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Huge trouble with my kentia


Reynevan

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Hi there,

Has anyone have an idea what could possibly happen here ? Just repotted the plant, pot was maybe a bit too big, so I've moved it to a smaller one with better drainage. But soil wasn't even too damp, no water below roots at all. Is it a fungus of some sort ? Leaves one after another are drying up like this one here. Have this plant in a west oriented room in semi-shade, so no chance for sunburn here. Can it be overfertilisation?

Help :(

20181202_114218.jpg

Edited by Reynevan
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If you think it has been over-fertilized, you may want to leach out the excess fertilizer. The high concentration of salts in the pot can inhibit water uptake, causing leaves to die off.  I grow my Kentias indoors (7 months during cold season) and occasionally will flood the pots with water several times, being sure to empty the drainage saucer when complete.  I have grown my largest palm in the same size pot for many years and think it's better in a smaller pot rather than too large a pot.  The palm pictured below I have had for 20 years.  Being in a clay pot, If I see salt buildup that's a sign for me to leach the pot.   Good luck and let us know how it goes.  Also, you may want to mark the growing spear to give you some encouragement as it makes growth upward (hopefully it does)!5c05e6b2cfcc2_Hforsterianasinglelarge.th

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Going to watch this thread close. I've NEVER been able to keep a Kentia palm alive.    Seems as soon as I water it, it goes down hill. If I mist it, will die within a week.

 

Love the looks of them though.

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I think its fungus. And i did mist a lot. Just checked base of the palm. Old fronds at the base are moldy and soft, squeezable. Like it was rotting. Do we use some chemicals for fungus indoors? Never had such an issue, it was always mites job to harass my plants.

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Years ago I lost my 1st potted Kentia to that soil fungus - phytophthora. I overwatered it outdoors, sprayed it with a garden hose every day,  it was in too large a pot, and too much of a peat based potting mix (not enough drainage in the soil). The leaves died quickly and the spear just pulled right out.  Devastating. After that tough lesson I learned that they needed fast draining volcanic-type soil - so I made my own mix of generic potting soil / sand / volcanic rock nuggets and kept containers on the smaller side.  This mix worked fine for many years but I have just switched to the fast-draining soil recipes I have seen on these forum threads.  My other three Kentias have survived and indoors I keep them on the dry and cool side, never leaving water sitting in the pot.

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1 hour ago, piping plovers said:

Years ago I lost my 1st potted Kentia to that soil fungus - phytophthora. I overwatered it outdoors, sprayed it with a garden hose every day,  it was in too large a pot, and too much of a peat based potting mix (not enough drainage in the soil). The leaves died quickly and the spear just pulled right out.  Devastating. After that tough lesson I learned that they needed fast draining volcanic-type soil - so I made my own mix of generic potting soil / sand / volcanic rock nuggets and kept containers on the smaller side.  This mix worked fine for many years but I have just switched to the fast-draining soil recipes I have seen on these forum threads.  My other three Kentias have survived and indoors I keep them on the dry and cool side, never leaving water sitting in the pot.

Repotting will work ? Or does the disease 'remains' in the roots ?

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Sounds like phytophthora root rot, probably from overwatering and/or poorly draining soil. That destroyed 2 of my 5 Cham tuercks after I repotted them a couple years ago. I found the info below:

 

Also

 

Root Rot Cure

  • Causes. Root rot is caused by bacteria and fungi that live in moist soil. … Roots that are unhealthy because of poor drainage are especially susceptible to root rot.
  • Symptoms. Early signs that a plant may have root rot are color changes to the leaves. ...
  • Diagnosis. If root rot is suspected, dig up the plant if possible to examine the roots. ...
  • Treatment. Nursery or greenhouse plants that have been diagnosed with root rot in the early stages can be treated with fungicides.Water the soil around the plant instead of letting the
  • Prevention. Soil drainage problems are responsible for most of the stress to the root system, but the properly planned garden can help fight root rot.In low areas where water tends

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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Reynevan:  I think there is always a chance to rescue.  I have not used any anti-fungal solutions so I cannot recommend any.  If I was in this situation, I would remove plant from pot, gently rinse off as much of the old soil mix as possible, careful not to disturb roots too much.  I would repot in a fast-draining mix similar to below.  Regarding the fungus remaining in the plant, I do not know, but the Kentia will “want” to live & grow.  The best you can do is make soil and other conditions (1) most favorable to the Kentia (repotting in fast draining media, air around roots) so that it can fight off the disease and recover and (2) make conditions least favorable to the fungus/disease (better aeration at roots and drier).  Going forward, water only when top 1 or 2 inches is dry.  Indoor conditions and pot sizes differ, but in my house I only water the Kentias once every 7 – 10 days in the winter.

Soil mix as requested:  I followed a  palm potting mix suggestion made by member Pal Meir and others and modified the components by what I could find locally: (1/3 orchid mix bark; 1/3 Leca clay pebbles; and 1/3 peat & perlite generic potting soil).  I used the Leca to substitute for the Ceramis that was recommended in some of the forum mixes.  Leca was hard to find but I did locate/order from W*Mart online.  I don’t know if you are familiar with either Ceramis or Leca (I was not); but they are clay-like spheres/nuggets that are often used in hydroponics and orchid culture.  The key point is that they do not break down or compact, maintaining good drainage and air in the mix.  Mix drains super fast; yet the peat and bark retain enough moisture in-between waterings.  Photo below of 3 ingredients.

Best of luck!  Keep us posted on progress.

5c080a3fe4eda_palmmix.thumb.jpg.f29a5f11

 

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