Licuala grandis

[Saara]

Hi!

I got this licuala grandis about a week ago, 94cm tall, 21x23cm in a pot. I can see one leaf turn a little yellow. And I made one hole more in the pot and I see root rot. I need probably have to change soil.

What soil mixture shoud I use? Something like seramis, kokohum, a pine bark?

Should I cut off all the root rot? Should I change all the soil off  (everything around roots)? Will this die if I touch the roots? I do not know how sensitive this plant is.

Thank you!

[Saara]

Should I leave it or repot it?

[Frond-friend42]

12 hours ago, Saara said:

Should I leave it or repot it?

I see some spotting. Overall it looks pretty good to me. Check for bugs and treat. If spotting gets worse consider problems with water balance or nutrients. I wouldn't repot at this point.

[Saara]

8 minutes ago, Frond-friend42 said:

I see some spotting. Overall it looks pretty good to me. Check for bugs and treat. If spotting gets worse consider problems with water balance or nutrients. I wouldn't repot at this point.

Thank you. I see some gnats flying around. I had this problem before this plant and these come again and again even I have poisoned them.

What fertilizer (NPK) should I use?

[Merlyn]

In pots a good choice is Osmocote or Nutricote.  They are 15-9-12 or 18-6-8 with essential minor elements.  Licuala Grandis is a swamp dweller, so they are not very tolerant of drying out.  Keep the soil moist but not wet, and consider misting the fronds to keep them from drying out indoors.  

[Saara]

28 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

In pots a good choice is Osmocote or Nutricote.  They are 15-9-12 or 18-6-8 with essential minor elements.  Licuala Grandis is a swamp dweller, so they are not very tolerant of drying out.  Keep the soil moist but not wet, and consider misting the fronds to keep them from drying out indoors.  

Thank you

[Saara]

Hi!

Thank you for your help!

My palm now:

[Merlyn]

@Saara that palm looks gorgeous!!!  It's hard to keep a Grandis totally happy without a lot of humidity, but it looks like you have hit a great mix of water, soil, etc.  It looks like it might be in the same pot with just a bit of bark mulch on the surface, is that right?

[Saara]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Saara that palm looks gorgeous!!!  It's hard to keep a Grandis totally happy without a lot of humidity, but it looks like you have hit a great mix of water, soil, etc.  It looks like it might be in the same pot with just a bit of bark mulch on the surface, is that right?

Thank you.

It's in the same pot I got and I haven't touched the soil (just put little bit coconut on the surface). I did put there some Osmocote.

I have bottom watered and it sits on top of the leca and the water (the water does not touch the pot). I have white springtails on that tray (with leca and water) and I quess plant likes it and springtails too. I have no idea where they came.

Thank you for your help!

[Saara]

10 minutes ago, Saara said:

Thank you.

It's in the same pot I got and I haven't touched the soil (just put little bit coconut on the surface). I did put there some Osmocote.

I have bottom watered and it sits on top of the leca and the water (the water does not touch the pot). I have white springtails on that tray (with leca and water) and I quess plant likes it and springtails too. I have no idea where they came.

Thank you for your help!

I check the moisture balance with a wooden stick (the one in the photo and with the dry part) and when soil sticks to the stick unevenly, then I start watering the plant

[Hydrangela]

Hi @Saara your Licuala looks incredible! Mine hasn’t been doing very well, got in Dec 2021 and it looked a lot like yours but now am only left with 2 leaves

Do you have any tips? I was reading this thread and saw a suggested soil mix (Seramis 2/5, pine bark 2/5 and leca 1/5), and seems like users were saying humidity does not affect the plant too much (I keep mine next to a humidifier set at 55-60%) and mine has a lot of fungus gnats that I cannot seem to get rid of! Any help would be much appreciated!

