Big Splits on King Palm

[BigFrond]

One of my king palms got about 5 big splits down at the base.  Most are about 6 inches long and 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.  Is there something wrong with the palm?  I noticed that this king palm is by far the fastest grower of the bunch and is very healthy.  Is this a result of the plant growing too fast?  I just hope it does not die.  I do not like the splits at all because it does not look very good.  Other than the splits the tree looks like a palm on steroids.  Will the splits go away or will it scar the tree for the rest of its life?

[spockvr6]

The splits could be caused by the fact that the palm growing so fast and increasing its girth so quickly.  I have had some palms (Royals in particular) do this.

[PalmsZA]

Hi Guys

I too have one with the cracks, I assume it is into the ground water because I dont water it at all.

Cheers

Dennis

[BigWaveDave]

I had the same thing happen to my King palm.  I think, at least for me, it was caused by too much water and heavy clay soil.  Kings like a lot of water, but they like it draining down through the roots.  In my case, the king was just sitting in it.  I have since adjusted the watering, and the rest of the palm continues to grow fine.  There is a little split starting about 4 feet up though.

The splits will not go away but there are some things that you can do to hide them.  I plan on growing some dense plants around the bottom, and maybe attaching some epiphytes further up.  Maybe I'll find a vine I like, to grow around the trunk.

David

[MattyB]

Ditto on the splits.  My largest A. cunninghamiana has them too.  It's in a heavy, mostly clay soil area.  It is fattening up since it's early days of being neglected in a split 15 gallon plastic pot.  It's making up for it's youth being ripped away....oh wait, that's Michael Jackson.  I always get the two confused.  Anywho, the splits won't hurt the plant.  If you don't like them, then just do like Dave and hide them.  I think it gives them character.  There are a few palms that seems to always look perfect (R. glauca), but most have their flaws...just like us.   End of inspirational speech...Now get on out there and be somebody!!

[DoomsDave]

Kings!

Cracks!

Cosmic!  Or something like that.

I've got a big Alexandrae that was  a garbage can special, and it CRACKED at the base of the trunk, enough room for a new [expletive] continent, dang, ugly, but the crown rocks, the trunk (except for crack)will be glorious and the moral fo the story is to look skyward!

dave

[Jim in Los Altos]

Same here. Three of my 18 year old archys have crater-like cracks at their bases and they've been that way for many years without and detriment to their health. Luckily the cracks don't face out so you only see them if you look around to the palm's backsides.

[paulgila]

maybe the new name should be "plumbers palm".

a little humor ,there.very little.

[MattyB]

very little

...and I quote

[Mike Evans]

I have had numerous Archontos split at the base.  I believe it was from too much water durng the rainy season.  Some had very deep cracks, but have since healed the majority of the wounds.  They were situated in places where there was standing water during heavy rain.

[DoomsDave]

Sometimes they split from being grown in spartan conditions in which they get stunted and form a dinky little trunk, which, upon planting in the ground, becomes engorged with water and splits.

Palm not seem to care.

dave

[Joe palma]

I have a book on palm diseases (can't remember the exact name, otherwise I would refence it) and it states that the splits are from over watering. I have this on some A. cunninghamiana's and a foxtail as well. Cutting back on the water should stop the growth of the cracks. They will never heal though. Sprinklers spraying directly on the trunk might be a contributor as well.