially available substrates are based on peat and do not have the optimal combination of nutrients. Packed peat or 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 aerated and rot. Such substrates must be loosened up with sand, perlite or expanded clay (19.73€).

    Peat-based palm soil may be good for the plant. This is not a good choice for nature.

    digression

    Why peat substrates harm nature

    As part of the peat extraction, large areas of moorland are drained, freed from their valuable moss cover and removed layer by layer. Bare areas remain that no longer offer any living space. Such areas can no longer regenerate naturally, since moors grow extremely slowly and react sensitively to natural disturbances.

    Unique ecosystems in which endangered animal and plant species live are disappearing with the moors. Important buffers in the climate system are also lost. Peat stores enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, which is a major greenhouse gas. Through the peat extraction, these CO2 deposits are released again.

    PH value

    Every palm tree has its own pH requirements

    This value has a major impact on the vitality of ornamental plants. In general, the pH ranges between 5.0 and 9.0. Nevertheless, you should consider the demands 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 Lowlands characterized by limestone 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
    golden fruit palm 5.5 to 6.5 sandy river banks, wet forests Compost-based soil mixture Dypsis lutescens
    stick palm 5.8 to 7.0 subtropical forests permeable, slightly acidic soil mixture Rhapis excelsa
    yucca 6.0 to 7.0 arid and semiarid regions permeable with sand or gravel Yucca spec.
    mountain palm 6.5 to 7.9 moist to wet forests well-drained and slightly alkaline, preferably loamy Chamaedorea elegans
    Christmas palm 6.5 to 8.4 tropical regions well drained and rich in nutrients, moderately moist Veitchia merrillii

    What is palm soil composed of?

    Pre-made green plant and palm soil meets the needs of many palm trees. A starter fertilization provides the crops 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. Since a general distinction is made between palm trees from humid and dry areas, not every substrate is equally suitable.

    General

    All palm trees need drainage in the pot to prevent waterlogging. The bucket is filled with palm soil over the drainage layer, which is about two centimeters high. Palm trees attach great importance to loose soil that stores water and gradually releases it. The soil must not be too loose, as it dries out quickly. You can mix in different substrates to improve the structure and permeability of the soil. The top layer consists of normal soil without additives. It is always kept slightly moist.

    Loosening substances and nutrient additions:

    • Sand or quartz chippings also supply the palm trees with silicates
    • Styrofoam beads for a loose structure
    • Guano (€121.99) or horn shavings (€32.93) to help you get started

    tips

    High-quality palm soil contains the long-term fertilizer Agrosil and Kokohum instead of peat. It doesn't need to be watered as often because coconut fibers can absorb many times their own weight in water.

    Palms from dry areas

    Plants that are originally native to arid regions of the world like mineral components in the soil. Perlite, lavalite or vermiculite drainage ensures optimal growth conditions. If you use soil based on bark humus, you should mix it with coconut fibers in a ratio of 3:2.

    Ideal substrate mixture:

    • 50 percent potting 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% potting soil or coconut soil

    Plants that thrive in damp habitats value 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 mixture:

    • 70 percent coconut or potting soil
    • ten percent quartz sand
    • five percent clay or loam
    • 15 percent drainage layer

    Mix palm soil yourself

    If you want to offer your palm trees 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 each of 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 soil for the hemp palm is easy to make, the mountain palm has more demanding substrate mix requirements. There are palms that require a higher percentage of drainage and those that place more value on substrates:

    • Kentia and Christmas palms prefer a high proportion of sand
    • Date palms value 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 palms value good drainage

    tips

    If the substrate is too clayey, you can enrich it with fine quartz sand and humus. Sandy soils should be mixed with low-lime and fine-grained clay or loam.

    Maintain palm trees properly

    The best soil does not bring plant health if the care is not right. With larger palm trees, 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 an optimal watering. Substrates with a higher proportion of sand dry out faster than loamy soils. Before each watering, stick your finger halfway into the substrate. When the layer below the surface of the earth has dried up, the plant urgently needs water.

    fertilization

    A balanced supply of nutrients ensures vital growth. In addition to the main nutrients, many palm trees need trace minerals such as molybdenum or boron. A nutrient deficiency 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 fully rooted the pot ball. A new pot is recommended after three years at the latest. Ideally, the palm tree 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

    Loosely tie expansive crowns together with string so the leaves don't break off. Prepare the new planter with a layer of drainage. Remove the root ball from the old pot and gently tap off the substrate. The palm tree is placed in the new pot so that the top of the pot ball is about a finger's width 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?

    Adding peat causes the pH to drop into the acidic range. Coconut fibers are 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 supplied by additional fertilizers. Use a complete fertilizer that is low in phosphorus. Alternatively, you can provide your palms with organic matter. Basically, palm trees should be fertilized every two to three weeks during the growing season. Do not let your palm trees dry out and avoid waterlogging.

Category:

Trees