Mule Palm Spear Pull = Death Sentence?

[Joey Powell]

Back during the artic blasts this winter my yard reached 15 degrees F one morning and 17 on another morning. Durations of the cold were also very bad. We had one day where the temp only got up to 36 and another where it only got up to 38.

Of course I provided protection for my palms that needed it. In addition to my larger Mule Palm, I have one about 2 feet tall that has been in the ground for almost a year. Back in the summer I had fertilzed and watered it regularly, so it was very healthy going into the winter. When the cold came I placed a 40 gallon trash can over it to sheild it from the wind (but not the rain). I was pretty confident that would be enough...

Well about 2 or 3 weeks after this, I noticed it looked pretty bad. When I tugged on the spear, it pulled out. So then I treated the "hole" left in it with Hydrogen Peroxide. That was about 6 weeks ago. As of now I can still see nothing but a hole in the middle, but there is still some green on a couple of the fronds' leaves.

Last year I saw Queen palms come back from worse. And never have any of my Pindos shown so much as a hint of damage...with no protection from wind or cold. I also had six small CIDPs that I protected and treated the same way...with the same results. Only one of those now has ANY green left on it.

And so finally my question: will my small Mule Palm come back? Also, what about the small CIDPs?

[OCPalmnut]

Back during the artic blasts this winter my yard reached 15 degrees F one morning and 17 on another morning. Durations of the cold were also very bad. We had one day where the temp only got up to 36 and another where it only got up to 38.

Of course I provided protection for my palms that needed it. In addition to my larger Mule Palm, I have one about 2 feet tall that has been in the ground for almost a year. Back in the summer I had fertilzed and watered it regularly, so it was very healthy going into the winter. When the cold came I placed a 40 gallon trash can over it to sheild it from the wind (but not the rain). I was pretty confident that would be enough...

Well about 2 or 3 weeks after this, I noticed it looked pretty bad. When I tugged on the spear, it pulled out. So then I treated the "hole" left in it with Hydrogen Peroxide. That was about 6 weeks ago. As of now I can still see nothing but a hole in the middle, but there is still some green on a couple of the fronds' leaves.

Last year I saw Queen palms come back from worse. And never have any of my Pindos shown so much as a hint of damage...with no protection from wind or cold. I also had six small CIDPs that I protected and treated the same way...with the same results. Only one of those now has ANY green left on it.

And so finally my question: will my small Mule Palm come back? Also, what about the small CIDPs?

Joey - Do yo have any pictures of the palm/hole? I am sure some of the veterans on the forum can help.

- David

[FRITO]

My Mule palm in a 7 gallon pot last year suffered spear pull. My yard I think is infested with one more forms of bud rot fungus, it happens nearly year round. A post winter cold bud rot, summer rots , and I even get rots and spear pulls on Butia in shade in the height of hot humid summers.

Copper fungicide and hydrogen peroxide and sunshine are your best friends.

Keep the bud free from water and it should push a new spear within a few months.

Edited March 13, 2010 by FRITO

[Zeeth]

I agree with Frito on treatment. Follow those steps and you should be fine.

[gsn]

Joey,

Unforunately alot of people are in the same boat with you!

In some cases you can tell if a palm was outright killed by the cold temps,as the crown and or trunk will totally collapse,and fall over. In other cases it might be completely defoliated,or the spear might pull rather than a collapse, if this happens as Luke said you need to treat with hydrogen peroxide or even better copper fungicide,and try to keep out moisture. Unfortunately like alot of us this year, only time will tell if your mule,or any palm for that matter will recover and survive after this winters cold. One palm might come back(survive) while another exact same palm receiving vitually the same temps/conditions might not,for any number of reasons. Make sure it is completely DEAD before giving up on it, and digging it up,I would suggest waiting until well into summer,unless your certain it is DEAD... Only time will tell!

Good luck with your mules!

Edited March 13, 2010 by gsn

[freakypalmguy]

Hi Joey,

I've never had a Mule spear pull, but I've had both Butia and Syagrus pull and recover and have heard that hybrids pull through fine. Sounds like you are doing the right thing, you just have to wait now.

If time goes by without sign of recovery, you can perform a drastic surgery that was taught to me by a commercial grower. After the freeze of 07 here, he had a sea of brown Queens. He showed me how to accelerate their recovery. He walked up to a brown queen with a pulled spear and cut all fronds off then started cutting the top of the palm off about an inch at a time until he was past the point where the spear had pulled from and only solid, fresh palm material could be seen. We came back to the palm about an hour later and, no exaggeration, the growing point had pushed up apx 1". He said that when the spear pulls, the vacated growing point constricts and blocks the new growth from pushing forth. Most of the time, a palm will eventually push past this. I've done this with Syagrus, Bismarckia, Butia, and Brahea with 100% success. It is drastic but the palm eventually show no signs that it was cut.

Here is a couple pics of my Bismarckia after surgery and some time

[Don]

I've heard of that but have never actually seen it. I have at least one queen I could do this too I think I'll give it a try. I'm assuming I would need to wait until the last cold front went by.

P.S in your 2nd post bottom right theres a penny laying on the ground.

Semper Fi

Don

[freakypalmguy]

I've heard of that but have never actually seen it. I have at least one queen I could do this too I think I'll give it a try. I'm assuming I would need to wait until the last cold front went by.

P.S in your 2nd post bottom right theres a penny laying on the ground.

Semper Fi

Don

I'd wait till it warms up a bit Don, and you've got good eyes

[JD in the OC]

My 15gal mule's spear pulled last fall. I left it alone and it pushed a new spear a month or two later. They're tough as nails...