 

 

[Saara]

15 hours ago, Hydrangela said:

Hi @Saara your Licuala looks incredible! Mine hasn’t been doing very well, got in Dec 2021 and it looked a lot like yours but now am only left with 2 leaves

Do you have any tips? I was reading this thread and saw a suggested soil mix (Seramis 2/5, pine bark 2/5 and leca 1/5), and seems like users were saying humidity does not affect the plant too much (I keep mine next to a humidifier set at 55-60%) and mine has a lot of fungus gnats that I cannot seem to get rid of! Any help would be much appreciated!

 

 

Thank you! 

It sounds like root rot, gnats love root rot and especially Licuala roots. 

Could I have a picture of your palm tree? It helps a lot.

You should use Pal Meir mix.  And use deep small pots. If needed to repot then do it fast because if too much roots are rotten then it will not survive. I have killed Licuala even I did change it to that mix, because half of the roots were gone. So when buying Licuala, then I do not buy Licuala if I can see that soil really sucks. 

For gnats buy a UV lamp with an electric shock 

[Hydrangela]

@Saara Thanks for your help. I’ve ordered seramis, bark and leca as per the Pal Meir recipe but the seramis won’t arrive until next week  Hope my Licuala can hang on until then!

Below are pictures of my plant, as you can tell it has rapidly deteriorated…

 

Dec 2021 - first arrived in my house after spending a full week in the post

 

May 2022 - still doing ok but some leaves have died
 

Aug 2022 - as you can see the condition of the plant is very bad, I believe this is two plants, one of them has died completely and the other is doing relatively ok 

 

close up of dead plant

 

if you look closely the plant actually had new growth but it has turned yellow and is dead

I will definitely be repotting once the seramis arrives, and probably moving to a smaller pot. Do you think there is any way to save the dead plant? Or should I try to separate the plants and save the one that still has green leaves? Again, thank you so much for any advice!

Edited August 1, 2022 by Hydrangela

[Saara]

35 minutes ago, Hydrangela said:

@Saara Thanks for your help. I’ve ordered seramis, bark and leca as per the Pal Meir recipe but the seramis won’t arrive until next week  Hope my Licuala can hang on until then!

Below are pictures of my plant, as you can tell it has rapidly deteriorated…

 

Dec 2021 - first arrived in my house after spending a full week in the post

 

May 2022 - still doing ok but some leaves have died 111.98 kB · 0 downloads
 

Aug 2022 - as you can see the condition of the plant is very bad, I believe this is two plants, one of them has died completely and the other is doing relatively ok 

 

close up of dead plant

 

if you look closely the plant actually had new growth but it has turned yellow and is dead

I will definitely be repotting once the seramis arrives, and probably moving to a smaller pot. Do you think there is any way to save the dead plant? Or should I try to separate the plants and save the one that still has green leaves? Again, thank you so much for any advice!

You should ask more info from maxum2610 because he was able to revive it from that condition. He knows emergency soil for that.

When waiting reply from him. You should take soil away on the sides (look picture) and do not disturb roots. Then wrap it around the newspaper (at least bottom and sides and ) and put it back to the pot. That perhaps takes away extra moisture. Then follow maxum2610 instructions. 

 

 

 

[Hydrangela]

@Saara Thank you so much! Will remove the extra soil from the sides now and will drop maxum a message  

[Saara]

27 minutes ago, Hydrangela said:

@Saara Thank you so much! Will remove the extra soil from the sides now and will drop maxum a message  

When you wrap it in a newspaper, do it "tightly softly" in such a way that the newspaper becomes like a pot for the plant. (You can also wrap the top soil in newspaper if you want). Newspaper comes wet soon after wrapping (moisture comes from soil) and it takes and gives moisture. (Make sure that there is moisture next the roots if roots comes out )

Edited August 1, 2022 by Saara

[Hydrangela]

16 minutes ago, Saara said:

When you wrap it in a newspaper, do it "tightly softly" in such a way that the newspaper becomes like a pot for the plant. (You can also wrap the top soil in newspaper if you want). Newspaper comes wet soon after wrapping (moisture comes from soil) and it takes and gives moisture. (Make sure that there is moisture next the roots if roots comes out )

Thank you! I messaged maxum as suggested and he advised to remove all soil and repot with leca and bark - will also move to a smaller pot as you suggested! Thanks again so much for your help

[Saara]

I need to replant my palm. I watered the palms too late once, so one of the leaves dried up a week later (all other pictures), and now the leaf that emerges after a week seems to be semi-dry (pictures 3,4).

