Should I be Worried!!!!!!!

[Trachy-Colin]

HI folks I wondered if you could help. Having spent may pounds on my first specimen palms from akamba last year I am very concerned about their current state.
Firstly I have a jelly palm which last year burst into flower with several pods! sprouting throughout the year. However the recent pods are dying off quick without the flowers opening or the seed developing. New growth of palm looks to be dried out and the leaves seem in poor state please see enclosed pic.

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I also have a Trachycarpus Fort... which leaves are yellowing and look quite limp. I know this maybe wind damage but the underside of the arms are brown and speckled as shown.

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And finally for this post and to be going on with I have a potted Chusam palm which has new growth with black tips.

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I have fed the plants with chicken manure pellets and some organic seaweed solution as advised !!!!!!
Is there anything I should be worried about? do? or just let nature takes its course?

Many thanks in advance

Colin

[tropical-pete]

Hi Colin

Sorry, I can't help with the first two problems, but I'm sure on of the palm experts will give you some advice. The third one, to my unexperienced eye Looks like frost damage - looks very similar to what I have on a Phoenix Canariensis in the winter of 2006/2007 I think, although wait for someone else's opinion 'cos I'm not 100% sure

Where abouts are you? You said you bought one palm from Akamba - do you go often?

Thanks, take care

Pete

[palmking]

I'd say They're growing out frost damage too. Also wind damage very often produces the symptoms you describe/show on the Trachycarpus. It looks similar to the damage I had on a small Trachycarpus that got nearly 'crushed' by a fence panel!

The growth albeit limp at first does firm up.

The butia Capitata needs plenty of water in the summer. Make sure its free draining soil and use regular feeds. Personally i'd use palm fertiliser or another high nitrogen fertiliser like phostrogen which has a similar spectrum of minerals/nutrients to improve the plant's vigour, growth and overall condition. I'm not sure about chicken pellets. I'd rather use them on my Bananas.Buy some 'palmbooster' too.

Are you sure that's a 'potted Chusa'n' palm. Looks more like a Chamaerops Humilis Var Cerifera, especially with the black tipped spines and the bluish leaves.

Don't over fertilise though or that could well be the reason for the black necrotic leaf tips(fertiliser burn).

Paul Murray

[Trachy-Colin]

Thanks folks for advice and well spotted it is indeed a Chamaerops humilis cerifera ( I checked the label - I'm no boff yet lol). I live on a new housing development and the 12" of top quality top soil left by the builder is 100% CLAY, so I have left my specimen ones in their original tubs with holes cut in sides and plenty of gravel to try and get some drainage.
Which palm fertilser would you recommend?

[MarkD]

I don't think you haven't got anything to worry about, even the new leaf of your chamaerops that got frost burnt, it will soon be replaced. It happens to some of our palms too but they just carry on growing new ones.

[Adrian]

Most palms dont shoot away after planting, they need time to settle.
The old saying holds true,
'first year sleep, second year creep and third year leap'
Palms shouldnt be fed loads after planting, another old saying also holds true,
'hard and slow is the way to go'
an often forgotten saying.
IMO over feeding can cause many more problems than not feeding at all.
The palms in my garden get one or two spring feeds with Chempak no.3 to give them a boost and maybe something in the summer if Im out with the miricle grow for other plants, they dont need to be stuffed full of chemicals or whatever.
The palms in my front garden might only get a couple of waterings throughout the summer, they dont actually need need it, it rains enough to keep them going.

If you do feel the need to feed and feed and feed then do so but stop after august to give any soft growth time to harden up before the next winter.

In other words, plant them and give them time.

[Mick C]

Hi Colin & welcome.

I use Palmbooster on seedlings & newly planted palms as I'm sure most members here do. It is a hormone treatment that encourages root growth and has been discussed on a topic here quite recently, if you scroll back a bit.

For fertiliser I use chicken manure (regular feedings dissolved in water); I'm still fairly new to this palm growing malarkey and you may get other advice from more experienced members.

You will probably notice that the forum is a healthy mix of newbies, experts and the whole spectrum in between. It all adds to the fun!

[Dave Brown]

Hi Colin, I have not seen that type of leaf splitting on Butia. I get leaflets break, and leaf tips split. Can you confirm it is Butia capitata (jelly palm) and not a different Butia. Also a pic of the whole palm would help. I presume it is a large palm if flowering, mine flowered for the first time last year at about 10 feet tall.

