Usual high quality presentation with excellent advice, George. You should send some of your videos to the producers of Gardeners' World, suggesting they run a regular feature on exotic plants suitable for UK gardens, with yourself as the resident expert. Much more interesting and relevant than some of their features, where they visit the gardens of stately homes where the grounds are maintained by a small army of staff.
Hi Alan and thank you very much! I think others with more experience and knowledge have tried a more exotic series in the past (Nick Macer comes to mind) but I understand it’s been quite a niche area of gardening compared to veg growing and visiting the stately homes etc. It’s definitely gaining hugely in popularity now though! To be fair to them they have had at least one garden every week or so with an exotic vibe this year, it’s great to see 😃
George’s Jungle Garden, your videos are quality an help a lot an I’m just starting out really, I’m trying to design mine an if my garden looks a quarter as good as yours I’ll be happy. 😁😂👍
Yep I'd love to see content like yours on gardener's world. Would get a lot more people trying out tropical here in the UK. I'm just happy I found your channel on here. I'm currently landscaping my garden to have a lush tropical feel and all your advice is priceless. Ty
Great comprehensive info' George. I have two trachycarpus fortunes in very large pots, and have used Palm Focus for 3 or 4 years... however, your video has taught me I'm feeding a little too often. Thanks for your help.
Thank you very much! I wouldn't say what you've been doing is definitively wrong - if it's working for you and you're roughly following the instructions then keep doing what you're doing. With many fertilisers it often gives the ratio and frequency but not the amounts per plant so potentially you can adjust as a large pot will take a lot of water but might not require the corresponding volume of fertiliser. I think the key thing is the timing and not feeding when the plant doesn't need it or can't take the nutrients up - that can save a good bit of money!
Good iadvice here. Thanks. As an alternative to the slow release fertiliser from Hardy palms I use Solabiol engrais palmiers, a French organic slow release granules fertiliser. I bought mine on Amazon for £11 for a 1.5 kilo box. Used in many South of France palm gardens.🌴
Thank you very much and I appreciate the heads up! Good to know about the alternatives, I guess there's a lot of other slow release feeds that may work well for palms in most garden soils provided they get enough minerals and trace elements etc. I just wanted to stress that I feed them in a different way to the bigger-leaved, more tropical plants here.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks for your info. George. If you want to see my 30 year old Brahea and a Jubaea the same size as yours have a look at my YT vid called Palm tree garden in my London home spring 2023 update🌴😲😎
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I used to add Nitrogen feed to a lot of plants, and they would look great that year and then not do so well the following, I didn't have any tropical plants, mostly cottage garden style plants, lupids, fix gloves and the likes
@@missdimples1982 Oh right, I guess that could have an impact. It shouldn’t really affect plants like that negatively from one year to the next but personally I’d save the high nitrogen feed for the big leafy plants and go with a more balanced feed for the flowers, otherwise they can get floppy and you get foliage at the expense of the lovely flowers!
I feed my palms with palm focus every week from mid April to mid September, I just put a cap full into full watering can. Gunna try seaweed and chicken manure as well this year. Thanks for the tips 👍
That sounds about right, I guess if you follow their instructions it is diluted well and will drip feed nutrients right through the growing season. Nice one. I wasn't trying to say this is exactly what people should do, more of a case of this is what I do and why, this is why I avoid certain other things but there's obviously a lot of room for other successful methods and products!
Hi Max. You so sweet and cute.Try a coconut!Also a cocoa and coffe bean plant in a pot. They will grow. I once had a friend in England who tried growing them and they grew. In winter she kept them in their pots in her washroom.Do you have cactus? Or lemon grass. Grows lovely in pots. Vanilla will most certainly in the UK. TRY IT PLEASE. Tell me the results George.Thanks for sharing. God Bless.
Haha thanks! I’ve had a go at growing most of those before, I love growing all sorts! I do have some nice cacti that go out into the garden over summer, they definitely give it an unusual touch!
Thanks Ivor, that's really kind of you! That's awesome, a step up from what we can grow here! I've got a nice Kentia houseplant though, it's a lovely graceful plant.
i needed this video last year... woops! better to know what to do now than when my transplants are beyond saving. i can still get them to recover i think. they didn't take kindly to last summer due to lack of roots - i have just bought the root stimulant! i think they will bounce back well with that, it's exactly what they need, more roots!
Hi Jim and I'm sure it'll help. I've got one the same, it's really struggled, so I'm giving it a good dose this spring to help it out. Fingers crossed it works well for you, plenty of water will be great too.
I've always used miracle grow palm fertilizer. Seems to work great. I had my majesty this year take temperatures down to 35 digress Fahrenheit. But I never once thought about rooting hormone to make a great root system! Very great idea I'm going to have to certainly try it if i can! Great thinking.
Hi, that's fantastic if it's worked for you! Different things for different climates I guess and over here there's only a small range of specific fertilisers and a lot of mainstream ones that aren't optimal. I do rate the palm booster but I'm not sure where it's available across the world unfortunately.
I've had good results from the Specialist Palm Fertiliser sold by The Palm Centre. A teaspoon in a watering can, every 7-10 days. Its 6.99 for 500g so very affordable.
That should be fantastic then, not one that I've tried but good to know you've had positive results. A smaller quantity of something specific beats a larger quantity of a generic off the shelf high nitrogen fertiliser for palms any day in my opinion.
