Please Help Freeze Houston

[palmpalm01]

We had a record freeze dipping into low teens for hours two nights.  A lot of damage.  Everything is brown

 

I have meds no issue.  

I have Sylvesters and medjool whole heads are brown as seen in picture.  I gave systematic fungicide with Superthrive drenched the ground and sprayed the neck.  

Im following up with Hydrogen Poroxide.  Curious how much to use per gallon (I have a pump sprayer 2 gallons).  

Here is a picture looks pretty bad.  https://share.icloud.com/photos/0tyb9m2MmhfYcfaCVAqb_OIsg

[Keys6505]

There may be someone who knows more than I, so please correct me if I'm wrong but from what I understand the Hydrogen Peroxide treatment is more anecdotal whereas there are no scientific studies showing it's benefit to palms to prevent rot.  Fungicide, however, has been scientifically proven effective.  At least that's what I took from the info I've been digesting over the past month.  So if you've treated with fungicide I don't believe that you would have any need for hydrogen peroxide.  If you were using only hydrogen peroxide though people use non-diluted 3%.  

There are a lot of threads on the Cold Hardy Palm board dealing with freeze damage.  That's where most of us Houston folk have been posting.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Keys6505

[James B]

I think for a palm of that size HP would not do much but anything is possible. Once Palms get that size I don’t know if there is much of anything one can do aside from water and give fertilizer if the soil temps are even warm enough to do so. 
 

I would imagine you would need buckets of peroxide for a palm in that condition. 
 

I hope they pull through for you, it’s heartbreaking seeing palms that size and age get damaged like that. 

[Tyrone]

Hydrogen peroxide does work in sterilising dead and dying tissue but it’s not residual like normal fungicides. So it can prevent a rot starting and spiralling out of control and killing what good tissue is left. Often if a spear pulls a dose of HP can clean up the wound and allow the live tissue to try and repair the damage. A new deformed spear may emerge and if there is enough energy left in the plant it may get back on its feet and continue on.

Obviously no amount of anything will pull a stone dead frozen palm out of the grave. Only time will tell with the original posters palm. If it’s strong enough and alive it may recover. Phoenix are pretty strong and can survive fire. It wouldn’t hurt to get onto a ladder and pour some 3% HP down into the growing bud and maybe a fungicide drench around the roots but apart from that it’s on its own. If it wants to live it will.

[Johnny Palmseed]

3 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Hydrogen peroxide does work in sterilising dead and dying tissue but it’s not residual like normal fungicides. So it can prevent a rot starting and spiralling out of control and killing what good tissue is left. Often if a spear pulls a dose of HP can clean up the wound and allow the live tissue to try and repair the damage. A new deformed spear may emerge and if there is enough energy left in the plant it may get back on its feet and continue on.

Obviously no amount of anything will pull a stone dead frozen palm out of the grave. Only time will tell with the original posters palm. If it’s strong enough and alive it may recover. Phoenix are pretty strong and can survive fire. It wouldn’t hurt to get onto a ladder and pour some 3% HP down into the growing bud and maybe a fungicide drench around the roots but apart from that it’s on its own. If it wants to live it will.

This is well stated. If you got into the low teens for 2 nights, there might be no hope of saving them. It’s worth trying but I think you can also do more damage trying to help. Like @Tyrone alluded, it’s really up to the palm itself. Good luck.

[Austinpalm]

12 hours ago, palmpalm01 said:

We had a record freeze dipping into low teens for hours two nights.  A lot of damage.  Everything is brown

 

I have meds no issue.  

I have Sylvesters and medjool whole heads are brown as seen in picture.  I gave systematic fungicide with Superthrive drenched the ground and sprayed the neck.  

Im following up with Hydrogen Poroxide.  Curious how much to use per gallon (I have a pump sprayer 2 gallons).  

Here is a picture looks pretty bad.  https://share.icloud.com/photos/0tyb9m2MmhfYcfaCVAqb_OIsg

If it was mine, I would do the following:

1. Get on a ladder and without cutting anything, pour fungicide (not hydrogen peroxide) down into the crown. Climb down and wait a couple of weeks. Hydrogen peroxide is ok in the summer when we have high evaporation rates, but in the cool and rainy of spring it can sometimes remain in the crown long after being poured and begin to cause rot on its own.

