Dactylifera Frond Boots

[ahosey01]

This morning I was trimming back some of the old, leftover frond boots on my Phoenix dactylifera when something happened which I have not experienced.

Two of the frond boots, with no meaningful effort, ripped directly out of the trunk and left these big open spaces. Behind them, there is this fibrous dust that appears to fill the spot where they were. I have also noticed a faint musty smell, like a poorly ventilated, wet basement, coming out of the stringy fibrous material when I pull it away from the trunk.  It almost seems like the trunk is rotting under these frond boots.

Curious if anyone has experienced this or knows what it is or if it matters.  None of the other frond boots I have trimmed have done this.  This palm is growing just fine and has opened a few new spears since I got it.

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by ahosey01

[ahosey01]

Another angle:

[ahosey01]

Another, looks like something took a giant bite out of the trunk:

[SailorBold]

I cant say I have seen that before.. but Id think as the palm gets bigger and the trunk expands it wont be as prevalent. The trunk looks thin to me.  Perhaps it was stunted being moved around as nursery stock??  I dont know.  You could probably treat the trunks with a fungicide to get rid of the funk and prevent it from carrying on.. if thats what it is.  also sterilize your pruners perhaps..

[ahosey01]

12 hours ago, SailorBold said:

I cant say I have seen that before.. but Id think as the palm gets bigger and the trunk expands it wont be as prevalent. The trunk looks thin to me.  Perhaps it was stunted being moved around as nursery stock??  I dont know.  You could probably treat the trunks with a fungicide to get rid of the funk and prevent it from carrying on.. if thats what it is.  also sterilize your pruners perhaps..

Best fungicide for this application?

[ahosey01]

Update to this thread...

Noticed today that more chunks of “bark” all over the trunk have turned brittle and are effortlessly ripped away by hand. Any time you break one of these pieces away, it is full of something strange and white and sort of fibrous.  They also all smell like a musty basement:

Also, I noticed that the “bark” as I am calling it is breaking away from the crown of the roots, which are turning black and beginning to smell similar to the chunks I peel away:

I feel like something is wrong here.  Anyone experienced this? As far as the green parts go, this thing appears to be doing great.  It’s opened three or four fronds since June and looks like I’ll get another one in September.  I really like this palm but I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with it.