High George great all round advice I've used Vitax tree fern & palm feed on my Washingtonia Robusta 's cordylines & Trachys with fantastic results npk 6-1.4-3 ratio with trace elements all my palms/ cordylines potted 11 or so lol 😆
Hi Stephen and thanks, that sounds great to me too. I think the trace elements are definitely important for palms and great to know that you’ve had success with your cordylines too!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks mate 👍 definitely 100% with you with the liquid seaweed swear by the stuff, normally cycle it with the palm feed say midweek with the seaweed & the weekend with the palm feed seems to work well 👍
@@stephenkeeble6857 That sounds like a good plan then. I'm not saying my way is the only way at all, just these are the products I use and why, plus why I don't use others and some of the reasoning. It's great to know you have your own plan and approve of the same products though!
😂 I hope you watched it whilst at work then Dan, it’s basically training. Obviously hugely paraphrased with ‘personally’ and ‘in my experience’ as I’m not a soil scientist or have 50 years gardening experience!
Thank you for all these tips, especially the rooting hormone. By the way, your auto focus did great when you turned to the Butia odorata @10:47. The Gunnera is growing like carzy! Enjoy Spring and Summer! Bon courage carrying on with the Mediterranean garden! See you!
Thank you very much Bernard, it is a fantastic time of year and I’ve been busy picking up a load of natural stone for the fire pit this week. I actually noticed that auto focus moment too, it’s got eye detect and is usually quite reliable but stuck to me there perfectly! Impressive technology! See you soon.
He can sniff around them when I put them down fresh so I always try to get them watered in quickly to get rid of the smell quicker. I'm sure he nibbles one or two down before he gets the message that he shouldn't be doing it but he generally loses interest soon enough!
Hi George! Have you had any pink chinas shoot out yet? I planted one last year after finally being able to get hold of one, and I haven’t seen any action from it coming back up yet… 😰
They should be coming up over the next few weeks I'd say, things I overwintered in the ground are just starting to show themselves now so I wouldn't worry!
Great video, George, my big palms are looking yellow , so I welcome the feed advice , I have got the bucket of slow release and they have had one feed maybe a bit to early , definitely going to try the palm focus . 👍
Thanks Phil. I wouldn't worry too much about it being a bit early, it'll probably come available at the right time with it being slow release. I hope it improves them, I'm sure it will but it's well worth reading the palm blogs on the Hardy Palms website, loads of helpful info on there!
I've got a small Butia odorata then a larger eriospatha, I'm not sure how long they'll take to get to fruiting size over here but I'll definitely try it!
@@vincenzecalzone8666 Haha I missed this comment, you crazy guy! Is 'Palm Focus' your superpower? The ability to hunt down palms wherever they are in the city you're in?!
Hiya George what is the best feed to give banana plant never been outside as they are babies still but want to harden them and get them in the grown but want to get the feed at the ready.
Hi Ryan, personally I use a bit of all sorts for bananas including chicken manure pellets, liquid seaweed, tomato feed, Chempak No. 2 high nitrogen feed - any of those will work just fine.
Maxxxxxxxx Cute thing Hey George so Liquid seaweed chicken pellets for Gunnera ? Mines just not moving at all Thanks for info have the tree fern feed I’ll use it tomorrow
Haha yes, he can be! That's what I've used for my Gunnera this year but watering is the crucial thing for sure. It's a great time to feed with some warmth on the way!
Love your videos George. I share a passion for tropicals too ! Question.....I have purchased some really large palm trees....mule, pindo, european and windmills. The nursery that sold them and installed them said not to fertilize the first year. Should I just use the palm booster on them? Sounds like you have used palm focus on new transplants , etc. What are your recommendations?
Hi Troy and thanks! I guess your climate is different to ours and you get more summer heat. There is an argument that you shouldn’t feed newly planted plants so they are encouraged to spread their roots out but over here where most palm growth is slow, anything that helps is worthwhile. I don’t feed mine that much but this is generally what I’d recommend in an ideal world. There’s nothing wrong with letting them settle in and put their roots down before you feed them and if they’re large that may be important but I’d say something like Palm Booster is an exception as it’s a rooting stimulant so would help. There’s nothing scientific I can add either way but if your nursery sells lots of palms in your area I’d go with their advice!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you George I will get some of your recommended Palm Booster for the roots. and next year, hit them starting in May with the Palm Focus. It does get cold in Atlanta GA. Usually each winter for about a week, it will take a dip into the teens here. Not zero degrees but cold. I think a couple of my palms good to 20 degrees fahrenheit so i may have to take extra precaution but I understand the bigger the tree and bigger the root ball, the more tolerant of cold. It took a bobcat to move them into place. George you camera presence is so smooth, I'm surprised you don't have your own gardening show? I'm here in the U.S. so if you get on HGTV, plz let me know. I'd be a regular !
@@troywells2440 Nice one and thanks! I only started making these vids last year, it's definitely been a learning curve but I keep trying to improve them with the time I have. As for your palms, yes, bigger palms generally take a good bit more cold and it sounds like you've got some beauties! Over here some of those palms struggle due to our wet winters and cool summers but I'm sure they'll grow better for you with your warm summers and generally drier winters I imagine. They should settle in well this summer and the feed will really get them growing next year! All the best with them!
If you read the instructions they do imply using it fairly regularly but I guess it depends on the total amount you give. A smaller quantity every week or two should be alright, but in small pots especially I tend to underfeed rather than risk overdoing it.
