Need help with this dypsis

[Alcibiades]

One of my dypsis has a problem since last year. Some leafs start to dry out from the tips of the leafs into the middle of the leafs. I cut out the affected parts of the leafs which slows down the process. Some leafs have the problem and some don't. I have repotted the palm lately and the roots looked healthy. The palm is my fastest growing dypsis and shows no visible signs of nutrition problems. I can only guess it's a fungus problem? When the oldest leafs start to die the leafs start to show white points before getting yellow. The newest 3 leafs are unaffected so far and I think about cutting all other infected leafs. If somebody can help me it would be highly appreciated. 

 

 

[Pal Meir]

Do you know which species it is?

[Alcibiades]

@Pal Meir

Dypsis hiarake

[Pal Meir]

I don’t have any experience with that Dypsis species, but I guess  it could be a problem of the soil mix and watering. You said you just repotted that palm, nevertheless I would recommend to repot it once more with a soil mix similar to my Lytocaryum insigne mix, consisting only (!!!) of fine pine bark + Seramis + LECA as bottom layer. Since this mix is draining and drying very fast you have to water almost daily (always from top, no »wet feet«) if you are using that relative small pot.

[Alcibiades]

3 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

I don’t have any experience with that Dypsis species, but I guess  it could be a problem of the soil mix and watering. You said you just repotted that palm, nevertheless I would recommend to repot it once more with a soil mix similar to my Lytocaryum insigne mix, consisting only (!!!) of fine pine bark + Seramis + LECA as bottom layer. Since this mix is draining and drying very fast you have to water almost daily (always from top, no »wet feet«) if you are using that relative small 

@Pal Meir

Thank you for your help. My potting mix is 15% pine bark, 15% lava, 15% pumice, 15% coarsed sand, 15% perlite, 15% top soil and some sphagnum and tuff. Drainage is already excellent. I always water from top. I avoid jam wetness at all costs. The new pot is actually quite huge. I used a size three times above the old pot size. What would be the advantage of repotting again? Shall I cut of the affected leafs? 

 

[Pal Meir]

Your potting mix holds too much water too long time. — What was the size of the former pot and what is the size of the present one? — Yes, I would cut the already wilting leaves.

[Alcibiades]

8 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

Your potting mix holds too much water too long time. — What was the size of the former pot and what is the size of the present one? — Yes, I would cut the already wilting leaves.

13 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

 

@Pal Meir

Thank you for your answer. You can see the old and new pot in the photo above. The new pot size is 22x22x32 cm. The old pot size had a diameter of 18 cm and a hight of 21 cm. I will cut the leafs today. Dypsis hiarake grows in submontane rain forest. Is it really necessary that the soil dries out within one day or is this just a measure until the palm is healthy again? 

 

[Pal Meir]

That Dypsis sp grows on the top of hills and on slopes. It needs O2 rich regular watering, and the soil should not dry out. Since it seems to have problems with the chemistry of the soil now, I would try to get a pot slightly bigger than the old one (and not so deep!) and change the soil mix so that you can water the palm even daily without having the problem of soggy getting soil. That is what I would do.

[Alcibiades]

3 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

 

17 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

 

22 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

 

@Pal Meir

I cut off the leafs now as you have suggested. I do not have Seramis available. Would your mix also work with lava or perlite instead of Seramis? 

 

 

 

[Pal Meir]

43 minutes ago, Alcibiades said:

@Pal Meir

I cut off the leafs now as you have suggested. I do not have Seramis available. Would your mix also work with lava or perlite instead of Seramis? 

No, lava is like LECA, and perlite is another matter/problem. Maybe a mix of fine pine bark + lava would do it, too, but don’t add pumice or perlite. Or wait, until you have bought Seramis this weekend or better the next day … And your new pot is much too deep. Palms that grow on rocks don’t like pots which are too deep, except they are very small.

[Alcibiades]

@Pal Meir

Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. I will buy Seramis and repot the palm on Saturday. 

