I Need To Increase My Soil Temperature By About 3F.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Hi Everyone,

I need to increase my soil temp by about 3F or 4F. I live in Flour Bluff in Corpus Christi, Texas (Zone 10A), and I have about 90-98% sand in my yard. My January soil temp averages about 57F to 57.5F, but I need it to be about 60F or 61F. I am growing coconut palms, and I don't want to lose them. They need a minimum soil temp of about 60F, so I need to increase my winter time soil temp by a few degrees. I add some compost, mulch, and my slow release MicroLife All Organic fertilizer when I plant them, but what could I do to increase the soil temps over the long term? Do compost and mulch actually increase the soil temp as the biological activity increases in the soil? I want to do this all naturally.

Thanks,
John

 

[Becky]

How about laying something dark on the surface to absorb more energy from the sun? If your soil is mostly sand then I'm guessing it is relatively light and so would otherwise reflect light away. You could try black plastic sheeting perhaps?

 

[Chuck]

Like @Becky says. When I want to warm up my soil for faster and earlier seed germination I cover the soil with black plastic. But you have to have sunshine and lately it wouldn't work. When you add green material to your compost pile it does raise the temperature but doing this to a planted tree is not feasible.

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Thanks, but I am wanting to do it naturally. I always heard that compost and increased biological activity in the soil increases soil temps, so I guess I can just add about an inch of compost a couple of times throughout the winter.

 

[Chuck]

Thanks, but I am wanting to do it naturally. I always heard that compost and increased biological activity in the soil increases soil temps, so I guess I can just add about an inch of compost a couple of times throughout the winter.

Adding compost to the top of the soil won't work. It is the composting green materials that make the heat. And if you incorporate green materials in with your trees it will gas off your nitrogen and possibly damage the root system. Compost on top of the soil a few inches deep will greatly increase the soils fertility but will only act as an insulator when it comes to temperature

 

[Sheal]

I wonder if bark chippings around the base of the palms would work? They are usually dark in colour too, which would absorb heat from the sun.

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Adding compost to the top of the soil won't work. It is the composting green materials that make the heat. And if you incorporate green materials in with your trees it will gas off your nitrogen and possibly damage the root system. Compost on top of the soil a few inches deep will greatly increase the soils fertility but will only act as an insulator when it comes to temperature

I have added fresh Eelgrass seaweed from the Laguna Madre by where I live as a natural mulch around the base of my Jamaican Tall and Maypan Coconut Palms, since the tall varieties seem to thrive in salty conditions and since seaweed seems to be high in Potassium, which Coconut Palms need in the cooler winter months when they develop Potassium deficiencies. I have just added compost and Texas Native Hardwood Mulch, a shredded organic mulch around my Malayan Dwarf Coconut Palm, since Malayan Dwarfs don't seem to like the salt as much.

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

I wonder if bark chippings around the base of the palms would work? They are usually dark in colour too, which would absorb heat from the sun.

I usually use Texas Native Hardwood Mulch as an all organic naturally dark brown mulch around all my plants, and I am using it around by Malayan Dwarf Coconut Palm, and fresh Eelgrass seaweed around my Jamaican Tall and Maypan Coconut Palms, since seaweed seems to be high in Potassium, and Coconut Palms need Potassium in the winter when they develop a Potassium deficiency. I did not add this to my Malayan Dwarf, because the Dwarfs seems to not like the sea salt as much as the talls do.

 

[Sheal]

It seems you have a challenge on your hands. Will the loss of three degrees really make a difference to their growth?

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

It seems you have a challenge on your hands. Will the loss of three degrees really make a difference to their growth?

Yes, where tender tropical plants are marginal, even just a 2F difference can make a world of difference, so I am trying to give them every advantage I can (naturally) without having to rely on any artificial means like heater or heating cables. In the Rio Grande Valley, where winter time soil temps stay about 2F to 3F warmer, the Coconut Palms can grow to be 25ft. to 45Ft. tall depending on the variety and with nuts on them! So, yes, 2F or 3F can make a world of difference.

 

[CanadianLori]

Thanks, but I am wanting to do it naturally. I always heard that compost and increased biological activity in the soil increases soil temps, so I guess I can just add about an inch of compost a couple of times throughout the winter.

I don't see what is not ecofriendly about using dark cloth or landscape fabric as long as you don't heave it when temps go up. Save it to use year after year. Just as some people wrap their bushes in burlap or bags makes sense, so does what Chuck says...

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

I don't see what is not ecofriendly about using dark cloth or landscape fabric as long as you don't heave it when temps go up. Save it to use year after year. Just as some people wrap their bushes in burlap or bags makes sense, so does what Chuck says...

Lori, I suppose it is ecofriendly enough, but I am trying to do everything as natural as possible. I am a landscape designer and my specialty is palms and other tropical plants as well as organic landscaping. I am going for a tropical beach look in my front yard and a tropical jungle canopy look in the backyard. It is the natural aesthetic look that I am mainly concerned with.

 

[Becky]

Lori, I suppose it is ecofriendly enough, but I am trying to do everything as natural as possible. I am a landscape designer and my specialty is palms and other tropical plants as well as organic landscaping. I am going for a tropical beach look in my front yard and a tropical jungle canopy look in the backyard. It is the natural aesthetic look that I am mainly concerned with.

Ah ok. How about dark stone then? It would look lovely and would both absorb and retain heat from the sun

 

[CanadianLori]

Oh, I thought you were just looking for a temporary solution for a few months of the winter. My bad...

 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Ah ok. How about dark stone then? It would look lovely and would both absorb and retain heat from the sun

Thanks, Becky, that is a very good idea. Something like black lava rock? As the lava rock would naturally break down a little over time due to weathering, it would enrich the soil, like the great lava soil in Hawaii.