Great advice George, what do you use for your tree ferns? Mine are just starting to uncurl some new fronds so I would imagine now is a good time to start feeding ! They are still in pots for now too👍
Hi Trev and nice one. Personally I'd give them a drink of diluted liquid seaweed every couple of weeks or so now, maybe some chicken manure pellets or HSK tree fern feed instead. They're not heavy feeders as such but a bit of TLC will definitely help with them being in pots.
Hi Jimmie, I've done some on mulching with organic matter which is the main thing I do but it's something I will cover in more vids going forward -it's such an important part of the process.
Hi Stewart, no I don't, no specific reason why not but I generally tend to focus on improving the soil with organic matter for my tree ferns then maybe a handful of chicken manure pellets and blood fish and bone around them in spring. I think creating the right soil environment and watering are a lot more important that feeding them with fertilisers but I have also used the HSK tree fern feed in the past.
Hi Roland, I got mine from another gardener so I know they're genuine manicata, unfortunately they are mixed up with tinctoria a lot in the nursery trade. If I come across a genuine source I'll share it on my FB page. Aquatic plant nurseries may be a good place to start?
Gold content george as usual! I've just brought 2 robusta for the garden and was needing a feed video. And up pops this!! Brill! Where I live is clay, alkaline, so would I be correct in needing acidic soil for this type of palm? Tempted to try some sulphate of iron to help change the soil? Currently building a tiki bar too, ready for summer! Keep up the good work and content!!
Thank you very much! Perfect timing then! I know they prefer slightly acidic soil but it's not a specific issue I've had to deal with here. It could be worth getting one of those soil testing kits to get an accurate PH number in the planting area then you've got something to work from, rather than trying to add products to change it without knowing the base level. That's what I'd do but more out of being intrigued and wanting to save money! Nice one on the tiki bar, that's cool. Hopefully we get a great summer to enjoy it! Cheers, I will do!
Thanks for making this video, can I ask how often I should water my newly planted Jubea, it's a decent size from hardy palms, so pot grown, in a South facing border, with underlying sandy soil, I feel I need to water regularly as first year, but I'm a bit worried about over watering as they like it dry. I know you've recently planted your one out, so thought I would ask . Thanks
Thanks for watching Diane. Lucky you and great choice! If you Google Hardy Palms Blog you’ll see some helpful articles about watering etc - palms can use a lot of water during the warmer months here. Jubaea chilensis survive and grow in a drier climate but they definitely grow stronger with more water so don’t be afraid to give it a good soaking every week or two now it’s warmer. I hope it settles in well for you!
Great video as usual George. Unfortunately my dog adores chicken manure pellets (or anything manure / fish-blood-bone related) and will dig the garden up to find them 🙄 I've seen growmore for sale alongside the other two but didn't know if you'd recommend it as an alternative to chicken manure pellets? Used spent mushroom compost as a mulch in Feb/March but don't want to be missing out on improving the soil due to the dog, if possible.
Hi Josh and thanks! The spent mushroom compost is a great soil improver and I’ve used growmore alongside chicken manure pellets before with good results. I’d definitely give it a go again and now is the perfect time for it too. Max can be funny around the pellets too, it usually takes telling him off a couple of times before he gets the message 😂
To be honest with you I'm struggling there! That being said you must have got a much larger range of palm feeds available to balance things out I guess!
Hi George, would they be the same fertilizers for sago palms, canary island palms and cordylines? i have 2 very poor looking sagos and would love to revive them. also I have a Canary island palm that is 5ft in a 69l pot im now thinking this could be to small? your advice is much appreciated.
Hi Miley and yes, I think I'd give the same to those plants too, although I suspect cordylines aren't as fussy. You can really try to flood the sagos with loads of watering and some feed at this time of year to encourage them to flush and send new fronds out. As for the CIDP, it depends on the size of the trunk and how long it's been in the pot really but the larger the pot the faster it'll size up for sure with them.
Hi, thanks for making the video, how often should Palm Focus be used, I currently use it twice a week on a Trachycarpus and a Chamaerops. Is that too much?
Thanks for watching Gaz. There's different factors but personally I'd go for something like every couple of weeks from May through to mid-August as a balance, that should support their main growth through the warmer months.
Hi Joanne, yes, I'd say it does. Just because they can cope with drier conditions and poorer soil doesn't mean that's the best way to grow them, with additional water and feed while it's warmer they should grow faster and look more healthy!
Another great informative video, thank you George. Could you recommend anything for my sick looking bamboos which are in large pots. Two of them are new, purchased the end of last year, very few leaves after the winter and hardly any new shoots?
@@sianjones5863 Hi Sian, depending on the variety, some are better at looking green in winter than others but I suspect the pots are probably too small. With smaller pots they're more vulnerable to extremes in temperature (freezes in winter and roasting in summer) plus they're likely to dry out quicker too, neither of which is good for Fargesia bamboos. Personally I'd pot them up a bit, maybe mix in some chicken manure pellets then keep them well watered. You'll probably find out they put new green leaves out soon anyway though.
Excellent video George as always. George do you plant your palms in arid beds or space them out around the garden with soil which has a high amount of grit?
