HELP ASAP w/ Chamaedorea sefrizii problem

[metalfan]

This isn't my palm, but a plea for help was posted on another forum I am on that has no dedicated area for palms.

The poster has not yet given me permission to post his photos (and to be honest they don't add much to his description of his problem) but this is what is happening to his palm:

He lives in SO Cal. Bought his palm about 6 months ago. Put it indoors in indirect sun. Stems are about 4 ft tall. His stems have started getting soft, wet, what he describes as 'moldy' spots about half way up the stem. The stalks just rot and fall over. In the soft spots there is a pocket of white liquid. Sometimes the younger emergent stalks develop white moldy areas, then these harden, turn brown and the stem dies.

I thought it sounded like a fungal rot. Possibly Ganoderma, or Thieriopsis trunk rot.

What do these symptoms sound like to you guys?

I advised treating the plant with a fungicide like Captan. And caught basic hell from the 'resident houseplant expert' for recommending toxic chemicals for what he thinks may be a watering problem.

If he gives me permission to post his photos here I will. Appreciate any ideas from you  guys.

[metalfan]

OK I got permission to post some of his photos of his sick palm. I hope someone here can help him.

[metalfan]

more pix

[metalfan]

Only one of the photos is a good size, you can see a white powdery mess where the red arrow is and to the left you can see a stem that is blackened soft and rotting which is the sane stem as in the third smaller pic

[metalfan]

Please guys help me out with an opinion

[Kim]

I don't know anything about the rot, but Chamaedorea seifrizii is one of the very few Chamaedorea that will tolerate sun and heat. It will grow in desert climate outdoors with a little protection. So it may be too much water, not enough light and heat, and resultant fungus.  I am just guessing based on what I know about the palm.

[metalfan]

Well, I myself have 3, two out in the front flowerbed in full sun which gets a ton of rain, and one in the greenhouse that the climb is about 12 feet tall, its over to years old, that gets full 'greenhouse' sun and also gets a lot of water. I have never had problems with fungus, but I can se how a containerized palm might get problems. Do you think treatment with a fungicide is appropriate?

[Kim]

It certainly can't hurt. I'd also suggest putting the palm outdoors in a protected area for better air circulation.