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My 12 foot Chinese Windmill is not growing at all.. no fronds, nothing..


CUSO

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This is my very 1st post, but I have been a lurker for a long time period last may I purchased 4 Chinese windmill Palm trees. To 6' palms 1 12 foot palm and  1 2' palm. My issue is with the 12' palm. Last year it did not produce a single frond. This April I noticed one starting to grow.  However when and finally came out it was a frond the size of my hand. However, I then noticed another spear coming out and I thought maybe this spear would be a normal sized spear. The problem is, it grew for one month in the spear stopped growing completely for the last 4 weeks. There is another spear behind it that's only 2" and it also his stopped growing completely. What could possibly be causing this stunting of the fronds? Why won't it grow? Is it going to die?

20180521_131323.jpg

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Maybe its not getting nutrients. Have you fed it? Did you/whomever planted it made sure there were no air pockets around the roots? I too am at a loss as this time of year they just seem to grow like mad!

LOWS 16/17 12F, 17/18 3F, 18/19 7F, 19/20 20F

Palms growing in my garden: Trachycarpus Fortunei, Chamaerops Humilis, Chamaerops Humilis var. Cerifera, Rhapidophyllum Hystrix, Sabal Palmetto 

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@CUSO,

From what I have heard, Trachycarpus do not like full sun conditions and heat, though apparently they can survive in Florida.

Also, are you watering it differently than your smaller ones?

I am also wondering about nutrients including Magnesium, Nitrogen, and Manganese/Zinc.

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Seen similar on one of mine. Over the course of three years it died. Another one ten feet away is growing with good vigor.

Cheers, Barrie.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Over 2 weeks later and not even 1mm of growth. everything else is thriving... speer does not pull just refuses to grow.

20180607_143749.jpg

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Welcome to Palmtalk! What soil are you using? Was it brought in?

5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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the first 1 ft is dirt I brought in. below that is a bit of clay, sand rocks and dirt mixed. same as my trees thriving next to it.

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Im guessing the large one was dug and burlapped. If so can you find out how long ago it was dug? You need to keep it watered and i suspect it was a dug palm that wasnt getting adequate water and has slowly lost fronds until it currently looks like it does now. 

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I think your correct. what can I do? I figured the clay would hold in some moisture. remember, it grew some in april

Edited by CUSO
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We moved a Trachy here many years ago, and for many years after that it didn't grow either.

It may have been about 4 or 5 years I forget but it was a long time and then it finally settled in and grew.

Yours might just take a while too for no discoverable reason.  

Cheers Steve

It is not dead, it is just senescence.

   

 

 

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Time and good care is the only thing that will help this one. Full sun isn't helping it either. 

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I have a windmill palm in the ground(10 ft), in full blistering Texas sun for at least 5+ years.  It has grown well and tolerated temps of 105 F and 8 F.  Some leaf edge burn does occur. It is not demanding for water or need winter protection here in central Texas.  I might add in that like TexasColdHardyPalms, feel that it was dug and shocked the first year then subjected to significant winter cold.  Really there is no reason that the others are OK and that one only is limping along.  Make sure you keep it watered during our dry hot spell.  I have found these palms to be the most resilient of all my palms.  Good Luck---- I hope that she survives!

 

Jimmyt

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Looks like you may have root problems and that means it will take a few years for it to recover. Do not fertilize until you get new roots in a few years, or at least just give week fertilizer that promotes root growth. All you can do now is water and let it do its thing slowly. It will recover in time. 

Edited by Palm crazy
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Every trachycarpus eventually dies here in my town. They may make 10 years if lucky starting as a nice potted specimen, but then die off eventually. Every single one that a landscaper installs with several feet of trunk never gets established, frond by frond they die until the plant uses up its reserves and dies. it Just depends on your soil and water., that one going into a texas summer is likely going to roast.

 

Edited by Collectorpalms
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Current Texas Gardening Zone 9a, Mean (1999-2024): 22F Low/104F High. Yearly Precipitation 39.17 inches.

Extremes: Low Min 4F 2021, 13.8F 2024. High Max 112F 2011/2023, Precipitation Max 58 inches 2015, Lowest 19 Inches 2011.

Weather Station: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KTXCOLLE465

Ryan (Paleoclimatologist Since 4 billion Years ago, Meteorologist/Earth Scientist/Physicist Since 1995, Savy Horticulturist Since Birth.)

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My amateur assessment is soil in that particular spot. In some cases in TJ, I've seen similar things and it was because there was some contaminant in part of the brought-in soil where the some of the roots touched. 

 

 

5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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7 hours ago, Palm crazy said:

Looks like you may have root problems and that means it will take a few years for it to recover. Do not fertilize until you get new roots in a few years, or at least just give week fertilizer that promotes root growth. All you can do now is water and let it do its thing slowly. It will recover in time. 

 

The only fertilizer I have seen work for root issues or shock periods without ill effect is sea kelp and fish fertilizers. In fact I now use them during transplants as the NPK is extremely low and they have other good nutrients for root stimulation. But I always use low does/spoon feeding. 

Edited by mdsonofthesouth
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LOWS 16/17 12F, 17/18 3F, 18/19 7F, 19/20 20F

Palms growing in my garden: Trachycarpus Fortunei, Chamaerops Humilis, Chamaerops Humilis var. Cerifera, Rhapidophyllum Hystrix, Sabal Palmetto 

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1 hour ago, mdsonofthesouth said:

 

The only fertilizer I have seen work for root issues or shock periods without ill effect is sea kelp and fish fertilizers. In fact I now use them during transplants as the NPK is extremely low and they have other good nutrients for root stimulation. But I always use low does/spoon feeding. 

Fish or Sea kelp are good products for new root growth.  :greenthumb: It's not going to burn them. 

Many years ago I used transplant fertilizer to take the shock out of them, they were supposed to help new root growth. Not sure if it works or not. 

Edited by Palm crazy
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36 minutes ago, Palm crazy said:

Fish or Sea kelp are good products for new root growth.  :greenthumb: It's not going to burn them. 

Many years ago I used transplant fertilizer to take the shock out of them, they were supposed to help new root growth. Not sure if it works or not. 

 

Yeah I'm not a fan of "canned" root stimulators. My wife insisted on using it on our new crepe myrtles and they never have been good. In fact despite being bullet proof here ours kicked the bucket! Whats even more infuriating is our neighbor across the street committed crepe murder WAY late and still got magnificent growth and leaf out in May. So yeah light NPK with lots of minerals and vitamins is good for stimulating gently!

LOWS 16/17 12F, 17/18 3F, 18/19 7F, 19/20 20F

Palms growing in my garden: Trachycarpus Fortunei, Chamaerops Humilis, Chamaerops Humilis var. Cerifera, Rhapidophyllum Hystrix, Sabal Palmetto 

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  • 2 weeks later...

First thing I’d check is airpockets in the soil. You mentioned rock and clay, both of these have the propensity to create air pockets. Stuck a water hose on full blast in the dirt and work your way down with the hose and hand. If there are air pocket, the soil will give and you’ll feel cavities. 

If there aren’t any air pockets, be sure to keep the roots moist and feed with some slow release fertilizer and maybe some fish fertilizer. 

Be patient. I had the same issue with a filibusta I planted. I just kept the soil moist, slow release fertilizer and fertilized it with regular release every 3 months. Now in the third year in the ground, it looks just as good if not better than the other 8’ filibusta I transplanted at the same time. 

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