Hi Dec and thank you. We’ve got relatively neutral soil drainage wise so I haven’t needed to dig in any grit. Trachycarpus seem to cope just fine in winter and increasing the drainage would mean they’re very thirsty in summer. I tend to plant them straight in then use banks or mounds to plant palms requiring a bit more winter drainage in - Butia, Jubaea & Chamaerops etc.
It’s worth googling the Hardy Palms blog and looking at the water requirements one, a lot of them really drink a lot in the summer so it’s really a case of balancing that with your soil’s winter drainage to find a middle ground. For me it’s the raised up beds just to give them a bit of drainage but access to the moisture below.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks very much George for replying, i'm on chalky soil in sth.london. some of my palms are planted in soil with enhanced grit for drainage,may do the same for the rest ,many thanks mate
@@slimytoad1447 It sort of depends what palm in my experience and what your soil is like in winter, for the more Mediterranean style palms you can’t go wrong with better drainage, for the Trachycarpus from cooler, wetter climates in Asia, they’re not quite as fussy and won’t like to dry out in warmer weather.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden yes George you're right, i have around 15 or 17 palms to plant, several are quite delicate but survived our mild yet very wet winter, a few have spotted leaves.my trachycarpus palms thrive in winter with zero ill effect
Hi George, great video and info. What feed would you recommend for a Ensete? I have it in a pot as last year it didn't really do well in my border, I think due to the clay content.
Hi Heather and thank you very much. Ensete can grow really well in big pots, I’ve overwintered them in small pots, planted into larger pots over summer then brought back into smaller again for winter without issues. Feed definitely helps them get big and you can ignore a lot of what I said in this video when it comes to them, high nitrogen and lots of it work well! I’ve used anything and everything from Miracle Gro, liquid seaweed, chicken manure pellets, tomato feed to Chempak number 2 which is a specific high nitrogen feed. In pots you can feed them every week or two from May to August, no problem.
As for your soil, if you do want to plant one out it could be worth digging a bag or two of soil conditioner into the area. It’ll help the structure of the soil so they can actually get their roots into the clay and make the most of it’s natural nutrients. Lots of water in summer is great too.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks George. I have alot of different feeds. Just wanted the reassurance I was using the right stuff. As for the soil, I will try to improve it. Most of my plants do fine, but not the Ensete. It's weird as my Musa Basjoo is thriving in the border. Thanks for your advice 👍
@@heatherfindler6950 Hmm that’s interesting, not sure why the basjoo would thrive but not the Ensete! You’ll be just fine with those kinds of feeds and I hope you get a lot of summer growth out of them all 😃
Hey George, do you have experience with transplant shock, I've got a 5ft trachy that's starting to look very unhappy, browning fronds that are dropping. Despite good soil, watering and fertilizer and not sure why it's so sad, it's been in ground for around 2 months now. Is this normal?
Hi, did you remove any of the leaves when you dug it up? I’m sure it will recover eventually but if you remove a good few of the lower leaves it’ll give it the best chance of getting there sooner (it balances out the root loss), plus make sure you keep up the watering and perhaps use Palm Booster too.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden it was straight from the supplier so perhaps I've used the wrong term there and just mean planting. It was super healthy when we took delivery! I'll take a couple of the very scraggy ones off and see how we go. I ordered the big fertiliser pack from Hardy Palms after your video the other day 👌🏽. Thank you for taking the time to reply!
@@Amylynchdesign Oh right, not sure about that then, they’re usually very well grown from a lot of suppliers and grow away quite reliably. Maybe worth sending them a photo and asking for advice? No worries and the fertiliser should help, I put a good bit down earlier in the month 😃 Fingers crossed it picks up for you soon!
Usual high quality presentation with excellent advice, George. You should send some of your videos to the producers of Gardeners' World, suggesting they run a regular feature on exotic plants suitable for UK gardens, with yourself as the resident expert. Much more interesting and relevant than some of their features, where they visit the gardens of stately homes where the grounds are maintained by a small army of staff.
Hi Alan and thank you very much! I think others with more experience and knowledge have tried a more exotic series in the past (Nick Macer comes to mind) but I understand it’s been quite a niche area of gardening compared to veg growing and visiting the stately homes etc. It’s definitely gaining hugely in popularity now though! To be fair to them they have had at least one garden every week or so with an exotic vibe this year, it’s great to see 😃
I agree ☝️definitely should be on tv 📺 so if you producers are scouting for new talent, look 👀 no further. 👌👌👌👌
@@DJSupaflyguy Haha thanks for the support! Pleased to hear you enjoy me rambling on so much!
George’s Jungle Garden, your videos are quality an help a lot an I’m just starting out really, I’m trying to design mine an if my garden looks a quarter as good as yours I’ll be happy. 😁😂👍
Yep I'd love to see content like yours on gardener's world. Would get a lot more people trying out tropical here in the UK. I'm just happy I found your channel on here. I'm currently landscaping my garden to have a lush tropical feel and all your advice is priceless. Ty
Great comprehensive info' George. I have two trachycarpus fortunes in very large pots, and have used Palm Focus for 3 or 4 years... however, your video has taught me I'm feeding a little too often. Thanks for your help.
Thank you very much! I wouldn't say what you've been doing is definitively wrong - if it's working for you and you're roughly following the instructions then keep doing what you're doing. With many fertilisers it often gives the ratio and frequency but not the amounts per plant so potentially you can adjust as a large pot will take a lot of water but might not require the corresponding volume of fertiliser. I think the key thing is the timing and not feeding when the plant doesn't need it or can't take the nutrients up - that can save a good bit of money!
