Pindo Palm shedding it's boots

[Ponds & Palms]

My brother in law has a pindo palm he got about 3 years ago from a local dealer in North Carolina so we don't know how old the palm is.  We live in zone 7b and for the most part the tree has been fine. He wraps the trunk and bottom fronds in burlap in the winter to keep it warm and with a pretty mild winter this past year all the fronds were still green unwrapping it ! Now it appears that the bottom boots are falling off (see pictures) the trunk exposed is rock hard so it doesn't seem rotten, so what is going on? There are no signs of bugs and the center spear has put out about 4 new fronds this summer. 

[Ponds & Palms]

More pics...

[Las Palmas Norte]

Humm ... some obvious signs of decay from the bases of the old petioles, oddly only on this section of trunk. Leads me to believe something is accelerating the decomposition ... was the trunk wrapped during winter? Often things appear many months after the suspected damage could have taken place.

Cheers, Barrie.

 

[Alicehunter2000]

Wrapping the trunk probably caused it IMO. Probably stayed moist and decaying boots is the result. Should be no long term effects. Wrapping the trunk probably doesn't help much with cold protection anyways. More important to protect crown/ growing point.

[Ponds & Palms]

11 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Humm ... some obvious signs of decay from the bases of the old petioles, oddly only on this section of trunk. Leads me to believe something is accelerating the decomposition ... was the trunk wrapped during winter? Often things appear many months after the suspected damage could have taken place.

Cheers, Barrie.

 

It was wrapped in the winter with burlap. I was thinking that maybe the mulch around the trunk was too high up and he needed to have a few of the roots exposed so it wasn't moist and could dry out what do you think?

[Ponds & Palms]

31 minutes ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

Wrapping the trunk probably caused it IMO. Probably stayed moist and decaying boots is the result. Should be no long term effects. Wrapping the trunk probably doesn't help much with cold protection anyways. More important to protect crown/ growing point.

I think you could be on to something if the burlap stayed moist it could have decayed the boots. Do you recommend keeping the mulch that high around the trunk or should it be ground level with the roots semi exposed so it can dry out ? what do pindo Palms prefer once they are established  damp or dry soil?

Edited August 23, 2016 by Ponds & Palms

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

I agree, something has rotted that area. Ive seen it happen with sprinklers spraying on the trunk, but not with mulch too high. Thats not to say that it is impossible. 

[Alicehunter2000]

Leave the mulch at the same level....probably doesn't need any supplemental water at this point....your in North Carolina...plenty enough water naturally unless your in some severe drought. Wouldn't wrap unless temps are expected to go into mid-teens or below for more than 8 hrs. Butia odorata can handle upper teens once established....possibly even lower. Wet and freezing is worse than dry and freezing.

[Ponds & Palms]

2 hours ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

Leave the mulch at the same level....probably doesn't need any supplemental water at this point....your in North Carolina...plenty enough water naturally unless your in some severe drought. Wouldn't wrap unless temps are expected to go into mid-teens or below for more than 8 hrs. Butia odorata can handle upper teens once established....possibly even lower. Wet and freezing is worse than dry and freezing.

Lots of good information I really appreciate the insight. I live in the same town and I have Windmill palms, waggies, needle Palms, and a Sago. I don't have much experience with butias so maybe next year I need to pick one up an experiment with it.

[Alicehunter2000]

No problem....sounds like you have the palm bug....Butia might survive for many years in a warm 7b if located in a good microclimate. I don't imagine you get into single digits regularly. ....do you?

BTW Welcome to Palmtalk 

[Ponds & Palms]

25 minutes ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

No problem....sounds like you have the palm bug....Butia might survive for many years in a warm 7b if located in a good microclimate. I don't imagine you get into single digits regularly. ....do you?

BTW Welcome to Palmtalk 

We don't really see single digits where I'm at. Interesting fact the next town over only 5 minutes away is in zone 8a. But I'm in 7b. I found this out by putting in the zip codes on a hardiness zone site.   

[Alicehunter2000]

If you put your city in your signature below your avatar it makes it easier for those who have similar climates to chime in. As you just suggested zones are too generic especially for those outside the U.S. who don't really use zones to describe their climates. You probably are 8a and might be surprised what you might be able to grow and what others grow in similar climates..........for starters....you might be able to grow Jubaea? or Nannorhopps?

Microclimates make a lot of difference as well....If you live on the side of a steep slope, or on a ridge, you can grow more, generally speaking, due to cold drainage and air movement relative to valley's that tend to collect cold air. The California folks who post on here are experts on this.....us flatlanders here in Florida less so.

[Mik]

So I’m this situation? What should be fine to protect the trunk where the boots fell off?