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Micronutrient deficiency : can it wait ?


Nakheel1412

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I have read multiple times that fertilizer shouldn't be applied outside of optimal growth periods (spring/summer/early autumn), and have also read that deficiencies should be fixed before the winter ;
Here's the problem : some of my palms seem to manifest some micronutrient deficiency, and I don't know if I should feed them right now (late autumn) or should wait until next spring to do so ;
(they are still growing, one of them is about to open a new leaf)

What would you advise me ? Should I wait ?
(Thanks in advance !)
44291561364_c56da3321c_o.jpg

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You can apply mulch which will release nutrients as it breaks down, and bury other organic material in the soil around the palm like banana peels, coffee grounds etc., thus enriching the the soil naturally. 

In cold weather palms slow down their growth and nutrient intake. But if whatever they do take is there in organic form is only a good thing, imo. 

Edited by Estlander
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@Nakheel1412

I wish there was a one-size-fits-all answer to the question, but unfortunately, it depends on many factors.  The overall health of the palm, how severe the deficiency is the temperatures during your winters, the type of palm, current soil makeup and ability to either drain/retain water, etc.

General best practice is as you stated: Wait until active growth starts in the spring before applying fertilizer.

How serious is the nutrient deficiency?  Is the palm borderline as far as hardiness in your area?

If the palm was nearing death's door, I'd probably say fertilize and try to heat the soil so nutrient uptake would speed up.

Looking at the picture, the fronds don't appear severely discolored, so I wouldn't worry about it over the winter.  Using mulch, banana peels, etc. as @Estlander suggested will help.  The mulch will at least keep soil temperatures up, which will help out as far as nutrient uptake.

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Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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Omar, You’re in a very mild climate. There’s plenty of time to feed your palm. It looks like a potassium deficiency and, if so, would greatly benefit an application of soluble potash and magnesium. What kind of palm is the one you have pictured? 

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Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

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@Estlander @kinzyjr @Jim in Los Altos Thanks a lot, guys !

I apologize for the lack of details given, here’s a quick summary of my situation :  

- The soil of my garden is sandy (well-drained) and podzolic (acidic, very poor in nitrogen/potassium/magnesium/manganese, rich in iron)
- I live in a frost-free zone*, but winter daytime temperatures do not rise as much as they do in Southern California and Florida : (table from wikipedia)

Climate data for Rabat (Rabat–Salé Airport) 1961–1990, extremes 1943–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30.0
(86)
31.0
(87.8)
35.8
(96.4)
37.6
(99.7)
43.0
(109.4)
43.7
(110.7)
47.2
(117)
45.8
(114.4)
42.3
(108.1)
38.0
(100.4)
35.1
(95.2)
30.0
(86)
47.2
(117)
Average high °C (°F) 17.2
(63)
17.7
(63.9)
19.2
(66.6)
20.0
(68)
22.1
(71.8)
24.1
(75.4)
26.8
(80.2)
27.1
(80.8)
26.4
(79.5)
24.0
(75.2)
20.6
(69.1)
17.7
(63.9)
21.9
(71.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.6
(54.7)
13.1
(55.6)
14.2
(57.6)
15.2
(59.4)
17.4
(63.3)
19.8
(67.6)
22.2
(72)
22.4
(72.3)
21.5
(70.7)
19.0
(66.2)
15.9
(60.6)
13.2
(55.8)
17.2
(63)
Average low °C (°F) 8.0
(46.4)
8.6
(47.5)
9.2
(48.6)
10.4
(50.7)
12.7
(54.9)
15.4
(59.7)
17.6
(63.7)
17.7
(63.9)
16.7
(62.1)
14.1
(57.4)
11.1
(52)
8.7
(47.7)
12.5
(54.5)


*On coldest winter nights, temperatures fall as low as 34-35ºF (1-2ºC)

- The palms that I want to feed are Butias (odorata silver?) :
Here's the largest one, with yellowish new fronds (versus the usual darker green), which happen to be smaller than the previous (healthy) fronds :
44962908252_7591621b75_o.jpg

New frond :
44291561364_c56da3321c_o.jpg

- Here's a 30 days forecast for my city (accuweather.com), temperatures are in ºF :
44945813734_f1043f5bb1_o.jpg

------------

 

For now, the only yellowish fronds are the last 2 fronds, without major signs of necrosis (a 3rd one is about to open) ;

At first, I also believed this to be a potassium deficiency, but after further research I came to the conclusion that this palm is suffering from a manganese deficiency, considering that :
- The only yellowish leaves are the newly emitted ones (from what I've read, with potassium deficiency, the yellow spots appear on the oldest fronds) ;
- One of my S. romanzoffianas has developped frizzle top ;
- I used manure to feed this palm, and (from what I've read) manure is known to reduce manganese availability ;
(I ruled out Fe deficiency since my soil is supposedly rich in iron and the palm isn't planted too deep)

Do you also think it's a Mn deficiency, or is it some peculiar K deficiency?