I do bottom watering. Have too many minerals accumulated in my soil?

The soil is a mixture of coconut. Actually I do not know exactly.

Should I plant in a bigger pot with a mixture of coconut-bark-leca 40-30-30 or ceramis-bark-leca? I was thinking of leaving the old soil and adding new soil around it. 

This palm is really sensitive. Once in the winter it was only without light for a week and it got mad about it and it lost two leaves (I was traveling).

Is my palm dying?

Other palm in the same pot is doing great and other one is the problem one.

I was supposed to repot it one and half month ago, but new pot arrived damaged. Now finding new one was not easy.

 

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

The photo shows a new pot. This is something made of fabric.

I was hoping to find e.g. a 26-28 x 35-40 cm plastic pot, but they were gone. Preferably a plastic pot so you can add holes.

Edited September 2, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

My palm today

[Saara]

18 hours ago, Saara said:

The photo shows a new pot. This is something made of fabric.

I was hoping to find e.g. a 26-28 x 35-40 cm plastic pot, but they were gone. Preferably a plastic pot so you can add holes.

Is this an ok pot or should I still look for a plastic pot?

The leaf that emerges is dry but all the other leaves seems to be ok.

So will it die or is it from watering it too little one time?

I would like to change this soil some day to the seramis-bark-leca. I have had difficulties with watering with that soil, so for some plants (some loving it and not because I forget to water so often)

Edited September 3, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

For the future: if I switch to a seramis-bark-leca mixture, before that would it be good to move it to a bigger plastic pot and put leca/bark on the edges and wait for the roots to grow into it and then switch to it? And is hydrosora the same stuff as leca? And do I use a large grain size or a small one?

[Saara]

44 minutes ago, Saara said:

For the future: if I switch to a seramis-bark-leca mixture, before that would it be good to move it to a bigger plastic pot and put leca/bark on the edges and wait for the roots to grow into it and then switch to it? And is hydrosora the same stuff as leca? And do I use a large grain size or a small one?

I've done that to my Ficus lyra (because the soil was terrible and I couldn't get any peat out) and I used a larger 8-16 mm leca/hydro gravel and bark 50/50 and the roots came from the bottom after a month (not changed new soil yet).

Or is it worth putting a palm tree in something like this? 

Here are the size differences between large and small.

Edited September 3, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

15 hours ago, Saara said:

Is this an ok pot or should I still look for a plastic pot?

The leaf that emerges is dry but all the other leaves seems to be ok.

So will it die or is it from watering it too little one time?

I would like to change this soil some day to the seramis-bark-leca. I have had difficulties with watering with that soil, so for some plants (some loving it and not because I forget to water so often)

I quess it is drying and nothing can save it 😭

Unless it is magnesium deficiency....but I have used earlier Osmocote Exact Hi.End 15-9-12+2MgO+TE but not for a while. And I am not expert, I am just beginner.

Please let me know if you know any miracles 

[Saara]

Rotting bud? Or two palms too close and other is dying because less space/nutrients? Too root bound?

I have repotted it and put little osmocote. And I let water get through it so excess minerals washed away.

I am surprised because my palm was doing great and suddenly this happened 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

Should I change my soil to leca/bark? 

[Saara]

I planted it at night on 2.9 in a bigger pot without disturbing the roots and the old soil. That means there is about 2.5 cm of that new soil around the previous soil. I was running out of soil so I used perlite.

 

2.9

[Saara]

And there was charcoal too in the mix.

I add larger leca and charcoal on the bottom 

[Saara]

Someone suggested that it may be manganese deficiency. 

So water soluble manganese?

