Help Identifying Problem with King Palms

[Tara Michelle]

Hello,

Can anyone help me figure out what is wrong with my palm trees? I believe they are King Palms- I have 2 of them in my backyard and they have been there for at least 4 years (previous homeowners planted them). I live in California and over the past year I have noticed them looking worse- the fronds turning yellow/brown early and with spots (even the new fronds). We never remove the old fronds until they are basically falling off the tree/completely dead (I was told that would help prevent pink rot). Im not sure if they have a disease? Any insight/help would be appreciated! These pictures were taken a week ago- and the palms look even worse now! I can provide additional photos if that would help. 

[NorCalKing]

Looks like winter damage to me. Where in Ca are you located?

[GottmitAlex]

The first one isn't so bad, however, that last picture, seems like some bug.. 

Re: 1st one.  Are you fertilizing and watering it?

They have trunks, so they, up until a certain point were thriving. What changed?

Edited May 6, 2019 by GottmitAlex

[Darold Petty]

Tara Michelle,  Welcome to Palmtalk !

 Your king palms appear to be receiving much less water than they did earlier.  The vertical fissures on the trunk are not normal.  The first photo shows a nutritional deficiency, most likely Potassium (K). The damaged crownshaft on the right side is sunburn.  The frizzled newer fronds are also a nutrient deficiency.

  Read this,   http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep273  and then increase the irrigation and fertilization.  Look for a fertilizer with a NPK ratio of approximately 3:1:3  and containing a broad spectrum of the minor elements.  Even by palm tree standards this palm,  Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, is a thirsty and hungry species.  Keep us informed !   

[DoomsDave]

@Tara Michelle where art thou in California?  That's a big question. Concur with @Darold Petty,  et al otherwise.

[Tara Michelle]

Thank you all for the advice! I live in Los Angeles, California- so it stays pretty warm all year. I don't think we ever hit freezing temperatures this past winter. The trunks do have vertical fissures all the way down the trunk- large ones at the base (see the additional photo). We have irrigation that waters the trees 3 times a week/set to run for 6 minutes. I have not done any fertilizing in the last year- so that is definitely something I will have done this week.  

[DoomsDave]

10 minutes ago, Tara Michelle said:

Thank you all for the advice! I live in Los Angeles, California- so it stays pretty warm all year. I don't think we ever hit freezing temperatures this past winter. The trunks do have vertical fissures all the way down the trunk- large ones at the base (see the additional photo). We have irrigation that waters the trees 3 times a week/set to run for 6 minutes. I have not done any fertilizing in the last year- so that is definitely something I will have done this week.  

What part of LA are you in?

Mar Vista, for instance, is very different from Sherman Oaks.

[Tara Michelle]

4 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

What part of LA are you in?

Mar Vista, for instance, is very different from Sherman Oaks.

I live in Encino- right next to Sherman Oaks! 

[Dypsisdean]

Depending on what kind of sprinklers you have running 18 mins a week - I would think they may not be getting enough water. That is not much time (even for high volume spinklers) to water very deeply. And sprinklers can fail for all sorts of reasons.

Have you actually checked the soil around the root zone for moisture? Dig down a foot or so and see if any water is getting down to the roots.

[Jim in Los Altos]

My landscape is dominated by groves of king palms. They are very thirsty trees and do best in wet soil. Not merely moist but wet. They are even semi-aquatic in nature and will grow in shallow water. Your’s look severely under watered. Six minutes three times per week on a drip system is not adaquate and on a spray system that’s not my enough either. Give you palms enough water to thoroughly wet the soil down at least 18” and never let it dry out and I think you will see an amazing transformation over the next several months. 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Jim in Los Altos

[GottmitAlex]

7 minutes ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

My landscape is dominated by groves of king palms. They are very thirsty trees and do best in wet soil. Not merely moist but wet. They are even semi-aquatic in nature and will grow in shallow water. Your’s look severely under watered. Six minutes three times per week on a drip system is not adaquate and on a spray system that’s not my enough either. Give you palms enough water to thoroughly wet the soil down at least 18” and never let it dry out and I think you will see an amazing transformation over the next several months. 

Wunderbar!

[Tyrone]

Definitely not enough water. These palms as already mentioned often grow on stream banks or in flooded waterways in their native habitat.

Its possible you may have water repellant soil. In that case you could water for hours a day and the palm would still be too dry. That's normally an issue on sand. I would try and dig a shallow bowl in the soil around each palm, possibly use a wetting agent in the bowl, and fill each bowl with water and let it drain down every 2 or 3 days for maybe the next 6-12 months. If you did that I think your palm will just wake up and start pushing healthy leaves.

[DoomsDave]

@Tara Michelle, I concur with @Dypsisdeanand @Jim in Los Altos about king palm water needs.

Thirsty as can be but worth it. 

Encino will be a bit on the challenging side to keep king palms really happy because of how hot and dry and windy it can get there.

If you want palms without kings’ kingly water bill, other types will look great on a lot less water, like queen palms Syagrus romanzoffianum.

[Ben in Norcal]

Show us the base of the palm/soil?  Concur that this looks like a watering problem, so some pictures of that can help us define a strategy for you.

[Fusca]

Excellent advice above - @Tyrone makes an excellent point regarding the soil type.  Hard clay or sand can cause the water to just run off and not get to the roots.