Re-potting a sick Pygmy Date Palm & some misc.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:36 am

This one started to decline near the end of summer, (light green & yellowing of fronds)
Tried a fertilizer application with no effect, this is also a double, the smaller one still looks healthy

Decided a change of growing medium might help, this stuff is about 3 years old.

Removed about 50% of the old soil from the root ball.

And when done, moved inside to spend the remainder of the winter. Anything else I can do to help this one along

Steve

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:43 am

A couple more that are spending the winter inside,

Another Pygmy Date Palm, Phoenix roebelenii

CIDP,Phoenix canariensis

A couple Bismarckias, Bismarckia nobilis

Steve

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:23 am

nice work there Steve. I have had excellent luck digging PDP's out of the ground and repotting each fall. They are tough palms. Keep it warm and it should perk up in no time. Nice Bismarckia. One of my favorites. Yours look great. Did you start those from seed?

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Nov 25, 2008 6:53 pm

Thanks Kent, and for the words of encouragement too!

The Bismarckias & CIDP's were started from seed about 3 years ago, The Pygmy Dates came from Wal-Mart, maybe that is the problem?

Steve

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Nov 26, 2008 5:05 pm

A little closer look shows what might be a fungal problem occurring........................................

Have started treating the crown with hydrogen peroxide, will keep my fingers crossed and report the results.

Steve

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 6:13 pm

I think I would start treating with a systemic also. I use mine sparingly with very good results. use it 3-4 times as needed over the course of a month.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:02 pm

Thanks Kent, I'll see what I can find.

Steve

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:20 pm

Just have to ask, what's the poultry netting around the palms for? Pets?

Cheers, Barrie.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:37 am

Barrie,

That was an attempt to deter a couple indoor cats, not with much success either......

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:40 pm

Steve, your example is a reminder to us all that containerized palms need more care...
Perhaps it was salt build-up from fertilizers, a typical problem for containers.

Three years is approx what I've done too...removing old soil and refreshing.
Your PDP's roots have good colour.

I gave mine some Epsom Salts in summer, and got a nice green up within 10 days.

Good that you caught possible fungus problem early.

Some Florida websites state their biggest problem which may contribute to lethal yellowing is lack of Potassium.
But if you're using palm fertilizer that wouldn't be a problem.

Please let us know if hydrogen peroxide cleared up the problem.

I love the "boots" on tall trunks on your PDPs.
Wow, how the others have grown this year!
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 6:45 pm

Barb,

Some of the fronds are browning out now from the re-potting. That was expected, and a sign that it's still alive

Other than that, no change for better or worse............................

Had to take the van to town to pick up Sheetrock today, came back with this

A Dypsis lutescens marked down to $12.00, some of the stems are a good size.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:29 pm

I think your PDP looks good!

Wow, you got THAT for only $12.00 ??

I looked it up; one website said Areca, one said Golden Cane.

Nice one...what a coincidence you had the truck

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:21 am

Over the last two months...
Has been steadilly declining, tried Hydrogen Peroxide & a copper based fungicide. As of yesterday, the crown had pretty much collapsed.

Took about 3" off the top, the meristem still looks good, so maybe it will grow out.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:02 am

Mine seem to suffer when kept too dry.

The three inches you removed...soggy and pulpy?

I have no experience with the process, and hope it comes back quickly for you.
Will watch for your updates.
Barb

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:20 pm

bummer steve. reminds me of a haircut I got one time at a cut rate place. I think I agree with Barb about salt build up in containers. I repot most everything with fresh soil every 2-3 years. when they start to decline for no apparent reason, it usually is a soil problem. I had a liv cheninsis that was looking bad towards the end of last summer for no apparent reason, when i went to repot it there must have been a million (yes million) ants in the soil. I was dancing around the backyard as the ants were climbing my legs and my arms after I disturbed their nest. I watered the roots off and it is in the basement under lights and looking fantastic, thank you very much.

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:15 am

Barb,
Was still solid, although a bit damp. Some mold was evident behind the leaf bases.
I have no idea if this will help

Will post the results either way.

Kent,
Your story triggered flashbacks to a traumatic experience I had last summer...............

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:53 am

Hey Steve,
any chance the cats DID pee on it (despite the mesh?)

I often place fairly big rocks on top of the soil, not for cats, but to prevent top-heavy plants in pots from falling over in high winds.

But I've heard rocks work to prevent cats piddling on soil.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:24 pm

Barb,

I hope not

A good point though, will keep an eye on things.

Steve

Cali-wanna-b · Post by **Cali-wanna-b** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 3:13 pm

any chance the cats DID pee on it (despite the mesh?)

That's exactly what I was thinking. My old cat....God rest his soul.....got a chinese fan of mine. No his death had noting to do with the palm..LOL.

PDP are still the toughest palm for me to keep alive during winter. I have better luck with a Majesty palm!!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:36 pm

Someone else said they couldn't grow a PDP...forget who, yet they successfully grow everything else.

The only thing I remind myself about my PDP is not to let it get as dry as my other palms.
Every couple of days I sprinkle a cup or so of water just to keep the top of soil from drying out.
If I let the top of soil go really dry, it wilts and sulks for two weeks.

Sheesh, could the chinese fan have poisoned your cat?

Cali-wanna-b · Post by **Cali-wanna-b** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 6:43 am

Barb,
I have found the opposite to be true with every PDP I have had. Keeping the soil moist has led to fungus problems time after time for me. My current one is doing a bit better this winter. I have it growing in VERY well drained soil in a pot just big enough for the root system and water it once a month. We shall see......

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:33 am

Craig,

opposite to be true with every PDP I have had

That's what's so frustrating sometimes. I follow somebody else's cultural info and mine croaks.
They adopt mine, and theirs croaks. AAARGH!

So we'll blame (or credit) cats!

Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:48 am

Just a bit of a followup......................

Had no luck getting rid of whatever was eating away the crown

kept trimming away material until there was, well.... nothing left

Ended up cutting that trunk out, the other one in the container still looks good.

The others have been growing all winter, the challenge is getting them acclimated to sunlight again when they go back outside.

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:54 am

Steve,
Thanks for the new pics.

Since your other "two-some" is doing so well, we can rule out that these need to have pups separated from the mother.
Besides many mature pictures I've seen show PDPs in groups of 2, 3--even 5. So that's not the problem.

A darn shame, Steve, to have to cut that all the way down.

It'll be interesting to see if the remaining one will, from a shared root system, now put on a real growth spurt.
Barb

Knnn · Post by **Knnn** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:19 am

Hi Barb,

These are separate plants, it's just the nursery practice of throwing a pile of seeds in one container that gives us all these doubles,triples,etc.
Here is an interesting tidbit,

Interestingly enough, all the cultivated plants are single trunked, yet in the wild, they are all clumping, and single trunked specimens haven't been found.

http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Phoenix/roebelenii.html

Here's a link to the true clumping form, Phoenix roebelenii var. reasoneri
http://www.palmsnc.org/pages/palm_detail.php?id=123

I do like the look of solitary Palms in containers, hoping the one that's left will do well!

Steve

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 10:44 am

Thanks for the links, interesting trait that in the wild they're never solitary.

I hope your remaining palm in that pot will astound you with its growth this year.

Barb

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:56 am

too bad about the stem. oh well. if there were no challenges to this hobby it would be no fun. I mean, imagine if all your palm trees grew to 10 feet tall with no problems and no work. That would not be any fun. It is a shame when you lose a nice tree, but now you can look for another one.

PalmsNorth.com

Re-potting a sick Pygmy Date Palm & some misc.

Re-potting a sick Pygmy Date Palm & some misc.

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