This osmocote includes 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

1 hour ago, Saara said:

Someone suggested that it may be manganese deficiency. 

So water soluble manganese?

This osmocote includes 

Should I use something like this https://pavunvarsi.fi/bio-nova-zym-1l ? It is easy available

[Saara]

5 hours ago, Saara said:

Should I use something like this https://pavunvarsi.fi/bio-nova-zym-1l ? It is easy available

I was looking some information about manganese deficiency. By the way, do you know what pH should be in the soil? Because I could buy that what measures pH so wet get closer what is the problem. Also some manganese. Iron deficiency too? How to know? Do you have any recommendations?

I am just quessing everything

Edited September 4, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

20 minutes ago, Saara said:

I was looking some information about manganese deficiency. By the way, do you know what pH should be in the soil? Because I could buy that what measures pH so wet get closer what is the problem. Also some manganese. Iron deficiency too? How to know? Do you have any recommendations?

I am just quessing everything

Other supplement for manganese 

https://pavunvarsi.fi/canna-mono-trace-mix-1l

Which one should I pick?

[Merlyn]

Here's my notes on nutrient deficiencies, this might help figure out what's going wrong.

• Nitrogen - Older fronds turn light green uniformly, new fronds remain dark green until deficiency is really severe
• Potassium - Older fronds get translucent yellow/orange or dead spots on leaves, especially at the tips. Caryota and Arenga get random splotched dead spots in leaves. Sometimes tips are curled or frizzled. Always starts at tips of oldest leaves, moving inwards
• Magnesium -Yellow ends on oldest leaves first, transitions to solid green at the base of each leaf. Does not cause leaf tip necrosis until really severe.
• Iron - Many times caused by overly mucky soil and root rot. Starts with new spear leaves with yellow-green or even white, possibly with spots of green. EDDHA works up to pH of 9, 3-5oz per 100sqft
• Manganese - Lengthwise necrotic streaks in NEW leaves with dead and curled leaf tips. Similar to bands showing Magnesium deficiency. Mn is NOT mobile, so it can't be stolen from old leaves.
• Boron - Bent or necrotic or distorted leaf tips, distorted or bent spear, bands of dead spots on new fans, spears that won't fully open, stunted fronds
• Water - Underwatering brown at the edges first, later followed by yellowing of the whole leaf. Overwatering can be drooping fronds turning yellowish and losing color
• Calcium – New leaves are stunted and necrotic, eventually growing only petiole stubs. Deficiency is rare. High pH from adding calcium can induce Magnesium, Manganese, Iron and Boron deficiencies.
• Dolomitic Lime or Azomite - Magnesium Carbonate – reduces acidity/raises pH – slower release and adds Magnesium, helps avoid Potassium deficiencies in Cuban Copernicias. 5Lb per palm on full-size Copernicias and a bit less on Kentiopsis Oliviformis
• Garden Lime - Calcium Carbonate – fast release but works well. 5Lb per palm on full-size Copernicias and a bit less on Kentiopsis Oliviformis
• Sulfur - Elemental sulfur powder or prills reduces pH, 1/2 ounce per cubic foot in sandy soils
• Sunburn - Orange/Red/Brown streaks on surfaces facing the point of hottest sun, typically the worst case is around 1-4pm. Sun tolerant species will adapt and grow out of it. Shade loving species may never adapt.

My initial thought is there's a broad Potassium deficiency.  That makes sense because the fertilizer is 15-9-12 and the typical palm recommendation by UFL (Broschat et. al) is a 2-1-3 ratio.  So the Osmocote you picked might just need a bit of supplemental Potassium to keep it healthy long-term.  Something like Langbeinite is a great slow release Potassium/Magnesium fertilizer that would help long-term.

