Frond opening question

[sashaeffer]

Doesn’t happen all the time but what causes new fronds to open before spear has finished growing in height?

my triple Christmas palm I’ve grown. Only indoors year around and steady grower. Typically new spears grow like normal then open but this newest one isn’t. Have seen similar on other species I’ve had.

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

No answers but I'm pretty sure my Kentia is doing the same thing. Also this frond has been sloooooowly opening and i don't think it's moved in 2 months. 

[sashaeffer]

4 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

No answers but I'm pretty sure my Kentia is doing the same thing. Also this frond has been sloooooowly opening and i don't think it's moved in 2 months. 

Well hopefully all the experts here can chime in and educate us both.Well hopefully all the experts here can chime in and educate us both.

[JohnAndSancho]

Word.  

I want to learn, and I also want my Kentia to look how they look on the internet. And I know you've had Kentia issues yourself so hey - knowledge is golden. 

[sashaeffer]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Word.  

I want to learn, and I also want my Kentia to look how they look on the internet. And I know you've had Kentia issues yourself so hey - knowledge is golden. 

I have 3 bare root Kentia palms heading my way that I’m going to experiment with. 
 

phil at Jungle Music has some on special for $90

 

those would be $600.00 here! So have to figure out how to make them live here.

[Philly J]

1 hour ago, sashaeffer said:

I have 3 bare root Kentia palms heading my way that I’m going to experiment with. 
 

phil at Jungle Music has some on special for $90

 

those would be $600.00 here! So have to figure out how to make them live here.

Ultra jealous.  Phil won’t send them to Canada.

[Steve Mac]

My Dypsis rivularis out in the garden does that all of the time, I think that is a characteristic of that particular palm species. I cut the leaflets off down there because it is so messy.

Don't do that to the Kentia though, they should eventually push out, the D rivularis does not.

I have a little Syagrus weddellianum with the opposite problem too, where the petiole extends right out but the leaflets fail to unstick from the rachis.

If they were all easy to grow they would not be so much fun. 

[JohnAndSancho]

4 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

I have 3 bare root Kentia palms heading my way that I’m going to experiment with. 
 

phil at Jungle Music has some on special for $90

 

those would be $600.00 here! So have to figure out how to make them live here.

Nice! Hopefully things work this time! 

 

Phil also has the Baby Queens on sale this week and I'd really like 2 more L. Weddellanium. 

 

This hobby gets expensive. 

[lzorrito]

I'm no expert but can tell you about my experience with potted palms acting like that. It usually happens (at least for me) on late Autumn - early Winter. 

From what I figured out the new fronds/spear act like that either do to disturbance on stem  (watch for fungus issues...may use some Hydrogen peroxide and see how it reacts) or to too soggy soil during high air moisture low light conditions (root issues...must check roots for rot).

 

[sashaeffer]

4 hours ago, lzorrito said:

I'm no expert but can tell you about my experience with potted palms acting like that. It usually happens (at least for me) on late Autumn - early Winter. 

From what I figured out the new fronds/spear act like that either do to disturbance on stem  (watch for fungus issues...may use some Hydrogen peroxide and see how it reacts) or to too soggy soil during high air moisture low light conditions (root issues...must check roots for rot).

 

This palm is in 100% perlite.  Christmas palms are also spider mite magnets so I will sometimes put it in the shower to shower off the fronds to remove them. Could be it got way more water than it normally would when I just water it, which has to be done weekly.  Good input.

[lzorrito]

55 minutes ago, sashaeffer said:

This palm is in 100% perlite.  Christmas palms are also spider mite magnets so I will sometimes put it in the shower to shower off the fronds to remove them. Could be it got way more water than it normally would when I just water it, which has to be done weekly.  Good input.

It may have caught too much water on the crown, and if it has been done on a weekly basis during winter, indoors low light and high moisture, you may have some issues. The palm looks overall healthy, but internal damage may be occurring, and unnoticed. Check if the stem base is somehow soft or spongy when lightly squeezed or if it bends bit and also grow mark the frond. Is the frond/spear stiff and vertical or is it soft to touch and bends easily?

[sashaeffer]

11 minutes ago, lzorrito said:

It may have caught too much water on the crown, and if it has been done on a weekly basis during winter, indoors low light and high moisture, you may have some issues. The palm looks overall healthy, but internal damage may be occurring, and unnoticed. Check if the stem base is somehow soft or spongy when lightly squeezed or if it bends bit and also grow mark the frond. Is the frond/spear stiff and vertical or is it soft to touch and bends easily?

I don't "shower" it all the time, but did two weeks in a row.  Will not do that again for some time. It has other spears pushing from the other two in same pot so will watch it close.

 

Thanks.

[lzorrito]

8 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

I don't "shower" it all the time, but did two weeks in a row.  Will not do that again for some time. It has other spears pushing from the other two in same pot so will watch it close.

Thanks.

 You're welcome! Just keep on monitoring it. It will be fine, just go easy with the "shower". Probably you don't want to go for a chemical solution to eradicate those mites, but there are other treatments. Make a deep forum search on that and for sure you'll find one that is suitable.

Look, I live in a 10b zone by the sea shore, and I don't even try to grow A. meireilii (at least for now), they're so touchy and tender. I plan to do so, it's such a desirable palm, so I'm gathering all the information possible from whom is growing them on marginal climate zones. Beginning to think that it's possible to grow them on a sheltered, under canopy, south facing, very good draining soil position, but still have lots of doubts.

Keep us updated on the incoming bare root H. forsteriana. Would like to follow your approach when potting. 

[sashaeffer]

2 hours ago, lzorrito said:

 You're welcome! Just keep on monitoring it. It will be fine, just go easy with the "shower". Probably you don't want to go for a chemical solution to eradicate those mites, but there are other treatments. Make a deep forum search on that and for sure you'll find one that is suitable.

Look, I live in a 10b zone by the sea shore, and I don't even try to grow A. meireilii (at least for now), they're so touchy and tender. I plan to do so, it's such a desirable palm, so I'm gathering all the information possible from whom is growing them on marginal climate zones. Beginning to think that it's possible to grow them on a sheltered, under canopy, south facing, very good draining soil position, but still have lots of doubts.

Keep us updated on the incoming bare root H. forsteriana. Would like to follow your approach when potting. 

I didn't have any luck with them either until I went with the 100% perlite method.  Mine are always indoor palms as well and sit in front of a large East facing windows. They do require water every 7 days though, not even one day longer or you'll loose some fronds(learned the hard way)  Aside from the mites, it's done well.   I do use insecticide when I need to, but figured the shower would kill two birds with one stone.

It's been a strong steady grower the years I've had it.