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Problems with new Kentia and Pygmy Date Palms


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About 6 weeks ago, we bought 4 palms from the Home Depot in Laguna Niguel, CA.  2 are Kentias -- they were stored in the shaded part of the garden area -- not quite inside, not quite outside.  Both looked healthy, but one was pretty overgrown for its pot (over 6' tall).  The other Kentia is about 4' tall. 

The Pygmy date palms were stored in the outdoor, sunny part of the garden area.  They're each 3 trunks, and about 3-4' tall.

I live about a mile from the ocean, so the temperature doesn't generally get too hot.  When we planted the trees, we added palm mix with the soil.  Our regular soil has a lot of clay.  Most of my neighbors have palms, especially pygmy date palms.  Not sure how many have Kentias.

The plants were doing pretty well for the first couple of weeks.  At about the 3rd week, we had about a week long heat wave -- sunny all day and temps in the 90s.  Since then, the larger of the Kentias hasn't looked too happy -- kind of droopy, and some of the fronds have died (we cut one off, and now another one is dead.)  The other Kentia seems to be doing o.k.

Also, for the Pygmy date palms, one of the plants has some brown fronds.  The other one seems o.k.

I'm attaching photos of the plants -- the first 2 pictures are of the trees that aren't doing very well.  The last 2 are the trees that seem to be o.k.  I would appreciate any advice you can give on how to care for these plants -- how often to water, etc.

Thank you!

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they look pretty good to me. might just be a bit of transplant shock. as long as it's the older leaves browning i wouldn't worry to much but keep an eye on them anyway.

Regards Neil

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Hi Kathleen, welcome to Palmtalk.

Yes, as the others have said, the old leaves dying off after a move is common.

I would not be worrying about them yet, as for watering you will have to see how fast they dry out there.

But starting a twice a week then down to once might be a good place to start.

depending on your rainfall after summer they may not need supplementary water at all after that.

See what your neighbors do.

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Cheers Steve

It is not dead, it is just senescence.

   

 

 

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7 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

They look like greenhouse-grown plants adapting to being outside, to me.

 I agree also and usually greenhouse plants will shrink a little after they are planted in the sun.  Leaf size will be smaller and fewer until the plant finally gets established.

My Kentia I picked up from Home Depot  looked a lot worse than yours in the transition stage from greenhouse to full sun. 

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Most likely some transplant shock.

The kentia may see some leave burn if it was a greenhouse plant but it will adjust over time. As for the date palms, they look fine.

Make sure to give plenty of water and maybe some fertilizer to help as well.

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I've found that Kentia's in SoCal do better the closer you are to the coast.  I'm in RSM and mine has never really looked great; always some leaf burn.  I think that they like the more mild and wetter coastal conditions, so Laguna Niguel will probably be fine but hopefully they're not in full sun.  Some afternoon protection is probably best for them.

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2 minutes ago, ChrisJordanDDS said:

I've found that Kentia's in SoCal do better the closer you are to the coast.  I'm in RSM and mine has never really looked great; always some leaf burn.  I think that they like the more mild and wetter coastal conditions, so Laguna Niguel will probably be fine but hopefully they're not in full sun.  Some afternoon protection is probably best for them.

Agree.....

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The exactly same happened to my Kentias after planting them out in my yard. They looked beautiful with

strong green leaves at first and got quite quickly heavily burned in their new position (full sun all day long).

[I had kept them in half sun/half shadow for the first few weeks but it was obviously not enough time to get them used to it.]

They were even shrinking during the first year but now they are really starting through with pushing new spears

all the time and with very healthy looking leaves.

best regards

 

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