The bigger issue is probably an Iron deficiency, because the new frond on one palm is coming out pure white.  The Osmocote uses 0.09% EDTA (unavailable over a pH of about 6-6.5) and probably iron oxide (unavailable over pH of 6).  So most likely your fertilizer doesn't provide any useful source of iron.  That's not normally a problem, because plants can usually get enough iron directly from the soil.  Sometimes that's because the soil is too wet or mucky, which *might* be the case if you have your pot sitting in water.  Usually you want the bottom of the pot sitting above a dry tray, and water from the top on a regular basis.  Grandis are touchy to water, and you never want to let one completely dry out.  In my limited experience if they completely dry out they immediately die.  That's not the case here, so just an FYI if you are changing your watering schedule.  In your case I'd put it up above the tray of water and water from the top only.  Add some iron EDDHA and consider a palm frond spray with iron in it.  I have used the Southern Ag "Palm Nutritional Spray" with Manganese, Magnesium, and Iron.  I'm sure that's not available in Finland, but you may be able to find something similar. 

Just to rule out a bud fungal infection, you can squirt a little 3% household hydrogen peroxide in there.  If it bubbles up there's a fungus present...if no bubbles there's no fungus!

@Pal Meir any thoughts or suggestions?  I only grow seedlings up to the point where I can plant them in the yard, and have no experience in growing indoors.

[Saara]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

Here's my notes on nutrient deficiencies, this might help figure out what's going wrong.

• Nitrogen - Older fronds turn light green uniformly, new fronds remain dark green until deficiency is really severe
• Potassium - Older fronds get translucent yellow/orange or dead spots on leaves, especially at the tips. Caryota and Arenga get random splotched dead spots in leaves. Sometimes tips are curled or frizzled. Always starts at tips of oldest leaves, moving inwards
• Magnesium -Yellow ends on oldest leaves first, transitions to solid green at the base of each leaf. Does not cause leaf tip necrosis until really severe.
• Iron - Many times caused by overly mucky soil and root rot. Starts with new spear leaves with yellow-green or even white, possibly with spots of green. EDDHA works up to pH of 9, 3-5oz per 100sqft
• Manganese - Lengthwise necrotic streaks in NEW leaves with dead and curled leaf tips. Similar to bands showing Magnesium deficiency. Mn is NOT mobile, so it can't be stolen from old leaves.
• Boron - Bent or necrotic or distorted leaf tips, distorted or bent spear, bands of dead spots on new fans, spears that won't fully open, stunted fronds
• Water - Underwatering brown at the edges first, later followed by yellowing of the whole leaf. Overwatering can be drooping fronds turning yellowish and losing color
• Calcium – New leaves are stunted and necrotic, eventually growing only petiole stubs. Deficiency is rare. High pH from adding calcium can induce Magnesium, Manganese, Iron and Boron deficiencies.
• Dolomitic Lime or Azomite - Magnesium Carbonate – reduces acidity/raises pH – slower release and adds Magnesium, helps avoid Potassium deficiencies in Cuban Copernicias. 5Lb per palm on full-size Copernicias and a bit less on Kentiopsis Oliviformis
• Garden Lime - Calcium Carbonate – fast release but works well. 5Lb per palm on full-size Copernicias and a bit less on Kentiopsis Oliviformis
• Sulfur - Elemental sulfur powder or prills reduces pH, 1/2 ounce per cubic foot in sandy soils
• Sunburn - Orange/Red/Brown streaks on surfaces facing the point of hottest sun, typically the worst case is around 1-4pm. Sun tolerant species will adapt and grow out of it. Shade loving species may never adapt.

My initial thought is there's a broad Potassium deficiency.  That makes sense because the fertilizer is 15-9-12 and the typical palm recommendation by UFL (Broschat et. al) is a 2-1-3 ratio.  So the Osmocote you picked might just need a bit of supplemental Potassium to keep it healthy long-term.  Something like Langbeinite is a great slow release Potassium/Magnesium fertilizer that would help long-term.

