Proper way to apply palm fertilizer

[Bishoop]

Cental Florida queen palms.

My palms are surrounded closely by landscape plants, mulch and in some cases grass. What is the proper way to distribute the palm fertilizer. The bag says not to pile it up near the trunk.

Do I broadcast it under the palm canopy even though there is mulch, plants and grass in that area?

Thanks....

[JoeSpareBedroom]

What's the chemical analysis on the package? You know....the numbers like

5-10-5 - that sort of thing. Based on those numbers, the stuff might be just fine for other plants too.

[Mike in NC]

Palm fertilizer is just ordinary landscape fertilizer with added some trace elements. You can broadcast it as you say. You could also use an auger or dibble to make holes around the drip line & put it underground in spots, especially where there is grass. However, I'm not sure if palms' roots go out that far -- maybe someone else can say.

Mike On the North Carolina coast - Zone 8a (Remove spam traps from email address to reply.)

[John A. Keslick, Jr.]

Be careful not to over fertilize. If you are using an fast release fertilizer with nitrogen, cut down the recommendations on the label.

Mulching Instructions

John A. Keslick, Jr. Beware of so-called TREE EXPERTS who do not understand TREE BIOLOGY!

fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss. Some people will buy products they do not understand and not buy books that will give them understanding.

[John A. Keslick, Jr.]

It very much can vary depending on the type of fertilizer you are using.

Sincerely,

John A. Keslick, Jr. Beware of so-called TREE EXPERTS who do not understand TREE BIOLOGY!