2. If no green growth near the bud by the time that the chance of frost has past, then get back on the ladder and remove all dead fronts and pour more fungicide. 

3. If no green growth in a couple of weeks, get back on the ladder and begin slicing thru the top of the palm very carefully, slowly and thinly to remove dead dying material from the growth point.  This is not very easy and I like to use a very sharp small pruning saw or battery powered jig saw. Continue very slowly and thinly until you find green tissue.  Treat it with fungicide and wait.  The palm will either begin to form new fronds or will do nothing and is dead.  If you do not find green tissue, the palm is dead. 

Depending on the weather and other circumstances I have on occasion combined steps 2 & 3.  

Good luck whatever you choose to do. 

[necturus]

The best thing would be to remove the dead foliage except for a few petioles near the top, grab the spear and tug to see if it comes out (almost certainly will), and then treat the top with an antifungal drench like copper or mancozeb. You could also try a systemic fungicide treatment. This is essentially what Grant Stevenson, a Texas palm expert and member of the IPS board of directors, recommended on Randy Lemmon's show last weekend. You could listen to the podcast yourself for more details. Or hire someone to do all that for you.

[palmpalm01]

Out of my 4 palms only seeing green growth out of 1, still waiting patiently.  Anyone know an expert in houston I can call?

[Collectorpalms]

29 minutes ago, palmpalm01 said:

Out of my 4 palms only seeing green growth out of 1, still waiting patiently.  Anyone know an expert in houston I can call?

I don’t know of any Local unbiased experts, except tree cutters that would be happy to cut them down.

I have a lot of experience in cold hardy palms and freezes, what are your specific questions? You can private message me. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[palmpalm01]

im going to clean up them a little bit and get arial high detail shot from drone.  I sprayed fungicide twice 1/2 Sylvester coming back green fronds like 18" out. 

I have 0/2 Medjool they were soft before the freeze and I am worried.  

[Collectorpalms]

7 minutes ago, palmpalm01 said:

im going to clean up them a little bit and get arial high detail shot from drone.  I sprayed fungicide twice 1/2 Sylvester coming back green fronds like 18" out. 

I have 0/2 Medjool they were soft before the freeze and I am worried.  

I am not sure what you mean by soft before the freeze? Did you follow the advise to cut off all the dead fronds? If they are not showing any green, you need to carefully cut the top 6/8 inches of them. I have been doing this to my palms. You shouldn’t give up on them until at least Memorial Day as long as they remain firm. 
copper fungicide isn’t going to work if it cannot get into the crown, best option it to cut the top 6/8 and then pour it on. I’d check for spear pull too.

Any update pictures of your sylvestris? I have one that’s over 30ft tall. 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Desert Badger]

My first post. I am north of Houston and prior to the freeze had 6 Mule Palms. One of them didn't make it. Spear came out, mushy and drooping. Took it down and the middle of the trunk was a soft mess. My other 5 all had their original fronds browned and dead, but the middle of the palm had green still predominant on it. I did use copper fungicide immediately after the freeze including drenching the spear area. Twice. My situation now is the palms still show a lot of green but the new growth is yellow and some individual leaves can be pulled out and mushy at the ends. Most are still very stable. The new growth (I marked the new growth with an older frond and it is growing an inch+ a day) comes out not as a spear but individual leaves and droop fairly quickly-but stay green and not brown. So, in my long winded way, anything I should do or just let nature take its course and see what happens. I want to be optimistic but practical. Thank you ahead of time for any input or thoughts!

P.S.-not sure how to post a pic.

[PricklyPearSATC]

Are these pictures recent?  The vegetation does not look like April vegetation! 

[palmpalm01]

The look like that seeing dates spring from sides but no green on top.  Nothing knew but my medjools always had a very soft trunk is this normal in humid climates?  
 

Is this a good sign to see patches of dates sprouting even though no top fronds green yet?  Appreciate it 

 

thanks guys