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Recently, my mom purchased some palm trees, the ones you grow in large pots. They were transplanted, watered, and allowed to grow but unfortunately, we noticed that one of the palm trees lacked nutrients and started to die.
So we went online to check for the best homemade organic fertilizer that our palm tree needs and after getting to work, the palm trees are growing just fine.
It may come as a surprise to you but most times palm trees lack nutrients and they require proper feeding to thrive abundantly.
One might ask, why not use synthetic fertilizers? These fertilizers may not be good for palm trees and might be lacking in some areas.
Well not to worry because, in this article, I have discussed some easy homemade organic fertilizers for palm trees and how to get the various recipes.
What Kind Of Nutrients Do Palm Trees Need?
Most times palm trees grow on nutrient-deficient soils like sand, so they have to be fed with fertilizers that contain the necessary nutrients to grow, some of these nutrients include :
- Nitrogen
- Iron
- Potassium
- Magnesium
These nutrients are very essential for palm trees to grow strong, we are going to discuss their various roles in detail below.
1. Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a key component in amino acids formation and as such, it is very important in plant protein and enzymes. Palm Trees cannot grow into healthy mature trees without nitrogen because it makes up 5-6% of the plant’s structure. Nitrogen is very important when plants photosynthesize because it is one of the major ingredients in chlorophyll formation. A deficiency of nitrogen may result in stunted growth.
2. Iron
Iron is essential in palm tree growth because it helps to provide oxygen, the formation of chlorophyll, and it gives the plants their green appearance. Iron is also needed to transport plants through their circulatory system, when plants lack Iron, they may develop chlorosis.
3. Potassium
Potassium plays an important role in transporting water essential nutrients and other substances from the roots of palm trees up to the stem in areas where they are needed. Potassium also accelerates the rate of photosynthesis in plants and also helps the growth and reproduction of palm trees. A deficiency or lack of potassium mainly to stunted growth or chlorosis.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium plays an important role in palm tree formation because it activates protein synthesis and gives plants their characteristics green colour or shade.
Magnesium is also very important because it is a key element in the formation of chlorophyll which is a substance used during photosynthesis.
Deficiency of magnesium may lead to slow growth of palm trees, chlorosis, dropping of older leaves and necrosis of plants.
Now that we have considered an essential nutrient needed in palm trees and their growth we will now discuss how best to prepare homemade fertilizers that contain these nutrients and how to prepare their various recipes.
Homemade Fertilizer For Palm Trees +Recipes
The recipe and homemade fertilizers discussed below are the ones that are necessary and important for the growth of palm trees.
1. Egg Shells and Vegetable Mix
Ingredients needed for these homemade fertilizers include eggshells and leftover green vegetables preferably words and Epsom salts. Three ingredients will be added to a mixing bowl and combined for about 30 minutes to an hour. We won’t use regular salt in this recipe but rather we make use of Epsom salts, this is because Epsom salt contains magnesium sulphate. The eggshells in this mixture are rich in potassium and calcium and are an alternative when milk is unavailable.
2. Soya Bean Meal +Cottonseed Meal
Getting ingredients such as soya bean meal, cottonseed meal, and bat guano is very important as long as they contain the essential nutrients that are needed.
Next, we can add orange peels as a valuable source of iron and also kitchen wastes such as vegetables and grains.
Combine the mixture in the bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour after that it can be applied when needed to the plants.
3. Bone Meal + Kelp Meal Fertilizer Recipe.
For this fertilizer recipe, we’re going to need a bone meal, kelp meal, lime, and seed meal. The seed meal should be three to four cups while the rest should be 1 cup each.
The ingredients should be poured into a mixing bowl and allowed to sit for one hour. This organic fertilizer can last up to 18 months.
The ingredients above are rich in phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, iron, and calcium.
Did you notice that all the recipes discussed or mentioned above are less expensive, easy to obtain, and less harmful to the environment?
These homemade fertilizers can be prepared at your home and trusted to give your palm trees the desired perfection it needs.
What Is The Best Natural Fertilizer For Palm Trees?
There are over 1,000 species of palm trees known. So deciding the type of homemade organic fertilizer for the palm tree can be quite challenging since all fertilizers should contain the necessary macronutrients that are needed for palm trees’ growth and development.
To determine the specific organic fertilizer that a palm tree needs, the soil type should be checked, the climate condition the palm trees are prone to, and also if the plants are susceptible to pests and diseases are other factors to consider when choosing organic fertilizers for plants.
When testing fertilizers it is also important that we purchased a slow-release fertilizer for Palm Trees. This will keep supplying the palm trees with the nutrients needed for several months.
Even though organic homemade fertilizers are cheap and easily available, most times they may not contain all the nutrients that are needed for plant growth at the same time.
For example, the bone meal, cottonseed meal, and dolomite lime are not rich in iron and magnesium and may be lacking in palm trees if given as fertilizers repeatedly.
Another example is the ammonia, Epsom salt, and beer homemade fertilizers, they are not rich in nitrogen and potassium and may cause the plants to be deficient in these essential nutrients.
So finally we can say those essential nutrients are very important in the healthy growth of palm trees. Whether the fertilizers are homemade or they are purchased, they should contain the essential nutrients that are needed by palm trees.
Bear in mind that all fertilizers might not work for other palm trees, so you should keep trying other fertilizers till you get your desired results.