The bigger issue is probably an Iron deficiency, because the new frond on one palm is coming out pure white.  The Osmocote uses 0.09% EDTA (unavailable over a pH of about 6-6.5) and probably iron oxide (unavailable over pH of 6).  So most likely your fertilizer doesn't provide any useful source of iron.  That's not normally a problem, because plants can usually get enough iron directly from the soil.  Sometimes that's because the soil is too wet or mucky, which *might* be the case if you have your pot sitting in water.  Usually you want the bottom of the pot sitting above a dry tray, and water from the top on a regular basis.  Grandis are touchy to water, and you never want to let one completely dry out.  In my limited experience if they completely dry out they immediately die.  That's not the case here, so just an FYI if you are changing your watering schedule.  In your case I'd put it up above the tray of water and water from the top only.  Add some iron EDDHA and consider a palm frond spray with iron in it.  I have used the Southern Ag "Palm Nutritional Spray" with Manganese, Magnesium, and Iron.  I'm sure that's not available in Finland, but you may be able to find something similar. 

Just to rule out a bud fungal infection, you can squirt a little 3% household hydrogen peroxide in there.  If it bubbles up there's a fungus present...if no bubbles there's no fungus!

@Pal Meir any thoughts or suggestions?  I only grow seedlings up to the point where I can plant them in the yard, and have no experience in growing indoors.

Thank you. 

I'll get back to you. I will read through the suggestions again. I will also try to look for the nutrients you suggested.

I bought a soil pH meter to help sort this out faster. And I tested its performance closely with my soap pH 4.5 and it looked the same. Although I completely do not trust this.

My soil pH is 5.8 and on the top part of soil (3-4cm above) is 6.5. And I've usually used osmocote on the top (0-4cm above). 

The plant has usually been in a pot on a plate with leca.
When I water, I put the plant in a bucket with water and let the necessary water soak through it.

And now it is more clear why there are defects in my palm.
I also suspected that a lot of minerals accumulated on the surface of the growing medium.

There was no fungus infection.

How fast should I get these nutrients? Is it a hurry or will the plant last another 2-3 days? Because there are limited shops in Helsinki. And it would be best to buy your recommendations.

I have another Livistona Chinensis palm deficiency (started two weeks ago). 

I got it a month ago. I can start a new topic on the subject.

Edited September 5, 2023 by Saara

[Saara]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Here's my notes on nutrient deficiencies, this might help figure out what's going wrong.

• Nitrogen - Older fronds turn light green uniformly, new fronds remain dark green until deficiency is really severe
• Potassium - Older fronds get translucent yellow/orange or dead spots on leaves, especially at the tips. Caryota and Arenga get random splotched dead spots in leaves. Sometimes tips are curled or frizzled. Always starts at tips of oldest leaves, moving inwards
• Magnesium -Yellow ends on oldest leaves first, transitions to solid green at the base of each leaf. Does not cause leaf tip necrosis until really severe.
• Iron - Many times caused by overly mucky soil and root rot. Starts with new spear leaves with yellow-green or even white, possibly with spots of green. EDDHA works up to pH of 9, 3-5oz per 100sqft
• Manganese - Lengthwise necrotic streaks in NEW leaves with dead and curled leaf tips. Similar to bands showing Magnesium deficiency. Mn is NOT mobile, so it can't be stolen from old leaves.
• Boron - Bent or necrotic or distorted leaf tips, distorted or bent spear, bands of dead spots on new fans, spears that won't fully open, stunted fronds
• Water - Underwatering brown at the edges first, later followed by yellowing of the whole leaf. Overwatering can be drooping fronds turning yellowish and losing color
• Calcium – New leaves are stunted and necrotic, eventually growing only petiole stubs. Deficiency is rare. High pH from adding calcium can induce Magnesium, Manganese, Iron and Boron deficiencies.
• Dolomitic Lime or Azomite - Magnesium Carbonate – reduces acidity/raises pH – slower release and adds Magnesium, helps avoid Potassium deficiencies in Cuban Copernicias. 5Lb per palm on full-size Copernicias and a bit less on Kentiopsis Oliviformis
• Garden Lime - Calcium Carbonate – fast release but works well. 5Lb per palm on full-size Copernicias and a bit less on Kentiopsis Oliviformis
• Sulfur - Elemental sulfur powder or prills reduces pH, 1/2 ounce per cubic foot in sandy soils
• Sunburn - Orange/Red/Brown streaks on surfaces facing the point of hottest sun, typically the worst case is around 1-4pm. Sun tolerant species will adapt and grow out of it. Shade loving species may never adapt.