Main consideration is drainage particularly in winter, builders rubble can be a problem in assiciation with clay, and if you dig a hole with good drainage it can act as a well to drain the rest of the ground.

Some palms can get winter damage to the old pre-UK leaves in winter, but if it was ok last summer and has gone downhill over winter/spring even to new leaves it could be drainage.

[Nigel Fear]

Hi Colin, you;ve been getting some sound advice already for your palms about fertilising and watering/drainage etc. I'd also look closely at the Butia to see if its had any infestation,such as mealy bug which may have sapped all the goodness from those fronds and caused them to dry and split prematurely. Thats what happened to mine when I first got it,take a look right at the insides of any fronds that are just emerging to see if any are lurking around.If so,It can be treated with provado or something similar,and will recover in time.

[Dave Brown]

The palms in my front garden might only get a couple of waterings throughout the summer, they dont actually need need it, it rains enough to keep them going.

Might be ok for you Ade, but that woudn't work here. in the 'Desert of Kent' . I think newly planted palms need to be watered well, frequently, until they get their roots into the surrounding soil, however, in view of the weather conditions last summer, particularly in parts of the Midlands and North, you might have got away with it.

For anyone thinking about planting a palm in the ground. Check the drainage and if a problem sort it out before planting the palm. Some palms can tolerate a drainage issue in the summer, but virtually none will be happy sitting in waterlogged soil over winter. The problem with palms is they are tough leaved and do not show their discomfort until after the roots are damaged.

The sort of issues for new properties are builders rubble, or a hard pan of heavy puddled clay, compacted by building machinery. How deep this is will depend on how much top soil was added over the top. Without breaking this up it acts like a pond liner. Breaking it up is sometimes easier said than done. A rotovator will work if near the surface, but if more the a few inches down the only options may be to double dig (back breaking work, or hire a mini digger for a weekend.

Colin, let us know how they are getting on. You should be seeing new growth on most palms now, and should be undamaged if all is well.

[Trachy-Colin]

The Butia Capitata was from Akamba. I have positioned it in a corner part protected. Because of the clay issue I have left in the large tub it was in, making several drainage holes in the side. Ive also dug an hole back filling with chippings to assist and 1/2 buried the pot. I have just doubled checked the soil in the pot digging down about 6 or more inches and the soil seems fine obviously not at root level but I would of expected to find it sodden if it was drainage.

Anyway new growth is coming thro but it looks dry and colourless see pics....

And a few other shots.....

And finally even I think this one got no hope...anyone guess what it was?

Colin....

[Don]

Colin, as a non expert on Palms I am pleased to inform you that the colourless dry growth on the Butia is a feature of that plant. I had the same worries a few years ago but the palm guys put me right. It will colour up green very quickly

[Nigel]

The Butia capitata you have there is particularly attractive form, sadly it seems to have suffered from the all too common problem of not having been planted directly into the ground.
Butias absolutely hate being left in pots all winter outside, the roots are not hardy enough to survive the soil freezing, and it seems like the spot you have it in is far too vulnerable to a freeze.
Raised beds are a good solution but they really need to be substantial enough to prevent the soil around the roots from freezing.

Sadly it appears the palm is possibly a goner , but if you can give it some heat in a greenhouse you might save it.

[palmking]

To be honest -some of that dry growth looks again like frost damage sustained whilst the spear was lower down the trunk. I think, so long as you look after it in summer and follow the regime of advice and water it plenty the subsequent growth should improve.

They like plenty of sun and water or the growth can come through weak but it does harden up.

Just read Nigel's post and feel a little less confident with his knowledge of butias.I'm still pot growing mine in a hot loft room(80-90f in the summer) until it's big enough to plant directly in the ground.

PS Nigel - Those Litoralis seedlings I got from you are doing fine but the Parana didn;t make it ( )

My god - have you killed that beautiful Phoenix Roebelenii !!!!!!!

-3/4C minimum if you're lucky.

[Nigel]

PS Nigel - Those Litoralis seedlings I got from you are doing fine but the Parana didn;t make it ( )

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Paul, I found another Parana seedling in the greenhouse, send me a PM reminding me of your address .