Produce Drop Site

By: Chris McCandlish

The Palms of Mount Pleasant has partnered with Rosebank Farms on John's Island to be a drop site for the farm's Spring Charleston Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program. (CSA programs produce organic food for pick-up or delivery.)

The Palms of Mount Pleasant will provide members of the CSA space to pick up their produce once a week from the first week in April through mid-June.

Persons interested in participating in the CSA program should visit http://www.rosebankfarms.com/ to sign up via the internet, or call Marisa Ferguson for additional details at 843-810-1277.

"We are delighted to support such a valuable program and offer the Charleston community another option to receive fresh, locally grown, seasonal produce," said Marisa Ferguson, Director of Community Relations of The Palms.

"It is important to us to make this contribution in the community," she continued.

For the past 20 years Rosebank Farms has given members the opportunity to invest in their farm, and farm operators, Sidi Limehouse and Louise Bennett, would like everyone to know the Rosebank Way: "vegetables grown for taste!".

With The Palms of Mount Pleasant as a new drop-off site, Rosebank Farms CSA will further assist in our community's healthy eating habits through offering top quality and freshness.

As far as the planting process, Brennan said palm trees can be planted in spring or summer, though summer planting requires more watering. She recommended planting in fairly neutral areas with a soil pH level of six or seven, and she said to make sure there is good drainage below the root zone. Some palms prefer shade over sun, she said, and they can take a lot of water, but not standing water.

"It's a fine line between suitable water and too much water," Brennan said. "Too much water can cause disease and fungus."

Watering needs also vary with location. "If you're planting at Isle of Palms, you're going to water two to three times as much in that sandy soil as in Dunes West and clay soil," Olivier said.

Olivier said the rate of growth depends on the species- most palm trees can take close to 20 years to grow 10 feet of trunk, but the fastest-growing species, the Washingtonian Palm (called "Washies"), can grow two to three feet a year and have a mature height of 60-90 feet. For the Palmetto (Sable Palm), the mature height is about 35 feet, Olivier said. Once it reaches the upper climes, the cooler air slows down its growth.

Also, as a rule, the colder the winter, the slower the growth the next year, Olivier added.

For fertilizing, Olivier said there are plenty of different brands of palm-specific fertilizer, which is higher in magnesium, manganese, iron, sulfur and potassium, and lower in nitrogen.

"Palms grow in sand normally, and the primary component of sand is magnesium sulfate," Olivier explained. "If you get it in clay soil, you're gonna need more magnesium."

(Chris McCandlish can be reached at news@moultrienews.com.)