My initial thought is there's a broad Potassium deficiency.  That makes sense because the fertilizer is 15-9-12 and the typical palm recommendation by UFL (Broschat et. al) is a 2-1-3 ratio.  So the Osmocote you picked might just need a bit of supplemental Potassium to keep it healthy long-term.  Something like Langbeinite is a great slow release Potassium/Magnesium fertilizer that would help long-term.

The bigger issue is probably an Iron deficiency, because the new frond on one palm is coming out pure white.  The Osmocote uses 0.09% EDTA (unavailable over a pH of about 6-6.5) and probably iron oxide (unavailable over pH of 6).  So most likely your fertilizer doesn't provide any useful source of iron.  That's not normally a problem, because plants can usually get enough iron directly from the soil.  Sometimes that's because the soil is too wet or mucky, which *might* be the case if you have your pot sitting in water.  Usually you want the bottom of the pot sitting above a dry tray, and water from the top on a regular basis.  Grandis are touchy to water, and you never want to let one completely dry out.  In my limited experience if they completely dry out they immediately die.  That's not the case here, so just an FYI if you are changing your watering schedule.  In your case I'd put it up above the tray of water and water from the top only.  Add some iron EDDHA and consider a palm frond spray with iron in it.  I have used the Southern Ag "Palm Nutritional Spray" with Manganese, Magnesium, and Iron.  I'm sure that's not available in Finland, but you may be able to find something similar. 

Just to rule out a bud fungal infection, you can squirt a little 3% household hydrogen peroxide in there.  If it bubbles up there's a fungus present...if no bubbles there's no fungus!

@Pal Meir any thoughts or suggestions?  I only grow seedlings up to the point where I can plant them in the yard, and have no experience in growing indoors.

And when I use fertilizers, is it ok for them to be on the surface in overhead watering. What about bottom watering?

[Merlyn]

@Saara it's fine for fertilizers to be on the surface as long as you are watering the top of the pot.  Bottom watering on palms is usually not a good idea, due to the chances of root rot.  Grandis live in swampy areas, but the water is usually moving.  That's different than sitting in tray of stagnant water.

If your soil pH is around 5.8-6.5 then the iron in the Osmocote is probably not available to the palm.  Adding EDDHA iron is a good bet, any locally sourced brand is totally fine.  Since you have a *possible* root uptake problem, a foliar spray is a good addition.  Just keep in mind that a mineral foliar spray will stain anything it touches, like concrete, tile, wood, etc.  So if you spray it, take the palm out somewhere you can spray without accidentally turning everything under it bright orange! 

Regarding time frame, sooner is obviously better.  But if you have some of the Osmocote 15-9-12 I'd add some of that now and find some EDDHA iron, Langbeinite, and maybe an iron foliar spray soon.  Realistically the new leaf will not grow out normal color, and it may take a couple of months to grow out a normal leaf.  Think of these changes as a long-term solution.  Getting the palm up out of the saucer of water and adding some Osmocote with watering from the top are the best first steps.  Realistically the only thing that could kill a Grandis in 2-3 days is going completely dry.

As always, take my advice with a grain (or handful) of salt.  I don't grow any palms indoors, and am not great at growing up seedlings in pots outdoors.  Most of my nursery area plants survive out of benign neglect.  Hopefully a few others will have suggestions, or correct me if I'm wrong! 

[Saara]

6 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

@Saara it's fine for fertilizers to be on the surface as long as you are watering the top of the pot.  Bottom watering on palms is usually not a good idea, due to the chances of root rot.  Grandis live in swampy areas, but the water is usually moving.  That's different than sitting in tray of stagnant water.

