When to start fertilizing transplanted palms

[Justin]

About 3 months ago I transplanted some cocoid hybrids from the ground into large pots.  They seem to be doing well, having put out new fronds already, and generally staying green or green with only minor yellowing.  I gave them some diluted rooting hormone when I first transplanted them, but since then it has been nothing but water.  I'm now to the point I'm thinking about fertilizer, but don't know whether it is still too soon.

In people's experience, when is it okay to start giving fertilizer to transplanted palms?  And for the fertilizer, what is the preferred type?  Some sort of slow release like Osmocote?

[Ben in Norcal]

46 minutes ago, Justin said:

About 3 months ago I transplanted some cocoid hybrids from the ground into large pots.  They seem to be doing well, having put out new fronds already, and generally staying green or green with only minor yellowing.  I gave them some diluted rooting hormone when I first transplanted them, but since then it has been nothing but water.  I'm now to the point I'm thinking about fertilizer, but don't know whether it is still too soon.

In people's experience, when is it okay to start giving fertilizer to transplanted palms?  And for the fertilizer, what is the preferred type?  Some sort of slow release like Osmocote?

I wouldn't be worried about applying slow release like Osmocote.  I'd pull the trigger.

[Monòver]

After 3 months and growing new spears, of course, your palms needs to be feeded and osmocote or similar will be the best.

[Nj Palms]

Every 2-3 months you should fertilize but since it has only been three months I would use a Fertilizer such as osmocote or fish Fertilizer.

[Palm Tree Jim]

No problem with a slow release fertilizer.

[DoomsDave]

@Justin, so good to hear from you!

In general, palms aren't big fert hawgs in California's (mostly) good soils, the big exception being places where it's really sandy.

Good potting soil in the pots will provide the nutrients your palms need, and I don't fertilize a lot.

But, like any good daddy, I sometimes spoil my (multitudinous) children anyway. As @Palm Tree Jim noted, slow release fertilizer is safe to use, and won't burn. Osmocote is the big brand, and it's very very expensive. Instead, I use things like Apex Palms Plus and others with micronutrients in them. If you've only got about a dozen or fewer plants, Osmocote works great and it's easy to get. The others are harder to find, though if you're near a feed store you're in luck.

Sometimes, when I get a big order from Floribunda, I'll treat the newly arrived babies with some Miracle Gro liquid to give them a bit of a nudge.

[Rose]

I fertilise immediately I transplant anything. I feel it gets the roots going and the roots are where it's all at. I use a dilute foliar spray with sticker of 12-0-20 + 2 (magnesium and boron) plus soluble trace elements on palms, repeating every fortnight or until Im bored with that. This does seem to get them going straight away, so I always do this for at least a month or two. For the "soil" I only use a small amount of the soluble trace elements plus mag and potassium as a drench to prevent the short fall in my potting mix, which is designed for maximum air retention. Basically soilless potting mix is used around here so also low on everything. The potting mix has to have 100% drainage due to our heavy seasonal rains. To be honest for me the the sooner I get seedlings into the rich moist earth the better, even a handful sown insitu where I can select the strongest to leave. If precious just hammer in some sturdy (rebar is good) iron rods around it wrapping up with mesh to protect against insects and thugs.

I suppose pertinent to the question, what DoomsDave says one size doesn't fit all when it comes to fertilising transplants as conditions differ. If under cover of a green house which I don't have I would probably use the rich volcanic earth as potting mix as I could control watering so wouldn't use any fert, maybe calcium not sure.....

[Hammer]

I wait until the planted/transplanted palm has time to throw down a healthy root system.  Most of the time my palms will slow or stop producing new leaves when they are put in the ground.  During this period they are building a stronger, bigger root system.  

Once the leaf growth starts to take off again, that is when I apply fertilizer.  Otherwise pushing new green growth too early can stress a plant that doesn't have the root system to support that leaf growth. Fertilizer most often will stimulate that leaf growth.  So I hold off.

[Palm Tree Jim]

9 hours ago, Hammer said:

I wait until the planted/transplanted palm has time to throw down a healthy root system.  Most of the time my palms will slow or stop producing new leaves when they are put in the ground.  During this period they are building a stronger, bigger root system.  

Once the leaf growth starts to take off again, that is when I apply fertilizer.  Otherwise pushing new green growth too early can stress a plant that doesn't have the root system to support that leaf growth. Fertilizer most often will stimulate that leaf growth.  So I hold off.

Some great advice!