No nutrients in clay soil wth?

[palm789]

So I bought 2 windmill palms one big one and one baby one planted in pure clay soil no drainage amended as I watered the hole and water drains fast, I rang the shop to see how often and how many liters of water do i water the small windmill (it got 10cm of trunk) the shop owner said I should of not planted it in clay as there's no nutrients in it? Is this true or not? If it is true how do i enrich the soil etc so far I put slow release, advice needed guys

[HtownPalms]

That's a new one for me. Where I live is 100% clay and it is very nutrient rich. Once something is in the ground here fertilizer is almost never needed. It is black clay if that makes a difference.  

[BayAndroid]

The microscopic organisms in the soil are what make the soil's nutrients bioavailable for your plants. The soil here looks very dry, probably lacks much life at all. You can add lots of organics to start to transform it. Lots of wood chips and compost. Keep the area from drying out too much and the overall soil biome will start to establish. 

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[palm789]

How often a week do i water this small palm, and how many liters

[palm789]

1 minute ago, BayAndroid said:

The microscopic organisms in the soil are what make the soil's nutrients bioavailable for your plants. The soil here looks very dry, probably lacks much life at all. You can add lots of organics to start to transform it. Lots of wood chips and compost. Keep the area from drying out too much and the overall soil biome will start to establish. 

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I was watering everyday for 3 weeks 6 liter everydays I've stopped since the leaf tips went brown, how many liters of water and how often should i water this

[Silas_Sancona]

5 hours ago, palm789 said:

So I bought 2 windmill palms one big one and one baby one planted in pure clay soil no drainage amended as I watered the hole and water drains fast, I rang the shop to see how often and how many liters of water do i water the small windmill (it got 10cm of trunk) the shop owner said I should of not planted it in clay as there's no nutrients in it? Is this true or not? If it is true how do i enrich the soil etc so far I put slow release, advice needed guys

This is an assumption many make ..and not just about soil w/ high clay content..  

All soil, whether composed of fine silt, err.. Clay, or finely weathered sand ( the Sugar white native "soil" in some place like FL ) or areas w/ larger grained " sand " ( Here in AZ )  All of it is ..or was rock at one point and will contain various degrees of nutrients..  The idea of poor / barren / "lifeless" soil is a bit over done..  Even soil types that contain a lot of toxic metals, and very little %'ages of the basic stuff many plants need IE: Serpentine will have some deg of nutriients the plants growing in it can use..

The trouble, as Bay Android points out is ..if there is little or no bioactivity in it, those nutrients / elements contained in the " mineral " soil won't be as available to plants..  As he said, tossing around compost once or twice a year will get the process of getting the life back into over worked and likely depleated ( of microbes ) soil.. As it decomposes, that compost / mulch will help w/ keeping the soil moist for longer as well..

Since you mention the water you put down seems to drain away quickly, would dig down ....say about 6-8".. to see if it is still moist at that depth.. Dry at the surface means nothing since that isn't where the majority of the roots of most plants will be..

If dry at the deeper depth example i laid out, your soil may contain more sand that allows for faster drainage..

A rule i grew up with, related to how quickly the soil in my yard might drain is ...Dig a hole ...approx 1ft deep by 1ft across ( some people go 2ft X 2ft ) and fill with water.. If it drains in under an hour, your soil drains pretty well.. If the hole is still full of water several hours ..a day later?  your soil drains poorly and might need to be amended to drain better.  This is esp. impactful in winter when evaporation rates are lower / soil temps cool / cold. At that time of year,  soil that stays wet and cold for long periods of time can invite trouble ( Pathogenic Bacteria / Fungi that can cause root rot, etc... )

[palm789]

When I dug the hole for the plant I soaked it to test drainage and the water when from bottom of hole in about 15-20 seconds. 

[Allen]

Your soil draining that fast may not be fully clay.  You need wood mulch bad.  Trachycarpus love clay here as long as it stays wet.  You also need a slow release fertilizer in that soil.  You are a candidate for my newest video.  

[SeanK]

Replant it, mixing the soil with hardwood mulch or peat moss.

Plant it about one inch above grade.

Add mulch to at least one inch to cover the root zone.

Water as you had been until September 1st.

[Merlyn]

I'd agree with the above comments.  Adding a bit of organics to the soil is probably a good idea.  Adding some mulch on the top will help nutrients by decomposing and promoting good microbes.  The palm in the photo might be planted too deep, it's hard to say.  Here's a great planting depth tutorial, written by a PT member (and I think IPS Director?): http://www.marriedtoplants.com/palms/palm-tree-growing-tips-mounding/