Good iadvice here. Thanks. As an alternative to the slow release fertiliser from Hardy palms I use Solabiol engrais palmiers, a French organic slow release granules fertiliser. I bought mine on Amazon for £11 for a 1.5 kilo box. Used in many South of France palm gardens.🌴
Thank you very much and I appreciate the heads up! Good to know about the alternatives, I guess there's a lot of other slow release feeds that may work well for palms in most garden soils provided they get enough minerals and trace elements etc. I just wanted to stress that I feed them in a different way to the bigger-leaved, more tropical plants here.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks for your info. George. If you want to see my 30 year old Brahea and a Jubaea the same size as yours have a look at my YT vid called Palm tree garden in my London home spring 2023 update🌴😲😎
@@jtruman48 Thanks, I'll have a look for that later on, they sound like awesome plants!
Looks like your rain dance is working 🌧
Yes indeed, we had a good soaking at last today, certainly required and perfectly timed before things warm up!
thank you so much great tips for me being in the uk also :)
Nice one, thanks, I'm pleased it's helped!
Nice to see Max in YOUR palm George!
😂😂😂 I see what you did there…
Fabulous George, thanks. I am ordering some of the products you recommend for sure.
Nice one, pleased to have helped!
I often wondered why after feeding a plant through the summer to get amazing growth, for it to struggle and die off at the years end, makes sense now
What plants are you thinking of?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I used to add Nitrogen feed to a lot of plants, and they would look great that year and then not do so well the following, I didn't have any tropical plants, mostly cottage garden style plants, lupids, fix gloves and the likes
@@missdimples1982 Oh right, I guess that could have an impact. It shouldn’t really affect plants like that negatively from one year to the next but personally I’d save the high nitrogen feed for the big leafy plants and go with a more balanced feed for the flowers, otherwise they can get floppy and you get foliage at the expense of the lovely flowers!
👌👌👌👌Thanks for the tips an advice.👍
Thank you very much for watching as always!
I feed my palms with palm focus every week from mid April to mid September, I just put a cap full into full watering can. Gunna try seaweed and chicken manure as well this year. Thanks for the tips 👍
That sounds about right, I guess if you follow their instructions it is diluted well and will drip feed nutrients right through the growing season. Nice one. I wasn't trying to say this is exactly what people should do, more of a case of this is what I do and why, this is why I avoid certain other things but there's obviously a lot of room for other successful methods and products!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden you are right that improving the soil is the best way overall
@@jasonspalmparadise Definitely, I think it's easier and long term is definitely the best thing for sustainable growth and a healthy garden.
Hi Max. You so sweet and cute.Try a coconut!Also a cocoa and coffe bean plant in a pot. They will grow. I once had a friend in England who tried growing them and they grew. In winter she kept them in their pots in her washroom.Do you have cactus? Or lemon grass. Grows lovely in pots. Vanilla will most certainly in the UK. TRY IT PLEASE. Tell me the results George.Thanks for sharing. God Bless.
Haha thanks! I’ve had a go at growing most of those before, I love growing all sorts! I do have some nice cacti that go out into the garden over summer, they definitely give it an unusual touch!
Aussie Ivor here, You're doing a great job in you're garden.
I like palms too, I have Kentias, Alexandra's, Bungalows, dracaenas are good too.
Thanks Ivor, that's really kind of you! That's awesome, a step up from what we can grow here! I've got a nice Kentia houseplant though, it's a lovely graceful plant.
Thank you so much for all your videos. You have fantastic knowledge. I really appreciate you share it with us.
Thank you for watching and your kind words! I wouldn't claim to be an expert but enjoy sharing what has and hasn't worked for me!
Thank you, George, helpful tips as always👍
Thanks for watching as always!
Thanks George for the info
Thanks for watching Iris 😃
i needed this video last year... woops! better to know what to do now than when my transplants are beyond saving. i can still get them to recover i think. they didn't take kindly to last summer due to lack of roots - i have just bought the root stimulant! i think they will bounce back well with that, it's exactly what they need, more roots!
Hi Jim and I'm sure it'll help. I've got one the same, it's really struggled, so I'm giving it a good dose this spring to help it out. Fingers crossed it works well for you, plenty of water will be great too.
Just bought a 2kg tub of slow release fertiliser 😊😇 thanks for the reccomendation.
Nice one Mike, I put some on last weekend! Thanks for watching!
I've always used miracle grow palm fertilizer. Seems to work great. I had my majesty this year take temperatures down to 35 digress Fahrenheit. But I never once thought about rooting hormone to make a great root system! Very great idea I'm going to have to certainly try it if i can! Great thinking.
Hi, that's fantastic if it's worked for you! Different things for different climates I guess and over here there's only a small range of specific fertilisers and a lot of mainstream ones that aren't optimal. I do rate the palm booster but I'm not sure where it's available across the world unfortunately.
Excellent informative video, thanks George!
Thank you very much!
I've had good results from the Specialist Palm Fertiliser sold by The Palm Centre. A teaspoon in a watering can, every 7-10 days. Its 6.99 for 500g so very affordable.
That should be fantastic then, not one that I've tried but good to know you've had positive results. A smaller quantity of something specific beats a larger quantity of a generic off the shelf high nitrogen fertiliser for palms any day in my opinion.
