Fertiliser schedule

Main nutrients (adult palms)

• Each application, per palm: urea 650 g, single super phosphate 940 g, muriate of potash 500 g. Give it about 4 times a year, or as your soil and leaf test says.
• That adds up to IIOPR's yearly dose for adult palms: 1,200 g nitrogen, 600 g phosphate, 1,200 g potash per palm.
• Young palms need less (TNAU, N:P:K per palm per year): year 1 400:200:400 g, year 2 800:400:800 g, year 3 1,200:600:2,700 g.
• With drip fertigation: every month 5 kg urea, 3 kg DAP and 5 kg MOP per acre. IIOPR found fertigation needs about half the fertiliser and gave higher yields.

Micronutrients

• Magnesium sulphate 250 g and borax 50 g per palm (IIOPR lists them in February–March and August).
• Signs of shortage: orange older fronds (magnesium), orange spots joining up (potassium), crinkled or hooked young leaves (boron).

Test before you guess

• Send soil and leaf samples for testing in April–May, or October–November if you missed it.

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