Just out of curiosity what's the problem with perlite? I thought perlite enhances the aeration of the soil and supports root growth like pumice. Is your mix suggested for all palms from a similar habitat and how do you manage to water them every day? My wife would call me insane if I would water my palms on a daily basis. I use my soil mix for most of my palms and most of them need water only once per week in summer. Shall I change my soil formula? 

Edited July 30, 2018 by Alcibiades

[Pal Meir]

25 minutes ago, Alcibiades said:

@Pal Meir

Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge. I will buy Seramis and repot the palm on Saturday. 

Just out of curiosity what's the problem with perlite? I thought perlite enhances the aeration of the soil and supports root growth like pumice. Is your mix suggested for all palms from a similar habitat and how do you manage to water them every day? My wife would call me insane if I would water my palms on a daily basis. I use my soil mix for most of my palms and most of them need water only once per week in summer. Shall I change my soil formula? 

If the palms are growing healthily don’t change your soil. Perlite and pumice and also the very narrow and extremely deep pots are thought for professional greenhouses and nurseries. And they are good in hot and dry climates like Mediterranean or S-Californian summers, but can cause problems during dark or wet or cold seasons. For future use I would replace perlite and pumice with Seramis. — But your present problem is caused by the large too deep new pot. — I had experimented in the past with several soil mixes, but when I had problems with special tropical palms I tried the »new« most simple mix at first with a Licuala grandis (see below). But even that mix I had also used for Lytocaryum weddellianum with great success was not enough draining for my Lytocaryum insigne seedlings in 2011, so that all three sprouted seedlings eventually died (pics below).  The new Insigne special mix showed instead (combined with adequate watering) optimal results (also for the palms of @Kai and @Flow).

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[Alcibiades]

@Pal Meir

Once again thank you for taking your time to answer my questions. 

That's the same Licuala in the 2 pictures? Stunning. 

I have a licuala ramsayii that I saved from death 2 years ago. The palm still looks horrible. I will try your advice with this palm also. 

I have repotted the Dypsis hiarake 3 weeks ago but the problems started about a year ago. 

Now I wish I had asked you 3 weeks ago before repotting 25 of my palms in those deep pots. I allways thought flat pots would stunt the growth and actively searched for the deepest pots available. My Latania verschaffeltii now even sits in a 20x20x60 cm pot. 

[Kai]

23 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

If the palms are growing healthily don’t change your soil. Perlite and pumice and also the very narrow and extremely deep pots are thought for professional greenhouses and nurseries. And they are good in hot and dry climates like Mediterranean or S-Californian summers, but can cause problems during dark or wet or cold seasons. For future use I would replace perlite and pumice with Seramis. — But your present problem is caused by the large too deep new pot. — I had experimented in the past with several soil mixes, but when I had problems with special tropical palms I tried the »new« most simple mix at first with a Licuala grandis (see below). But even that mix I had also used for Lytocaryum weddellianum with great success was not enough draining for my Lytocaryum insigne seedlings in 2011, so that all three sprouted seedlings eventually died (pics below).  The new Insigne special mix showed instead (combined with adequate watering) optimal results (also for the palms of @Kai and @Flow).

I couldn't agree more. I had some L. insigne seedlings from 2014 and after producing several leaves, the reserves from the seed became exhausted and the plants became fully dependant on their own rootsystem. Because the soil they were in didn't drain well enough and held too much water, mainly because of peat like organic material, the rootsystem was underdeveloped and declining. Above ground this started showing by no more new growth and slowly yellowing and browning of the leaves. I knew I had to do something but didn't know what untill I met Pal and his mix. The seedlings are now growing very happily in their new mix but it took a long long time for them to recover and show above ground growth (over a year after repotting).

[Alcibiades]

@Pal Meir

@Kai

How do you fertilize your palms with said mix? Currently I use a fertilizer once per week during the growing season. Most of my palms only need water once a week though anyway. If I water them on a daily basis how does this affect the use of fertilizers? 

Can I just use expanded clay instead of Seramis? 