JD

[JMBreland]

Your CIDPs are likely to recover. I have seen juveniles come through temperatures into the upper single digits and recover. Their fronds are relatively sensitive to the cold compared to the growing point.

[mjff]

Where I'm at the spears pull on small palms every year (Trachycarpus, Butia, Mule, Trithrinax, Syagrus, Serenoa, Rhapidophyllum, etc.). I just remove the spear and wait until it warms up, and they all come back. The air is pretty dry here, so fungus isn't generally a problem, but in AL you might want to hit them with fungicide.

[sick1166]

wow

never noticed the penny

[DoomsDave]

JP:

You are pushing the envelope and we're all rooting for you!

I've pulled more spears on palms than anyone I know . . . .

As everyone says, be patient. It can take a long while sometimes for a palm to regenerate its growth bud. Sometimes, months.

So, if you can (no third parties demanding you yank "that ugly old thing"), I'd just wait and see. If, after three months, the spear doesn't return, check out the palm overall. If it's rooted nice and tight in the ground, and there's no soft squishy stuff on the trunk, and there's no funky rotted smell, I'd wait some more.

If the soil near it dries, that shows that it's taking up water, though that test works better for potted palms.

Repeat applications of your fingicides over time. That can't hurt.

Keep us apprized, good or bad, and we'll all hope for the best.

dave

[DoomsDave]

Hi Joey,

I've never had a Mule spear pull, but I've had both Butia and Syagrus pull and recover and have heard that hybrids pull through fine. Sounds like you are doing the right thing, you just have to wait now.

If time goes by without sign of recovery, you can perform a drastic surgery that was taught to me by a commercial grower. After the freeze of 07 here, he had a sea of brown Queens. He showed me how to accelerate their recovery. He walked up to a brown queen with a pulled spear and cut all fronds off then started cutting the top of the palm off about an inch at a time until he was past the point where the spear had pulled from and only solid, fresh palm material could be seen. We came back to the palm about an hour later and, no exaggeration, the growing point had pushed up apx 1". He said that when the spear pulls, the vacated growing point constricts and blocks the new growth from pushing forth. Most of the time, a palm will eventually push past this. I've done this with Syagrus, Bismarckia, Butia, and Brahea with 100% success. It is drastic but the palm eventually show no signs that it was cut.

Here is a couple pics of my Bismarckia after surgery and some time

I had a machete-wielding nut do that to a juvenile caryota and it recovered . . . .

[Collectorpalms]

Had Spear pull on one my Mule palms purchased from Jungle Music 8 years ago, and is planted in my front yard, it was south facing and actually had a blanket around the trunk during the coldest night of jan 2010. I had treated all tender palms with copper fungicide as a preventative. My north facing Mule looks perfect and is growing very quickly. I also most likely lost the majority of my 25 Queens; however 9 unprotected Syagrus Var Litoralis have put out new growth and are trying to flower. The largest three have trunks the same height and diameter as my 25ft Sabal Palmetto, and were planted in shade on the north side of my house. South Facing palms did much worse. I wonder if I should not replace palms in my front yard that face south? I originally thought that was where to put the borderline palms since it would be warmer, but now I am not so sure. Any opinions on what I should do. I really would like to replace all the dead queens with Mules, but not if they are doomed next time.

Ryan 8b/9a Texas

CollectorPalms

Edited April 3, 2010 by Collectorpalms

[DoomsDave]

Had Spear pull on one my Mule palms purchased from Jungle Music 8 years ago, and is planted in my front yard, it was south facing and actually had a blanket around the trunk during the coldest night of jan 2010. I had treated all tender palms with copper fungicide as a preventative. My north facing Mule looks perfect and is growing very quickly. I also most likely lost the majority of my 25 Queens; however 9 unprotected Syagrus Var Litoralis have put out new growth and are trying to flower. The largest three have trunks the same height and diameter as my 25ft Sabal Palmetto, and were planted in shade on the north side of my house. South Facing palms did much worse. I wonder if I should not replace palms in my front yard that face south? I originally thought that was where to put the borderline palms since it would be warmer, but now I am not so sure. Any opinions on what I should do. I really would like to replace all the dead queens with Mules, but not if they are doomed next time.

Ryan 8b/9a Texas

CollectorPalms

Not totally sure what advice to give, but welcome to our group!

Someone will be able to help . . . .

Do, please show us pictures!

We all coo over palms like others do over babies . . . .

[Collectorpalms]

Ok some pictures after two lows of 24/25 with only minor damage and the day before the brutal freeze of 15.5 with high of upper 20s, a month later and then a snow to top things off, (back yard).

Picture of happy Mule, northwest corner of yard:

Ryan

Edited April 3, 2010 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

PICTURE UPDATE.

Mule Palm 4 Months after jan 2010 Freeze from Peckerwood Gardens, in Hempstead, low of around 19, but many hours of less than 32.

Ryan Fuller

www.collectorpalms.com

[iamjv]

Nice shots Ryan.... let's hope for full recovery. Jv

[DoomsDave]

Holy Cow Ryan, your garden went through Hell . . . . and came back.

Nice to see!

Keep the recovery pictures coming!

[JMBreland]

Nice pictures, thanks for posting! Seeing the Nabonnandii palm recovering nicely following the freezes is encouraging.

[_Keith]

Joey, did it live. Got a new picture? Or should I ask you on Facebook?

[Antalar]

I have a mule tree , suddenly the spear and new leaves dies , i pulled it and the dead branches and dried it really well it has been almost two months and nothing still dry the remaining leaves are green.