Palm trees are perennial tropical plants that require considerable care and attention to grow well and produce healthy, high-quality fruit. One of their main care requirements includes rich nutrients and calcareous or sandy soil. Like all other trees, palm trees need periodic fertilization, and nutrient deficiency in their soil can negatively affect their overall health and appearance.
Fertilizing Palm Trees with Urea
Urea is a synthetic fertilizer composed of white crystalline granules containing 46% nitrogen. It comes in granular or crystalline form and is added directly to the soil. Urea is considered one of the best nitrogen-rich fertilizers, and studies on palm trees fertilized with urea have shown highly positive results.
A study conducted on 27 Zahdi date palms between 2019 and 2020 revealed that fertilizing with 2 g of urea per liter resulted in excellent fruit characteristics in terms of fruit weight and size. Meanwhile, using 1 g per liter increased the total fruit yield.
Another study on palm trees of similar age and size showed that combining urea with potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) reduced fruit drop and improved fruit quality. The study recommended using a 2% potassium concentration along with urea for optimal results.
How to Fertilize Palm Trees Using Urea
If a grower decides to use urea fertilizer for palm trees, the following guidelines should be followed:
- Use 10–15 kg of urea fertilizer per young palm tree.
- Use 30–40 kg of urea fertilizer per mature palm tree.
- One-year-old palm trees require 4.4 kg of urea per tree.
- Fertilization should be done from September to October.
- Urea must be applied in two doses:
- The first dose is applied during the flowering stage.
- The second dose is applied after fruiting, in April.
Best Fertilizers for Palm Trees
Palm trees require the same essential nutrients as other trees: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, in addition to various micronutrients. Severe nutrient deficiency can eventually lead to tree death.
Palm trees are usually grown in sandy soils that quickly drain vital nutrients from irrigation water. For this reason, water-soluble fertilizers are not suitable because palm roots won’t have sufficient time to absorb the nutrients.
Instead, slow-release fertilizers are recommended. These fertilizers are available as granules or small pellets and release nutrients gradually, allowing palm trees to absorb them efficiently.