High George great all round advice I've used Vitax tree fern & palm feed on my Washingtonia Robusta 's cordylines & Trachys with fantastic results npk 6-1.4-3 ratio with trace elements all my palms/ cordylines potted 11 or so lol 😆
Hi Stephen and thanks, that sounds great to me too. I think the trace elements are definitely important for palms and great to know that you’ve had success with your cordylines too!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks mate 👍 definitely 100% with you with the liquid seaweed swear by the stuff, normally cycle it with the palm feed say midweek with the seaweed & the weekend with the palm feed seems to work well 👍
@@stephenkeeble6857 That sounds like a good plan then. I'm not saying my way is the only way at all, just these are the products I use and why, plus why I don't use others and some of the reasoning. It's great to know you have your own plan and approve of the same products though!
This information is actually useful for work! Normally I just comment about Max
😂 I hope you watched it whilst at work then Dan, it’s basically training. Obviously hugely paraphrased with ‘personally’ and ‘in my experience’ as I’m not a soil scientist or have 50 years gardening experience!
Thank you for all these tips, especially the rooting hormone. By the way, your auto focus did great when you turned to the Butia odorata @10:47. The Gunnera is growing like carzy! Enjoy Spring and Summer! Bon courage carrying on with the Mediterranean garden! See you!
Thank you very much Bernard, it is a fantastic time of year and I’ve been busy picking up a load of natural stone for the fire pit this week. I actually noticed that auto focus moment too, it’s got eye detect and is usually quite reliable but stuck to me there perfectly! Impressive technology! See you soon.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden see you George, always a pleasure!
@@shineamenmbs3107 Likewise, take care 😃
👍🏻 don’t you find Max eats the chicken pellets? Our dogs love them. It’s ok when planting but we can’t just scatter them around.
He can sniff around them when I put them down fresh so I always try to get them watered in quickly to get rid of the smell quicker. I'm sure he nibbles one or two down before he gets the message that he shouldn't be doing it but he generally loses interest soon enough!
just what i needed thank you 🤙
Nice one, thanks for watching!
Hi George!
Have you had any pink chinas shoot out yet? I planted one last year after finally being able to get hold of one, and I haven’t seen any action from it coming back up yet… 😰
They should be coming up over the next few weeks I'd say, things I overwintered in the ground are just starting to show themselves now so I wouldn't worry!
Great video, George, my big palms are looking yellow , so I welcome the feed advice , I have got the bucket of slow release and they have had one feed maybe a bit to early , definitely going to try the palm focus . 👍
Thanks Phil. I wouldn't worry too much about it being a bit early, it'll probably come available at the right time with it being slow release. I hope it improves them, I'm sure it will but it's well worth reading the palm blogs on the Hardy Palms website, loads of helpful info on there!
See if you can get a Butia capitata Wine Palm the fruit are delicious.
I've got a small Butia odorata then a larger eriospatha, I'm not sure how long they'll take to get to fruiting size over here but I'll definitely try it!
Great advice mate. I absolutely love Palm Focus and hammer my palms with it. It's like sweet amber nectar🤣🤣.
Haha I thought you might! 😂 Do you get a tanker each spring?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden 🤣🤣. I have a taste of it myself 🤣🤣
@@vincenzecalzone8666 Oh dear, oh dear! Is that what you're supping then in those nighttime relaxing shots?!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden What doesn't kill you makes you stronger 💪 🏋🤣
@@vincenzecalzone8666 Haha I missed this comment, you crazy guy! Is 'Palm Focus' your superpower? The ability to hunt down palms wherever they are in the city you're in?!
Hiya George what is the best feed to give banana plant never been outside as they are babies still but want to harden them and get them in the grown but want to get the feed at the ready.
Hi Ryan, personally I use a bit of all sorts for bananas including chicken manure pellets, liquid seaweed, tomato feed, Chempak No. 2 high nitrogen feed - any of those will work just fine.
Maxxxxxxxx
Cute thing
Hey George so Liquid seaweed chicken pellets for Gunnera ?
Mines just not moving at all
Thanks for info have the tree fern feed I’ll use it tomorrow
Haha yes, he can be! That's what I've used for my Gunnera this year but watering is the crucial thing for sure. It's a great time to feed with some warmth on the way!
Love your videos George. I share a passion for tropicals too ! Question.....I have purchased some really large palm trees....mule, pindo, european and windmills. The nursery that sold them and installed them said not to fertilize the first year. Should I just use the palm booster on them? Sounds like you have used palm focus on new transplants , etc. What are your recommendations?
Hi Troy and thanks! I guess your climate is different to ours and you get more summer heat. There is an argument that you shouldn’t feed newly planted plants so they are encouraged to spread their roots out but over here where most palm growth is slow, anything that helps is worthwhile. I don’t feed mine that much but this is generally what I’d recommend in an ideal world. There’s nothing wrong with letting them settle in and put their roots down before you feed them and if they’re large that may be important but I’d say something like Palm Booster is an exception as it’s a rooting stimulant so would help. There’s nothing scientific I can add either way but if your nursery sells lots of palms in your area I’d go with their advice!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you George I will get some of your recommended Palm Booster for the roots. and next year, hit them starting in May with the Palm Focus. It does get cold in Atlanta GA. Usually each winter for about a week, it will take a dip into the teens here. Not zero degrees but cold. I think a couple of my palms good to 20 degrees fahrenheit so i may have to take extra precaution but I understand the bigger the tree and bigger the root ball, the more tolerant of cold. It took a bobcat to move them into place. George you camera presence is so smooth, I'm surprised you don't have your own gardening show? I'm here in the U.S. so if you get on HGTV, plz let me know. I'd be a regular !
