Fertilising newly planted palms
Quick answer
A newly planted palm needs water, correct planting depth and time. FAO does give explicit post-transplanting amounts for date palms, quoted below with their full context. For ornamental palm species no comparable figures exist in any source we could reach, and the general rule applies instead: establish first, feed later.
Planting depth — the rule that matters most
FAO's date palm manual states the golden rule plainly: ensure that the greater diameter of the bulb of the plant is at the same level as the soil surface. It adds a second rule that is regularly broken: the heart of the plant should never be covered with water.
Planting too deep, or letting irrigation pool into the crown, causes losses that no feeding programme can offset.
The planting hole, as FAO specifies it for date palms
FAO recommends a hole of 1 m³ with the removed soil mixed with, for a sandy or sandy-loam soil:
| Material | Amount per 1 m³ hole |
|---|---|
| Manure — good quality, properly matured and dry | 10–15 kg |
| Double superphosphate (or Maxi-fos) | 0.7 kg |
| Gypsum — only if the soil is sodium-charged | 15 kg |
| Sulphate of ammonia | 1.25 kg |
| Potassium chloride | 1.08 kg |
Context, which is not optional: these are FAO's figures for date palm establishment in agricultural production, on sandy or sandy-loam soil, per 1 m³ planting hole. They are not ornamental palm figures, not container figures, and not a Kuwait recommendation. They are reproduced because they are properly sourced and fully specified — and they should be read against the product label and a soil analysis, both of which take priority.
FAO's post-transplanting schedule for date palms
- 300 g potassium sulphate four weeks after transplanting, repeated four weeks later.
- 250 g sulphate of ammonia six weeks after transplanting, repeated six weeks later.
Same caveat: date palm, agricultural context, FAO's figures. Note that both are stated as a named formulation and a weight per palm at a defined interval — that is what a usable rate looks like, and it is why we will not offer a bare number anywhere else.
In Kuwait's conditions
FAO notes spring and autumn are preferred for planting out date plants or offshoots. Planting into Dry or Wet Summer, with maxima of 42–46°C and 45–46°C respectively, puts a palm with a reduced root system into the hardest conditions of the year.
Gypsum appears in FAO's hole specification only where the soil is sodium-charged — a condition established by analysis, not assumed.
Common mistakes
- Planting too deep, burying the bulb below soil level.
- Allowing irrigation water to pool into the heart of the palm.
- Applying gypsum without an analysis showing sodium.
- Using date palm figures for an ornamental palm or a container.
- Feeding before the palm has begun to establish.
Boundary
Every figure on this page is FAO's, for date palms, in agricultural production. None of it is a Kuwait rate, and none of it transfers to ornamental palm species or containers. The product label and your soil and water analysis take priority over anything here.
Fertilisation does not treat or prevent Red Palm Weevil. Suspected infestation is a matter for PAAF.
Related glossary terms
Sources
- FAO — Date Palm Cultivation, Chapter VI. fao.org
- Kuwait Meteorological Department — Climate.
All accessed 27 August 2026. Last reviewed: 27 August 2026.