Pygmy Date Palm help

Greenaroo · Post by **Greenaroo** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:39 am

Hi, I'm new to the forum and new to palm trees as well.

About a month ago I purchased two 3' tall Pygmy Date Palms. The first couple of weeks they looked to be doing fine. Then they slowly started looking really awful. I don't believe I am over or under watering them, yet the palms fronds seem to be drooping and look rather scraggly. There are also a few patches of brown on them. I must be doing something wrong, but I don't know what...

Here are a few pictures. I hope someone can help me. Thanks!

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:37 pm

welcome Susan. The phoenix roebelenii (pygmy date palm) loves sun and water. Both of which you can probably not provide enough of right now. Mine start to look a little like yours towards the end of winter inside. Make sure it is watered well and gets as much sun as you can provide right now. It will surely perk up when you get it outside, Susan (not shirley). Good luck.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:09 pm

Hi Susan, welcome to the forum.
Agree with Kent re water needs. These need a bit of water virtually every other day, never allow the soil to dry out completely on the top, but don't let it sit in a drainpan of water either.

As to sun, these are famous as office plants, doing well with virtually no direct sun, but brighter light will certainly do them some good.

Mist it every other day, too, which improves the dry house air it's probably getting now.
Barb

Greenaroo · Post by **Greenaroo** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:40 pm

Hi Kent and Barb! Thank you so much for replying. I hope you're both right. The room where the palms are is usually sunny and quite humid due to my pond plants that over-winter in an indoor water garden. However, after reading your posts I am concerned that I haven't been watering them enough -- Only once every 3-4 days. I was afraid of overwatering and killing them. I guess I went too far in the other direction! I'll step up the watering and hopefully that'll help.

How warm does the weather need to be before they can go outside? How much direct sun can they take?

Thanks again!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:01 pm

Susan, sounds like your home environment is near-perfect, especially the combination of sunshine and humidity.

Hope you don't now overwater.
My trio of Pygmies looks about the same size as yours.
I give it 2 cups of tepid water every two days.
Misting IMO is as important as watering.
And water around the top of the pot, so not watering just one side.
Not really enough to run out the bottom, but that way the top of soil doesn't dry out.

Others here can better comment on sun/patio needs, but after all danger of frost, all my plants go out on the patio into morning sun only (remember to gradually get them into sun, otherwise sunburn).
Those that like full sun are placed further away from the building.

Barb

Dean W. · Post by **Dean W.** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:45 pm

Susan,

Welcome to the forum and good luck with your Pygmy Date Palms.

Dean

Kansas · Post by **Kansas** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:00 pm

These are VERY VERY tempermental palms. They are almost like a human in their mood swings.
I would say yours are doing fine. I wouldn't water them any more than you already are as what OPPalm was refering to was when it is in bright unfiltered sun is when it needs LOTS of water.
What you need to do now is check your weather outlook. If it calls for lows not below 40, I would stick it outside under a canopy of some sort to block out the bright sun right off, to prevent sunburn. But leave it outside for about 3-4 days, then bring it out into bright, unfiltered Sun and water in well. Then I bet it will perk up QUICK, easily with in 24 hours.
After that, like OPPalm said, when it's getting full sun, you may have to water it every other day.
I believe it is sulking now because of a change in scenery. It sounds dumb, but believe me, these things are scary with their mood swings.

Greenaroo · Post by **Greenaroo** » Thu May 01, 2008 3:27 am

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone!

I researched a variety of palms for weeks before I bought these. Since I had never had palms before, I wanted to learn as much as I could about their care and choose a type that seemed relatively easy to grow. Pygmy Date Palms seemed perfect. I had no idea they were so tempermental.

I didn't think any plant could be as sensitive as my two braided tropical Hibiscus trees.

The weather forecast is calling for night time lows in the mid 40's to low 50's for the next 10 days. Since I can't put the hibiscus outside until it's no lower than 50 at night, I think I'll wait and put them and the palms out at the same time. Everyone can spend a few days until the patio awning while they adjust to the sunlight.

I think this forum is going to be very helpful to me!

Cali-wanna-b · Post by **Cali-wanna-b** » Mon May 12, 2008 7:42 am

Susan

Hello from central Pennsylvania!!!

I think the only indoor palm more tempermental than a pygmy is a majesty palm. Your plam looks like a classic over watered indoor pygmy. I have killed at least 4 of them this way. Through my failures I finally kept a pygmy alive by doing the following:

- Provide as much direct sun as possible.
- Watered my 3 gallon pot ONCE a MONTH
- Keep away from heat vents.
- IGNORED IT....lol. The less attention I gave it, the better it did!!

About a month ago I put all my tropicals outside in a shady part of the yard to get them ready for the summer. I had to bring them in 3 times since due to cold, but for the most part they are on their own. A week ago I pot planted my pygmy in my tropical garden. That same night we went down to 27*!!!!! Below is a pic of it with a banana to the left that didn't like the frost at all...lol.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon May 12, 2008 9:46 am

Nice specimens Craig.
Is that a musa basjoo? Is the new shoot green? It'll probably make it if it is.
Barb

Greenaroo · Post by **Greenaroo** » Mon May 12, 2008 10:23 am

Nice palm! Thanks for the info. Since I've moved mine outside a week ago they've perked up somewhat. They're in a semi-shady area for now, but I'll be moving onto the pool deck next month which is mostly sunny.

Do you use any special type of fertilizer on yours?

Cali-wanna-b · Post by **Cali-wanna-b** » Mon May 12, 2008 11:25 am

Barb
That is a Blue Java or Ice cream banana. It does have a new leaf waiting for warm weather. Below is my 4' basjoo that I over wintered in my basement. Frost got it also, but it is also pushing up a new leaf. It's staying in the ground next winter.

Susan
I fertilize with Espoma Palmtone twice a year, spring and fall.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon May 12, 2008 12:26 pm

That's a nice basjoo, Craig.
It'll sure grow tall this year!

Susan, glad your stuff has responded to warming weather.
Barb

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Pygmy Date Palm help

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