@@troywells2440 Nice one and thanks! I only started making these vids last year, it's definitely been a learning curve but I keep trying to improve them with the time I have. As for your palms, yes, bigger palms generally take a good bit more cold and it sounds like you've got some beauties! Over here some of those palms struggle due to our wet winters and cool summers but I'm sure they'll grow better for you with your warm summers and generally drier winters I imagine. They should settle in well this summer and the feed will really get them growing next year! All the best with them!
Thank you, George. I should stop using Palm Focus every single Thursday then... 😳
If you read the instructions they do imply using it fairly regularly but I guess it depends on the total amount you give. A smaller quantity every week or two should be alright, but in small pots especially I tend to underfeed rather than risk overdoing it.
Great advice George, what do you use for your tree ferns? Mine are just starting to uncurl some new fronds so I would imagine now is a good time to start feeding ! They are still in pots for now too👍
Hi Trev and nice one. Personally I'd give them a drink of diluted liquid seaweed every couple of weeks or so now, maybe some chicken manure pellets or HSK tree fern feed instead. They're not heavy feeders as such but a bit of TLC will definitely help with them being in pots.
Is there a video on soil improvement?
Hi Jimmie, I've done some on mulching with organic matter which is the main thing I do but it's something I will cover in more vids going forward -it's such an important part of the process.
Hi George, do you use the "Palm Focus & Booster" on your Dicksonia Antarctica's?
Hi Stewart, no I don't, no specific reason why not but I generally tend to focus on improving the soil with organic matter for my tree ferns then maybe a handful of chicken manure pellets and blood fish and bone around them in spring. I think creating the right soil environment and watering are a lot more important that feeding them with fertilisers but I have also used the HSK tree fern feed in the past.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George 👍🏻
Nice video
Can you tell me if I can could use
PALM FOCUS for ARHONTOPHOENIX
PLEASE
Thank you very much! I won't pretend to have specific experience of the feed with that palm but I personally would use it without worries, yes.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you pal
I have a question not about palm's.
But were did u get ur manicata from.
I can not find them at al.
Or they ar tinctoria and not manicata
Hi Roland, I got mine from another gardener so I know they're genuine manicata, unfortunately they are mixed up with tinctoria a lot in the nursery trade. If I come across a genuine source I'll share it on my FB page. Aquatic plant nurseries may be a good place to start?
Gold content george as usual! I've just brought 2 robusta for the garden and was needing a feed video. And up pops this!! Brill! Where I live is clay, alkaline, so would I be correct in needing acidic soil for this type of palm? Tempted to try some sulphate of iron to help change the soil?
Currently building a tiki bar too, ready for summer!
Keep up the good work and content!!
Thank you very much! Perfect timing then! I know they prefer slightly acidic soil but it's not a specific issue I've had to deal with here. It could be worth getting one of those soil testing kits to get an accurate PH number in the planting area then you've got something to work from, rather than trying to add products to change it without knowing the base level. That's what I'd do but more out of being intrigued and wanting to save money! Nice one on the tiki bar, that's cool. Hopefully we get a great summer to enjoy it! Cheers, I will do!
Thanks for making this video, can I ask how often I should water my newly planted Jubea, it's a decent size from hardy palms, so pot grown, in a South facing border, with underlying sandy soil, I feel I need to water regularly as first year, but I'm a bit worried about over watering as they like it dry. I know you've recently planted your one out, so thought I would ask . Thanks
Thanks for watching Diane. Lucky you and great choice! If you Google Hardy Palms Blog you’ll see some helpful articles about watering etc - palms can use a lot of water during the warmer months here. Jubaea chilensis survive and grow in a drier climate but they definitely grow stronger with more water so don’t be afraid to give it a good soaking every week or two now it’s warmer. I hope it settles in well for you!
Great video as usual George.
Unfortunately my dog adores chicken manure pellets (or anything manure / fish-blood-bone related) and will dig the garden up to find them 🙄
I've seen growmore for sale alongside the other two but didn't know if you'd recommend it as an alternative to chicken manure pellets?
Used spent mushroom compost as a mulch in Feb/March but don't want to be missing out on improving the soil due to the dog, if possible.
Hi Josh and thanks! The spent mushroom compost is a great soil improver and I’ve used growmore alongside chicken manure pellets before with good results. I’d definitely give it a go again and now is the perfect time for it too. Max can be funny around the pellets too, it usually takes telling him off a couple of times before he gets the message 😂
@@GeorgesJungleGarden haha cheers George!
I’d like to try the products like palm booster but they will not ship to USA. Any suggestions on another source for palm booster for US customers
To be honest with you I'm struggling there! That being said you must have got a much larger range of palm feeds available to balance things out I guess!
Hi George, would they be the same fertilizers for sago palms, canary island palms and cordylines? i have 2 very poor looking sagos and would love to revive them. also I have a Canary island palm that is 5ft in a 69l pot im now thinking this could be to small? your advice is much appreciated.
Hi Miley and yes, I think I'd give the same to those plants too, although I suspect cordylines aren't as fussy. You can really try to flood the sagos with loads of watering and some feed at this time of year to encourage them to flush and send new fronds out. As for the CIDP, it depends on the size of the trunk and how long it's been in the pot really but the larger the pot the faster it'll size up for sure with them.