- If it's a manganese deficiency, do you think the forecast is favorable enough to go and fertilize the palm with soluble manganese ? How much should I use ?
(A relative might be able to bring me some Mn sulfate from overseas, otherwise I have found a local company that sells liquid manganese (8%) )
@Jim in Los Altos : I also have liquid potassium and magnesium sulfate, should I give it some ?
 
Sorry for all these questions, and thanks again for all the help !

---------------

 

@Estlander @kinzyjr : I have been using mulch in my garden (and still use it), but since my soil is sandy and acidic, the minerals are washed away super fast :(
Even though I cannot rely on mulch to feed my palms, I'll definitely try using banana peels for potassium :) (I don't drink coffee) ;
Thanks again for the advise !

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the blotchiness in the color is K deficiency, more localized in the leaf.  Pale green could be Mg or Fe deficiency or both.  With your mild weather I'd get the potassium down, but don't over do it.  Also garden lime would be nice, you need a balanced Mg:Ca ratio to get good results and garden lime will help with the pH.  Acidic sol pH reduces the bioavailability of Mg, Ca and to a somewhat lesser extent K.  Check out the bio availibility in this chart on page 2.   http://www.horiba.com/fileadmin/uploads/Scientific/water_quality/Documents/Application_Notes/HIS/22_-_Soil_pH_and_Nutrient_Availability.pdf

Also balance in needed for best bioavailability. Too much CA, you get Mg deficiency and that might be a soil thing(high Ca soil)..  IYour butia doesnt look bad which means you have some time, but get the potassium down as it is lost most quickly.  I would also investigate the pH, if its too low the fertilizer you add wont be uptaken by the plant.

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Formerly in Gilbert AZ, zone 9a/9b. Now in Palmetto, Florida Zone 9b/10a??

 

Tom Blank

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@sonoranfans : Thanks a lot !
I double-checked the palm this morning, and it looks like it might be a potassium deficiency after all ! (yellow spottings on the oldest fronds, definitely not as obvious as those I get on my queen palms, but there's no denying them) ;

Therefore my problem is solved... :blush::D

Thanks again to all of you for your inputs ! :)

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And get mulch down. Organic material in sandy soil is beneficial

  • Upvote 1

Coral Gables, FL 8 miles North of Fairchild USDA Zone 10B

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@Nakheel1412 you should keep putting organic material down as moose advised, or biochar, but that has to be tilled into the soil.  Having that cation exchange capacity in the soil will allow your soil to store the K, and it will persist to be available for a longer time.  Water rinses potassium from soil first of all nutrients, having that cation exchange capacity is especially important for keeping your K levels in a healthy range.

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Formerly in Gilbert AZ, zone 9a/9b. Now in Palmetto, Florida Zone 9b/10a??

 

Tom Blank

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  • 5 months later...

Hi everyone,

I'm coming back with some updates ;

The new emerging spears are now showing important damage...
Manganese / Boron deficiency ? :(

47601885882_0fbd5e4d04_b.jpg


40688140843_1b5e53fc88_o.jpg

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It looks like a fungus.

Have you applied liquid copper fungicide down the crown and around the base?

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5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

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On 4/21/2019 at 1:15 AM, GottmitAlex said:

It looks like a fungus.

Have you applied liquid copper fungicide down the crown and around the base?

It does look like fungus damage, however my climate being pretty much frost free and on the dry side of things (even during winter), I doubt it to be fungus related ;
The striped-shaped chlorosis makes me suspect a manganese deficiency, which is particularly problematic since soluble manganese is hard to find here...

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Any citrus growers in your zone? They use the manganese.

It surely looks like severe manganese deficiency, the strange thing is that this is usually induced in soils with high pH or in cold weather

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4 hours ago, Tomas said:

It surely looks like severe manganese deficiency, the strange thing is that this is usually induced in soils with high pH or in cold weather

Yep, that's exactly what I've been finding in scientific literature, apparently my soil is so washed out that even manganese has become deficient ;
(In my region, it is quite common to see queen and king palms manifest frizzle top)
 

4 hours ago, Tomas said:

Any citrus growers in your zone? They use the manganese.

Thanks a lot of the tip, I'll see if I can find some citrus grower willing to sell me manganese :greenthumb:

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The fertilizing subject can be a tough one my palms are indoors and they are warm and get artificial and natural light. Example my Serenoa repents started growing like mad. Awesome new fronds on main plant and suckers. Then all of a sudden stopped pushing a spear and slowly a few old fronds yellowed a tad. So long story short that palm didn’t get any nutrients at all for months because were told. Only to fertilize during growing seasons. But my almost mineral less water washed away what my palm needed and now I’m playing catch-up 

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Keep in mind that not all fungi require hot, wet conditions.  Some of them thrive in the blazing desert.  For example, the "Black Scorch," caused by Thielaviopsis, can thrive in extremely dry areas.  I'm not saying your palm has black scorch, but don't discount a fungal infection.  The reddish edges between the dead and alive areas on the fronds makes me think "fungus."  Good nutrition will help, but a copper-based fungicide is probably a good idea too.  Pouring some 3% concentration hydrogen peroxide into the crown may help reduce any fungal or bacterial attack.

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