New planted Sylvester problem

[valk]

Hello All,

Two weeks ago we planted a small beautiful Sylvester palm and now I see that tips of the leaves on the bottom fronds are started turning brown and dry. Any idea what may be wrong with my palm? I watered every day on the first week and every other day on the second week.

Here are some pictures that may help to identify the issue. Thank you in advance.

[Jim in Los Altos]

I wouldn't worry. It appears that only the oldest leaf on you palm is effected and it may be that that leaf is slowly dying and will need to be cut off after it dries out. The rest of the palm looks healthy and you can dial back the watering to two or three times per week when it's not raining.

[valk]

Thank you Jim. You made me feel a little better! I thought dry tips are the first indication of not enough watering and at the same time I was afraid to overwater it.

Also, palm came in 25 gallon container, so what would be the appropriate amount of water we should use? Thanks again.

[Sabal Steve]

Thank you Jim. You made me feel a little better! I thought dry tips are the first indication of not enough watering and at the same time I was afraid to overwater it.

Also, palm came in 25 gallon container, so what would be the appropriate amount of water we should use? Thanks again.

I had one in a 25 gallon container. I would water it as often as I could. Probably 5 days or so a week. I live in california though, and things are much dryer. It has been in the ground for a year or so now and I really have neglected it. It's behind a railing and I forget about it. It is planted in well draining soil, with clay and rock about 3'down. It hasn't been picky.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Sabal Steve

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

There is no reason your oldest leaves should decline that fast.

Watch out for Texas Phoenix palm decline. Check with your area's ag extension if TPPD is known to occur in your area. The symptoms are identical to what yours is doing. If you're running your sprinklers on it, stop, they don't like a lot of water on the leaves. Water only right on the soil and make sure your rootball is not dried out and repelling water, or not soggy.

If the soil moisture level is optimum, then you might want to look further into TPPD. It might have been infected already.

Discoloration of the lowest (oldest) leaves is an early symptom of TPPD. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp163

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/LyraEDISServlet?command=getImageDetail&image_soid=FIGURE%204&document_soid=PP163&document_version=71648

[palman]

It's not unusual for a newly planted palm to shift resources away from the lowest fronds.

Wait a few months before cutting off brown fronds. The upper portion looks fine. If you're coastal, below SR60, consider foxtail & royal. They're easy to grow from seed and they grow to 4m in about 5 years.

.

[Alicehunter2000]

In Florida, with our soil it is almost impossible to overwatered unless you happen to be sitting on a bunch of clay. Only water the rootball area, not the trunk or crown. The disease Axel is talking about is not too common in Florida (he will correct me if I'm wrong...I'm sure).

Just remember first year sleep. ...second creep....third leap.....when it leaps, stand back....cause they are pretty fast once they get going......nice palm and welcome to Palmtalk.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Where in Floriduh are you? Here, we are just starting our rainy season.

Remember that Sylvesters are primarily desert or desert oasis palms that are used to taking all their water in from the roots while their fronds stay dry. Here in FL we get abundant rain and constant humidity, two challenges to this palm that can cause fungal growth. When you water it, don't wet the leaves or crown but drench the roots only. One thing that these palms are susceptible to here is leaf smut, a soil borne fungus that arises from the soil when water is splashed on it from rain or irrigation. This is almost unavoidable in this species here until it gets larger and the leaves are not low to the ground (4 feet or so). Is there any fert on it? It looks like it can use some.

When getting advice on here, keep in mind where the people live because their growing conditions could be much different from yours. San Diego gets 4 inches of rain in a Mediterranean climate, much different from here. So, to make a short story long, yes water your sylvester but not in the crown or leaves. Eventually, probably in a month or two, it won't need any irrigation until the fall when the weather dries out. Don't prune off the leaves until they are dead dead dead. Leaves make photosynthesis. Expect some leaf spotting unless you want to spray fungicide 24 hours a day. Fertilize with high quality fert.

Nice Raptor BTW.

[Sabal Steve]

Where in Floriduh are you? Here, we are just starting our rainy season.

Remember that Sylvesters are primarily desert or desert oasis palms that are used to taking all their water in from the roots while their fronds stay dry. Here in FL we get abundant rain and constant humidity, two challenges to this palm that can cause fungal growth. When you water it, don't wet the leaves or crown but drench the roots only. One thing that these palms are susceptible to here is leaf smut, a soil borne fungus that arises from the soil when water is splashed on it from rain or irrigation. This is almost unavoidable in this species here until it gets larger and the leaves are not low to the ground (4 feet or so). Is there any fert on it? It looks like it can use some.

