One of the most exotic tropical trees, the coconut palm, is known for its deliciously edible seeds, the coconuts themselves. Coconut palms are also incredibly beautiful to look at, making them a great landscape addition in milder climates and an indoor plant in less temperate climates.
Growing a coconut palm is fun and easy but it’s important to make sure it’s fertilized well to get the nutrients it needs.
With that being said, not just any plant food on the shelf is going to provide your tree with the nutrients that it needs all year long. In addition, an organic option is preferred among many because it easily breaks down without harming the environment.
With that in mind, in this post, we are going to take a look at some of the best organic fertilizers that you can use on your coconut trees to keep them healthy year-round.
What is the best organic fertilizer for coconut trees?
Here are my top 3 choices, to learn more, please keep reading below.
- Jobe’s Organics Palm Tree Fertilizer
- Dr. Earth Exotic Blend
- Liquid Kelp Organic Seaweed Fertilizer
What to look for in a good organic fertilizer for coconut trees?
All plants have a list of essential nutrients that are needed for growth: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, sodium, boron, chlorine, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and nickel.
These elements are needed in varying amounts and perform critical processes within the plant.
When one is lacking, no matter if all of the other plant nutrient requirements are met, the deficiency will affect plant growth in some way.
Even if you start with really fantastic soil, that is full of organic matter or compost that will break down and release the essential nutrients into the soil, you will still need fertilizer at some point for optimum growth of your coconut tree.
As plants grow they are continuously pulling nutrients out of the soil and into their roots. In order to meet the plant’s nutritional needs as resources are depleted, it’s necessary to add these essential nutrients back into the soil in the form of fertilizers.
Fertilizers are labeled so the consumer knows the content of nitrogen, phosphorus (as P2O5), and potassium (in the form of K2O). They’ve chosen to use these nutrients over the others because plants need them in higher amounts than they do the rest.
This higher need is why fertilizers are described based on the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the bag; the numbers you see are the N-P-K ratio, telling you how of each nutrient is in the formulation.
Coconut trees are technically classified as palms, so it makes sense to look for a fertilizer specifically formulated for the needs of palm trees. There are two basic types of fertilizers: conventional and organic.
Why choose an organic fertilizer over a conventional one?
Conventional fertilizers are made with man-made, synthetic ingredients; while organic fertilizers are made with all-natural components and no synthetic ingredients thus making them much safer for the environment.
In addition, because of the nature of organic fertilizers, they can be classified as a slow release fertilizer. This means that the nutrients are released in small amounts over a long period of time making it nearly impossible to overfeed your plants.
Lastly, because the materials used are not synthetic but all-natural, when you feed your plants with an organic fertilizer you are really just conditioning the soil around them to be much healthier.
This is ultimately going to help the plant that is currently in the soil, but it will also help any plant you later decide to put in the same area.
In fact, studies have shown that natural fertilizers can improve the structure of the soil allowing it to hold water and nutrients better. This will lead to healthier soil and thus healthier plants.
It is for these reasons that organic fertilizers are growing in popularity due to their composition and can be found at many retailers.
Now that we know what to look for in a good fertilizer for your coconut trees, let’s take a look at my top 3 choices.
The Best Organic Fertilizer For Coconut Trees
Jobe’s Organics Palm Plant Food
Certified organic, and OMRI listed for organic gardening by the USDA, Jobe’s Organics Palm Tree Fertilizer is an organic granular fertilizer specially formulated to deliver fast-acting natural nutrients to palm trees.
Ideal for all types of palms, the 4-2-4 nutrient ratio provides plant essential nutrients and contains bone meal, potash, feather meal, processed manure, and their proprietary Biozome.
This plant food also helps to improve soil conditions by introducing beneficial microbes to the soil while strengthening the plant’s ability to resist diseases, insects, and drought during the active growing season.
Application tips: Apply this product at the recommended rate on the label every 2-3 months during the plant’s active growing period.
Dr. Earth Exotic Blend
Considered by many to be the most innovative organic gardening company in the United States, Dr. Earth leads the retail lawn and garden industry with its cutting-edge natural products.
So we know it does a good job in feeding your lawn, but what about your coconut trees? Do they offer an option for them? The answer is yes they do.
Dr. Earth Exotic Blend is ideal for all tropical and sub-tropical plants providing premium nutrients that are quickly released for plant uptake yet continue to feed for several months.
TruBiotic technology contributes 5 strains of beneficial soil microbes and eighteen select strains of ecto and endo mycorrhizae to the garden soil to enhance drought tolerance, soil nutrient availability, and increased plant performance.
With ingredients such as high-country feather meal, wild-caught Alaskan fish bone meal, naturally mined potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and micronutrient-rich seaweed extract you can be assured the product is safe for application around pets and children.
Application Tips: Apply per the package instruction in the spring to give coconut trees a boost and then again mid-season to supply a continual nutritional stream during the growing season.
GS Plant Food’s Liquid Kelp
GS Plant Food’s Liquid Kelp is a natural plant food providing a range of benefits for optimal plant growth and health. Liquid kelp is one of nature’s “miracle” plant food and this product is touted as one of the highest quality seaweed products available for retail purchase.
OMRI listed by the USDA for organic gardening, Liquid Kelp delivers plant essential nutrients to the coconut palm tree while increasing resistance to plant stressors such as drought, wind, insects, diseases, and excessive heat.
Application Tips: Kelp extracts are 8-20 times more effective when applied as a foliar spray; dilute 1-2 ounces of Liquid Kelp per gallon of water and spray as a fine mist in the morning or late afternoon until liquid drips off the plant surfaces.
Can be applied every time coconut trees are watered, with no ill effects or potential for toxicities.
Final Thoughts…
Coconut palm trees are one of the most well-known exotic tropical trees, adorning landscapes in temperate hardiness zones and the inside of homes where the weather isn’t as tropical.
Whether grown in the ground or in containers, they are quite easy to grow and make a beautiful addition to their surroundings.
Using one of the aforementioned organic fertilizers to supply essential nutrients as needed, will help foster strong, healthy coconut palms.
In this post, we have taken a closer look at 3 different plant foods that I think could be the best organic fertilizer for coconut trees.
Now it is your turn, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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