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Thoughts on a Sylvester post freeze


PoolPalm_AB

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HI all - wanted to get some folks thoughts on a Sylvester date palm that I planted about a year ago around a new pool in north Houston.  Before winter hit, it looked like things were going well and tree was getting established.  Then came winter... coldest we've seen in the past decade here.   All my palms which were planted at the same time last year took it pretty hard.... lost a lot of leaves on my 3 mule palms but they've come back strong and green.  My two Sylvesters took it the worst with both basically losing all of their leaves.  One has started to come back (attached a picture and you can see the green crown coming out).  The other is not looking good and this is the one I want an opinion on.   I just pulled the browned spears out pretty easily last weekend and put a little peroxide in the hole to dry it out / kill fungi. 

The main question I have is that the palm still has a little green on two of the leaves that was closest to the tree and likely most insulated during the freeze.  What should I read of this green... still a chance for the tree to recover?  At what point do I wait before knowing.  If I don't see new green emerge by July / August then consider it a goner?  

Appreciate your perspectives.  I've attached some pics.   Thanks in advance. 

Here is the palm... its a about 8 feet high in total...

IMG_3863.thumb.jpg.0392921c7f67a09a3a0dd

 

Better view of top half...

   IMG_3862.thumb.jpg.95cc651557b672308dc82

IMG_3859.thumb.jpg.7dafab1700d7c3166e4dc

A view from the top

IMG_3860.thumb.jpg.df95bcebb37e01a31ef39

IMG_3861.thumb.jpg.a3adba7310916ce900442

 

Here is the sister palm... starting to show some good green from the top... IMG_3864.thumb.jpg.8839a640f550d4934c769

 

 

 

Edited by PoolPalm_AB
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just wait...

  • Upvote 1

07690.gif

elevation 328 feet

distance from mediteranean sea 1,1 mile

lowest t° 2009/2010 : 27F

lowest t° 2008/2009 : 33F

lowest t° 2007/2008 : 32F

lowest t° 2006/2007 : 35F

lowest t° 2005/2006 : 27F

lowest t° 2004/2005 : 25F

Historical lowest t° 1985 : 18F

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I may be in the minority on this, but I think I would remove all dead portions of the fronds so as to allow as much airflow as possible and so that I could more easily see any new growth. Additionally, I would continue with weekly peroxide treatments, especially if there is any rainfall.  Finally, if I did not see a new spear by the middle of June or certainly by the end of June, I would probably start slowly cutting into the trunk (starting at the top of course) at 1-inch increments to get to living tissue not infected with fungus . You can usually start with loppers, but at some point you may need to use a chainsaw as the trunk gets larger in diameter.

I have done this several time and it has worked well.  That is a good size palm and if you are like me, it is easier to deal with a slightly ugly palm for a year than replanting a similar sized one.  Good luck!

 

Edited by Austinpalm

Clay

South Padre Island, Zone 10b until the next vortex.

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  • 4 weeks later...

How is the Sylvester palm doing now?

Clay

South Padre Island, Zone 10b until the next vortex.

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Hey Clay, been meaning to post an update here.  

So, I trimmed all I could from the crown to get as much airflow and continued peroxide treatments a month ago.  I didn’t see any new growth and the green remaining on the leaves was starting to fade ever so slightly.  I went ahead and chopped the first 2-3 inches off the top this past weekend.  I think I do see some living tissue (I think it’s the whiter / more transparent portion in center of trunk).  

There was some fungi growing in the top that I couldn’t see so as hard as it was to chop the top off, I think it was good decision.  

I’ll keep monitoring and post back with hopeful story soon.   Let me know if any other suggestions.  

Also, how long would you expect to wait before seeing new growth? A week?  A month?  Two months?

Thanks!

 

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I would be surprised if there was not any noticeable growth within 2 weeks with all the heat Texas is getting right now.  Sounds like you got to living tissue.  If it starts to turn brown or necrotic, cut farther down and douse it with peroxide in the morning on a hot day so the residual can evaporate and not create any problems.  Good luck.

Clay

South Padre Island, Zone 10b until the next vortex.

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  • 2 years later...

Whatever happened to this palm tree. We had a really bad freeze in February 2021 here in Louisiana and I have a 20 foot Sylvester date palm that looks dead we had to prolong freeze of around 19° for about five days

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