When getting advice on here, keep in mind where the people live because their growing conditions could be much different from yours. San Diego gets 4 inches of rain in a Mediterranean climate, much different from here. So, to make a short story long, yes water your sylvester but not in the crown or leaves. Eventually, probably in a month or two, it won't need any irrigation until the fall when the weather dries out. Don't prune off the leaves until they are dead dead dead. Leaves make photosynthesis. Expect some leaf spotting unless you want to spray fungicide 24 hours a day. Fertilize with high quality fert.

Nice Raptor BTW.

Sorry, I did not mean to give that impression. That's why I noted that I live in california, in a dryer climate, and the medium that it was planted in.

I've heard the same thing about the fungus. I just set the hose at the base and let it run.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Where in Floriduh are you? Here, we are just starting our rainy season.

Remember that Sylvesters are primarily desert or desert oasis palms that are used to taking all their water in from the roots while their fronds stay dry. Here in FL we get abundant rain and constant humidity, two challenges to this palm that can cause fungal growth. When you water it, don't wet the leaves or crown but drench the roots only. One thing that these palms are susceptible to here is leaf smut, a soil borne fungus that arises from the soil when water is splashed on it from rain or irrigation. This is almost unavoidable in this species here until it gets larger and the leaves are not low to the ground (4 feet or so). Is there any fert on it? It looks like it can use some.

When getting advice on here, keep in mind where the people live because their growing conditions could be much different from yours. San Diego gets 4 inches of rain in a Mediterranean climate, much different from here. So, to make a short story long, yes water your sylvester but not in the crown or leaves. Eventually, probably in a month or two, it won't need any irrigation until the fall when the weather dries out. Don't prune off the leaves until they are dead dead dead. Leaves make photosynthesis. Expect some leaf spotting unless you want to spray fungicide 24 hours a day. Fertilize with high quality fert.

Nice Raptor BTW.

Sorry, I did not mean to give that impression. That's why I noted that I live in california, in a dryer climate, and the medium that it was planted in.

I've heard the same thing about the fungus. I just set the hose at the base and let it run.

Don't be sorry. I just wanted to make the point that what is very successful in one place may not work in another.

[valk]

Thank you all guys for the great advices. It’s been a week since I posted here and so far I don’t see any spread to a newest fronds. I guess it’s a good sign…

I did adjust a watering schedule a little. Now instead of watering with the hose, I installed a dripping irrigation (4 heads, 2 gallons per hour each) that apply directly to the root ball and nowhere else. I also, increased the water amount a little and I think even older fronds looks fresher now (or maybe it’s just my hallucinations!!!). I will post pics later today for your judgment.

Also, I have a 4 new fronds coming out, but I noticed that their opening a little slower now than I observed before. How long should it usually take for the new fronds to completely open?

Alex,

Thank you for the good info. I’m a very new to all of this and always open to learn new stuff. Looks like this disease is deadly so I crossed my fingers and hope my tree doesn’t have it. And in case it does, Is there anything else I can do to save it? Should I call a professional to come over and take a look?

Jerry,

We live in Jacksonville FL. You are absolutely right. Because of the constant rain It’s almost impossible to keep the crown and the leaves dry. Palm is planted in the middle of the front yard lawn and it does get a little mist from the main lawn sprinkler that runs twice a week, but it’s very, very minimum. Tonight I will try to adjust a few heads to eliminate even that small mist…

Also, my soil is very dark and observes water very well and quick and as much as I would give it without any runoffs. No fert yet. I have been told no fertilizer on newly planted tree for the next 3 month...

Alicehunter,

Love your analogy “Sleep, creep and leap”. Thank you. Glad to be here.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Valk, I live in California, best advice is to be taken from fellow Florida folks. Remember phoenix are mostly dry climate palms, keep the top dry. When palms get newly planted, often what can happen is that the rootball dries out and repels water even though the surrounding soil is wet. Make sure you rule that out, because a dry rootball with a wet above ground palm is a fast track to disease. Use your hand or a small shovel to check out the rootball and make sure it's nice and moist.

[NorthFlpalmguy]

It's just transplant shock and shuttling of nutrients elsewhere, nothing much to worry about. As long as you have the water issue solved you should be okay.

I run all my overhead irrigation with plenty of time for the water to evaporate out of the crowns, normally a few hours before dark. I start fertilizing 1 month after transplanting at latest and on most of my field palms I fertilize as soon as I transplant if going from a container to ground as there is very little shock on what I grow IMO. I have waited 1-3 months and see no real reason for it unless ground to ground transfer ( like a native sabal to landscape tranfer).

Edited June 2, 2014 by bbrantley

[valk]

Thank you guys!