I think my Pheonix palm's had it!!

[Like em Big]

I have (had!!) a Five foot Pheonix palm which in it's pot has sailed through past winter's, but this winter has done a number on it. At the weekend I pulled out a rotten central spear...BUT..the surrounding stems are firm.

Please can someone either break it to be gently or tell me that everything will be fine.
I am in denial for the moment, and it's not the Egyptian River before anyone says it!!

Many Thanks

[Dave Brown]

If it is just one spear the growing point may not have rotted. What can happen is water runs into the crown and freezes around the soft part of the spear. This then rots and pulls out. If it is only one you'll probably be ok, it is when you have half dozen of the younger leaves as well the the damage can be terminal. Perhaps drench with a fungicide, but then try to keep rain off. All being well, it will regrow over the summer

[PETER G.]

If its the very central part that has come away, then I think you will find that it has had it. Its going to be a game of wait and see. If the rest of it starts to go brown during this summer then I'm afraid it will be time to say goodbye. I have a couple of 10 footers in the back garden, both in the ground and even these have suffered during the winter with much of them going brown. The middles seem o.k. tho. Good luck with yours, hope you are lucky.

[Like em Big]

Thanks, it was the central spear that came away.
I've tipped it sideways to run the excess water off, and yes I'll wait and see.
The other leaves are very rigid, and otherwise looked healthy. So I was hoping it would fight back. As I know nothing I'd thought I'd ask.

[kentgardener]

Hello 'Like em'

give it a chance - I have had palms with spear pull in the past - it can take months for the new growth to appear. I would definately avoid getting any water in the central bit and tuck it away out of sight so that you dod't have to dwell on it.

Cheers

John

[AndrewBird]

I have just bought Pheonix palms from Wilkinsons, The lable said that they are hardy, is this not the case?

[grub]

Welcome aboard Andrew Pheonix palms are Hardy if large enough and depending on how you overwinter etc, in rural Oxfordshire I won't be bothering with them anymore as far as i'm concerned they are simply summer bedding . I did have a large one that I mothered through 3 winters but every year it looked tattier and this winter saw it off.

[AndrewBird]

Welcome aboard Andrew Pheonix palms are Hardy if large enough and depending on how you overwinter etc, in rural Oxfordshire I won't be bothering with them anymore as far as i'm concerned they are simply summer bedding . I did have a large one that I mothered through 3 winters but every year it looked tattier and this winter saw it off.

Thank you and Hi to you too. I have 2 of them now but not sure whether to plant them out any more or not.

[cbagy]

exactly the same happened to my p/canariensis this winter, no protection whatsoever, growing back with a vengance now though. Give it a few months to recover if you wish to keep it, if not they are very cheap. Monitor the soil dampness and dont be tempted to feed it to force growth ( a lot do, some get away with it ).

[Cathy]

Like em big, When I read your post, I thought you were talking about a Pheonix Roebellini (sp?) as I am so used to seeing P. Canariensis referred to as Phoenix canariensis_CIDP.
If you have Roebellini then you are lucky to have overwintered it outside at all, let alone this last winter. - well done you! We had one which died in a mild winter, a few years ago.
Welcome to HTUK Andrew! P.Canariensis is much more hardy that P.R. but saying that, our XLarge one is still looking terrible this spring!
Cathy

[palmking]

I've got two in the garden . The one on my dry bed is completely undamaged,even the spears. In fact it's growing quite quickly now. The other near a south facing wall has just had 3 spears pull on it.These were all newly emerging spears at Autumn.The 4th that was emerging is pretty browned but will not pull. The Crown/bud is clean and not rotten.

Like Dave said, in my instance, this is due to winter wet rot to the emerging spears and not just simply frost damage. The palm was protected with fleece in the worst spells but snow/ice had got into the crown and well, caused rot on the soft growth, which sustained cold damage, allowing bacterial pathogens to attach the growth.

The rest of the palm is very green indeed and perfectly healthy. Removing the damaged spears will allow air to flow around the crown and reduce humidity. It is then however difficult to prevent moisture entering the crown by covering it without increasing the humidity by trapping airflow;which is counter-productive.

Cinnamon powder is a good natural fungicide . So i'll be using that instead of a copper based product. In any case, that should be applied at the first sign of cold damage, not after the symptoms appear.I'll be leaving the plant to its own devices. I have good hopes for it but i'm not too bothered as I have a 4 1/2 foot butiagrus and a 3 1/2 foot tall Jubaea X Butia that can go in its place !

Paul.

[AndrewBird]

i took your advice and I returned the 2 phoenix palms to wilkinsons. At first they wouldnt take them back but i explained that i had spoken to an expert and they agreed to let me change them for chamerops humils

I bought some coleus seeds as well

[Cathy]

Well done you Andrew! You do have to watch these high street shops and DIY sheds like B&Q who mis-identify palms/'nanas and will make outrageous claims as to the hardiness of Palms!

A few years ago we paid £40 for a lovely Glaucous (blue) Bismarkia Palm from B&Q which claimed to be hardy. It was not. It died. Despite my best optimistic efforts. Too late for us to demand a refund but a lesson learned.

Cathy.

[AndrewBird]

Well done you Andrew! You do have to watch these high street shops and DIY sheds like B&Q who mis-identify palms/'nanas and will make outrageous claims as to the hardiness of Palms!

A few years ago we paid £40 for a lovely Glaucous (blue) Bismarkia Palm from B&Q which claimed to be hardy. It was not. It died. Despite my best optimistic efforts. Too late for us to demand a refund but a lesson learned.

Cathy.

Thank you Cathy, I wasnt going to let them rip me off