Hi, thanks for making the video, how often should Palm Focus be used, I currently use it twice a week on a Trachycarpus and a Chamaerops. Is that too much?
Thanks for watching Gaz. There's different factors but personally I'd go for something like every couple of weeks from May through to mid-August as a balance, that should support their main growth through the warmer months.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you.
Hi. thankyou for that info. Does the same advice apply to chaemerops?
Hi Joanne, yes, I'd say it does. Just because they can cope with drier conditions and poorer soil doesn't mean that's the best way to grow them, with additional water and feed while it's warmer they should grow faster and look more healthy!
Another great informative video, thank you George. Could you recommend anything for my sick looking bamboos which are in large pots. Two of them are new, purchased the end of last year, very few leaves after the winter and hardly any new shoots?
Thanks Sian. What bamboo are they please and roughly what sized pots are they in?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Morning George both bamboos are fargesia and one is in a pot about 14 Ltr and the other about 10Ltr.
@@sianjones5863 Hi Sian, depending on the variety, some are better at looking green in winter than others but I suspect the pots are probably too small. With smaller pots they're more vulnerable to extremes in temperature (freezes in winter and roasting in summer) plus they're likely to dry out quicker too, neither of which is good for Fargesia bamboos. Personally I'd pot them up a bit, maybe mix in some chicken manure pellets then keep them well watered. You'll probably find out they put new green leaves out soon anyway though.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you so much for the good advice, I’ll give that a try.
Excellent video George as always. George do you plant your palms in arid beds or space them out around the garden with soil which has a high amount of grit?
Hi Dec and thank you. We’ve got relatively neutral soil drainage wise so I haven’t needed to dig in any grit. Trachycarpus seem to cope just fine in winter and increasing the drainage would mean they’re very thirsty in summer. I tend to plant them straight in then use banks or mounds to plant palms requiring a bit more winter drainage in - Butia, Jubaea & Chamaerops etc.
It’s worth googling the Hardy Palms blog and looking at the water requirements one, a lot of them really drink a lot in the summer so it’s really a case of balancing that with your soil’s winter drainage to find a middle ground. For me it’s the raised up beds just to give them a bit of drainage but access to the moisture below.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks very much George for replying, i'm on chalky soil in sth.london. some of my palms are planted in soil with enhanced grit for drainage,may do the same for the rest ,many thanks mate
@@slimytoad1447 It sort of depends what palm in my experience and what your soil is like in winter, for the more Mediterranean style palms you can’t go wrong with better drainage, for the Trachycarpus from cooler, wetter climates in Asia, they’re not quite as fussy and won’t like to dry out in warmer weather.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden yes George you're right, i have around 15 or 17 palms to plant, several are quite delicate but survived our mild yet very wet winter, a few have spotted leaves.my trachycarpus palms thrive in winter with zero ill effect
Hi George, great video and info. What feed would you recommend for a Ensete? I have it in a pot as last year it didn't really do well in my border, I think due to the clay content.
Hi Heather and thank you very much. Ensete can grow really well in big pots, I’ve overwintered them in small pots, planted into larger pots over summer then brought back into smaller again for winter without issues. Feed definitely helps them get big and you can ignore a lot of what I said in this video when it comes to them, high nitrogen and lots of it work well! I’ve used anything and everything from Miracle Gro, liquid seaweed, chicken manure pellets, tomato feed to Chempak number 2 which is a specific high nitrogen feed. In pots you can feed them every week or two from May to August, no problem.
As for your soil, if you do want to plant one out it could be worth digging a bag or two of soil conditioner into the area. It’ll help the structure of the soil so they can actually get their roots into the clay and make the most of it’s natural nutrients. Lots of water in summer is great too.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks George. I have alot of different feeds. Just wanted the reassurance I was using the right stuff. As for the soil, I will try to improve it. Most of my plants do fine, but not the Ensete. It's weird as my Musa Basjoo is thriving in the border. Thanks for your advice 👍
@@heatherfindler6950 Hmm that’s interesting, not sure why the basjoo would thrive but not the Ensete! You’ll be just fine with those kinds of feeds and I hope you get a lot of summer growth out of them all 😃
Hey George, do you have experience with transplant shock, I've got a 5ft trachy that's starting to look very unhappy, browning fronds that are dropping. Despite good soil, watering and fertilizer and not sure why it's so sad, it's been in ground for around 2 months now. Is this normal?
Hi, did you remove any of the leaves when you dug it up? I’m sure it will recover eventually but if you remove a good few of the lower leaves it’ll give it the best chance of getting there sooner (it balances out the root loss), plus make sure you keep up the watering and perhaps use Palm Booster too.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden it was straight from the supplier so perhaps I've used the wrong term there and just mean planting. It was super healthy when we took delivery! I'll take a couple of the very scraggy ones off and see how we go. I ordered the big fertiliser pack from Hardy Palms after your video the other day 👌🏽. Thank you for taking the time to reply!
@@Amylynchdesign Oh right, not sure about that then, they’re usually very well grown from a lot of suppliers and grow away quite reliably. Maybe worth sending them a photo and asking for advice? No worries and the fertiliser should help, I put a good bit down earlier in the month 😃 Fingers crossed it picks up for you soon!