White stuff on T. princeps

macario · Post by **macario** » Fri May 20, 2011 3:06 am

Hello people goodmorning. I have a question maybe someone could answer. My princeps is a great little palm so different from my other trachys. My princeps not only has very blueish leaves but also has white fur all over the trunk the stems of each leave and the under sides of the leaves even have some. My waggy has this same material but its a redish brown, The princeps has crytal white. Is this typical ?

Ill get my other cam and take pics if this cell phone pics not clear enough for you

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... Csls"><img src="http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/46674 ... 425Q85.jpg" alt="2011-05-19 14.35.49">

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... JIpP"><img src="http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/44224 ... 425Q85.jpg" alt="2011-05-19 14.34.35">

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... MCNT"><img src="http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/46863 ... 425Q85.jpg" alt="2011-05-19 14.35.19">

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... VxdH"><img src="http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/45787 ... 425Q85.jpg" alt="2011-05-19 14.35.02">

<a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... rlch"><img src="http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/48073 ... 425Q85.jpg" alt="2011-05-19 14.36.25">

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Fri May 20, 2011 8:03 am

Marcio-

Hard to tell from the pictures. It's either tomentum (a natural white fluff) or mealy bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mealybug

I'm leaning toward mealy bugs. just get some ethanol, soak a paper towel and lightly rub the bugs off the leaves. You might mav to do this several times (every 2-3 days say), and would be advised to rinse the leaves with water afterwards (say 5 minutes after rubbing the leaves).

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri May 20, 2011 8:39 am

Hard to tell from those pics Mike,sorry.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri May 20, 2011 11:45 am

looks like mealy bugs.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri May 20, 2011 2:45 pm

Looking at it again and the pattern,it does look like just
an above avg amount of tomentum-we don't see a lot of larger Princeps
so it is a little hard to gauge in these cases where a bigger plant is found.

Okanagan desert-palms · Fri May 20, 2011 4:29 pm

Mike roll the white substance between your fingers. If it is slimey and turns brown you have meally bugs. Spray with a garden hose. That should get rid of most of them. Then you can use rubbing alcohol to treat the inside of the crown where they hide and can`t get with the hose.

John

macario · Post by **macario** » Fri May 20, 2011 7:57 pm

Well its not any infestation its lots of tomentum. Thnx for info.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri May 20, 2011 8:18 pm

Mike,
Glad it's not mealybugs!

Mine's got a lot of that this year too, never saw that before planting it out.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/5727616109/" title="DSC04688 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/572 ... c354b7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSC04688"></a>

Reminds me I've gotta shave my legs....

Barb

macario · Post by **macario** » Sat May 21, 2011 4:39 am

Thanks barb. I very happy with my T princeps so different but yet simular to my other trachys. Your trachy looks so happy. It looks soon your palm should be ready to show its sex. At this point I would guess girl but anythings possible.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 21, 2011 8:00 am

soon your palm should be ready to show its sex.
At this point I would guess girl but anythings possible.

Seems like there's a shortage of males.
Just like in real life (if I recall)...

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat May 21, 2011 8:36 am

lucky1 wrote:

Seems like there's a shortage of males.
Just like in real life (if I recall)...

Barb

No just good ones-not that I care....
better for me actually!
If only you women could make up your mind-JK

Kinda

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 21, 2011 9:08 am

Yeah, we decided we love palms better...