Edited July 31, 2018 by Alcibiades

[Pal Meir]

14 hours ago, Alcibiades said:

@Pal Meir

@Kai

How do you fertilize your palms with said mix? Currently I use a fertilizer once per week during the growing season. Most of my palms only need water once a week though anyway. If I water them on a daily basis how does this affect the use of fertilizers? 

Can I just use expanded clay instead of Seramis? 

What I don’t understand is that you try to avoid Seramis although it is easily available in Berlin and one of the most valuable components for slightly acidic potting mixes at all (Kew Gardens in London uses it too). — Expanded clay (Blähton) = LECA is like lava, not like Seramis.

[Kai]

17 hours ago, Alcibiades said:

@Pal Meir

@Kai

How do you fertilize your palms with said mix? Currently I use a fertilizer once per week during the growing season. Most of my palms only need water once a week though anyway. If I water them on a daily basis how does this affect the use of fertilizers? 

Can I just use expanded clay instead of Seramis? 

More frequent watering as a result of better draining soils will require you to use less concentrated liquid fertilizer. Much much less concentrated as is usually advised on the packages of the products. I don't add fertilizer with every watering, maybe just 3 or 4 times throughout the growing season and am very carefull with a very low concentration. And of course the health and growing habit and speed of the individual plants have to be taken into account when you decide to fertilize. Not all plants need the same at the same time. In other words, there's no exact manual for your own individual plants. Light, water, temperature and fertilizer need to be in equilibrium for a plant and I think you need to find this out mainly for yourself. The seramis mix will be a very good start and guideline to reach the equilibrium for most of your plants though.

[Alcibiades]

@Pal Meir

@Kai

OK I will use Seramis. Just thought I could save some money. 

This is the fertilizer that I currently use. Is this a good choice? 

One last question. I currently use mineral water without carbonic acid for watering to avoid lime affecting my soil. I assume this is also necessary with the new mix? 

[Kai]

I think the fert is fine, just use it in extremely low concentration.

[realarch]

Jakob, you're getting good advice from PT members who grow phenomenal potted indoor palms. 

Your Dypsis hiarake is an outstanding palm, grows straight as an arrow, not too tall, and an unusual leaf arrangement.

Hope it continues to grow well for you.

Tim

[Alcibiades]

@realarch

Dypsis hiarake is expected to be straight as an arrow. The stems were used by the locals as blowpipes. 

Actually growing dypsis hiarake is part of my secret world domination plan. I'm still struggling with breeding those poison dart frogs though. 

[Reynevan]

On 8/2/2018 at 10:18 PM, Alcibiades said:

@realarch

Dypsis hiarake is expected to be straight as an arrow. The stems were used by the locals as blowpipes. 

Actually growing dypsis hiarake is part of my secret world domination plan. I'm still struggling with breeding those poison dart frogs though. 

Any update in this subject? Did the palm recovered?

[Alcibiades]

On 1/2/2020 at 9:51 PM, Reynevan said:

Any update in this subject? Did the palm recovered?

The palm is still growing quite well allthough the problems are still present especially in the winter. 

[Alcibiades]

@Pal Meir

I have to repot a Dypsis rosea tomorrow and I want to use your Seramis pinebark mix. Shall I try to remove the current soil if possible? 

Thank you in advance for your answer. 

[Pal Meir]

6 hours ago, Alcibiades said:

@Pal Meir

I have to repot a Dypsis rosea tomorrow and I want to use your Seramis pinebark mix. Shall I try to remove the current soil if possible? 

Thank you in advance for your answer. 

Without having seen that palm, its roots, and the old soil-mix I can’t recommend anything.

[Alcibiades]

13 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

Without having seen that palm, its roots, and the old soil-mix I can’t recommend anything.

The soil is a mix of perlite, pinebark, lava, humus, sand, Tuff a.s.o. The palm is growing steadily with about 3 new leafs a year. It struggles during the winter like most of my dypsis. Maybe I have to experiment with artificial lighting next winter. 

[Pal Meir]

I would try to remove as much as possible of the old soil without desturbing the root system and repot the palm in a not too big-sized pot. Good luck!