What's the best soil mix for palms?

13 years ago

I've recently discovered this site & have read many posts about Al's mixes & how successful they are! (Thank's Al- What a guy!!)

I have a lady palm I'd like to put in a glazed pot & keep out year round (north facing) as a focal point.

Would the gritty mix work or something else. Also, if that mix would be recommended where do i find the ingredients?

I'm on Florida's west coast south of Sarasota. I'm also pretty new to container gardening so any advice would be welcomed!

Thanks!

Sky

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Comments (7)

meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
Hi sky..

Personally, I find much success in the 5.1.1 mix...FANTASTIC results in fact..

That would be 5 parts bark, 1 part peat, and 1 part perlite..

You should be able to find most if not all the ingredients at a local nursery or big box store..There is also tons of ideas here at this forum from others whom have found the ingredients in other places..

Mike
skyanne_9
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks so much Mike for your reply! so you've used the 5.1.1 mix for PALMS with great success???

I've tried to locate the bark & Gran-I-Grit locally with no success & scouring this forum for someone in my area has turned up empty as well.

I was hoping to find a soil mix that would last at least a few years for me--anyone?

Sky
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Actually we use a layer of perlite at the bottom too-and quite successfully. As we use capillary matting, the perlite acts like a wick and sucks the water up until it reaches the soil and moistens it. As long as the water has somewhere to drain it hasn't been a problem for us. Any water will drain accordingly as long as the pot isn't submersed in water above the layer of perlite (and for all practical reasons, you don't want the water that high). From a terrarium post: " Perched just means it's [water] sitting on the pot bottom, and drainage layers act to remove soil moisture. " A perched layer of water will only cause trouble with if there's no drainage. If there's adequate drainage, the water won't perch. Of course we're very careful to ensure that the pots don't sit in water, luckily the cap mats will only hold so much! :-) Pumice should be pretty interchangeable with perlite, if it's got the same size composition. Perlite does vary from tiny to largish. It would seem that pumice may also. Best, Judy
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meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
Anything with a large percentage of peat, will not last very long since the very fine particles clog pore spaces, compacts, and breaks down within a very short period of time, something I found all my previous palms despised.

You said you couldn't locate Gran-I-Grit. Why?
In the 5.1.1 mix, perlite is called for, and this is what I use for a 1 part. The Grit is for the gritty mix..

Let's just say I have palms growing it this 5.1.1 mix since I started using it when I first joined these forums, maybe two years or longer. I find they hate to be transplanted, so I just leave them alone in the good mix.

If you want your soilless mix to last even longer, the gritty mix is the best way to go..I don't have any palms in this yet. Maybe someone else does though, and can tell you how their's is doing..

Mike.;-0)
skyanne_9
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the update Mike!
The closest I've found to the bark is "Pine Mulch" at Wal-Mart. It doesn't list ingredients & nowhere does it say "bark". You think that might work?

I'll continue to look for it & the other stuff as well. I guess it just depends on what I can find.

I was hoping to have this planted long term, but it's good to know you've had yours in the perlite mix for 2+ years, and your experience with transplanting.

Sky
meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
Sky, I will take a picture of my Kentia Palm, one I paid a lot for that I was too scared to put in anything else but this mix..

I will be back with a picture tomorrow or Saturday..

If worse comes to worse, and you can't find your ingredients, you can always buy a good bag of potting mix such as Farfard that has a higher content of bark than peat.

I have strained all the bark out of regular potting mix at one time, and then seperated the peat from the bark. Then just used one part of the peat to 5 parts of the bark..There are ways. And in these mixes, you don't need to lime..:-)

Mike
meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
Hi Sky, this is the picture I promised of one of my palms in the 5.1.1 mix

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skyanne_9
Original Author
13 years ago
Nice pics Mike!!! It looks very happy in the mix!

I wonder if you could cut the bottom off the pot & put it
in a larger one when you get ready to repot?

I haven't had a chance to look for any of the ingredients
in awhile, but will continue the search. I'm convinced a
bagged potting soil isn't what i want, at least not without perfoming surgery on it :)

Thanks so much for your help!

Sky

What's the best soil mix for palms?

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What's the best soil mix for palms?

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