If your soil pH is around 5.8-6.5 then the iron in the Osmocote is probably not available to the palm.  Adding EDDHA iron is a good bet, any locally sourced brand is totally fine.  Since you have a *possible* root uptake problem, a foliar spray is a good addition.  Just keep in mind that a mineral foliar spray will stain anything it touches, like concrete, tile, wood, etc.  So if you spray it, take the palm out somewhere you can spray without accidentally turning everything under it bright orange! 

Regarding time frame, sooner is obviously better.  But if you have some of the Osmocote 15-9-12 I'd add some of that now and find some EDDHA iron, Langbeinite, and maybe an iron foliar spray soon.  Realistically the new leaf will not grow out normal color, and it may take a couple of months to grow out a normal leaf.  Think of these changes as a long-term solution.  Getting the palm up out of the saucer of water and adding some Osmocote with watering from the top are the best first steps.  Realistically the only thing that could kill a Grandis in 2-3 days is going completely dry.

As always, take my advice with a grain (or handful) of salt.  I don't grow any palms indoors, and am not great at growing up seedlings in pots outdoors.  Most of my nursery area plants survive out of benign neglect.  Hopefully a few others will have suggestions, or correct me if I'm wrong! 

Thank you. You are helpful.

I will do it 😊

About pH. What is the recommendation? Some liquids are available to change soil pH. And the reason I did the pH test was because I thought I was deficient in magnesium and if the pH was too high, it wouldn't absorb it.

[Saara]

18 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

@Saara it's fine for fertilizers to be on the surface as long as you are watering the top of the pot.  Bottom watering on palms is usually not a good idea, due to the chances of root rot.  Grandis live in swampy areas, but the water is usually moving.  That's different than sitting in tray of stagnant water.

If your soil pH is around 5.8-6.5 then the iron in the Osmocote is probably not available to the palm.  Adding EDDHA iron is a good bet, any locally sourced brand is totally fine.  Since you have a *possible* root uptake problem, a foliar spray is a good addition.  Just keep in mind that a mineral foliar spray will stain anything it touches, like concrete, tile, wood, etc.  So if you spray it, take the palm out somewhere you can spray without accidentally turning everything under it bright orange! 

Regarding time frame, sooner is obviously better.  But if you have some of the Osmocote 15-9-12 I'd add some of that now and find some EDDHA iron, Langbeinite, and maybe an iron foliar spray soon.  Realistically the new leaf will not grow out normal color, and it may take a couple of months to grow out a normal leaf.  Think of these changes as a long-term solution.  Getting the palm up out of the saucer of water and adding some Osmocote with watering from the top are the best first steps.  Realistically the only thing that could kill a Grandis in 2-3 days is going completely dry.

As always, take my advice with a grain (or handful) of salt.  I don't grow any palms indoors, and am not great at growing up seedlings in pots outdoors.  Most of my nursery area plants survive out of benign neglect.  Hopefully a few others will have suggestions, or correct me if I'm wrong! 

My big lamp just fell into my palm 😬🫣😥. Nothing was visibly damaged, but I can smell the stress of the plants (that is, the smell when a leaf is damaged or a leaf is dying). Luckily I was close so I caught it before it flew to the growth point.

It seems to me that I need to be faster in acquiring these nutrients. And I need to change the position of the palm

[Merlyn]

Soil pH definitely matters, and magnesium is not too available at lower pH.  Dolomitic lime is one possibility, which raises pH and adds magnesium.  I have no clue if that's a good or bad idea in a pot or in your case.  Here's a reference chart for nutrients vs pH:

[Saara]

8 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Soil pH definitely matters, and magnesium is not too available at lower pH.  Dolomitic lime is one possibility, which raises pH and adds magnesium.  I have no clue if that's a good or bad idea in a pot or in your case.  Here's a reference chart for nutrients vs pH:

Sorry, I did mean manganese and not magnesium