Help needed with mule Palm yellowing.

[GApalm]

I would be grateful of some help identifying what may be up with my mule palm. It has been planted for eight months now. You can see in the first picture how it looked on the day of install.

When purchased it did have some browning on the tips, and some yellowing. This does appear to have gotten worst since it was installed. The majority of the yellowing/browning, seems to occur on older fronds. But there are some newer fronds that have turned completely yellow.  It should be noted it is planted in Atlanta and we did get temperatures at 19f for two days. The palm seemed fine, but some of it may be freeze damage? 

I am also attaching some pictures of the spear from below and above. It does seem to be greener but new fronds have not seemed to emerged since install and look different to the other mule I had installed (which looks a lot greener).

• About a month and half ago I added four fertiliser sticks from Treehelp: https://www.treehelp.com/treehelp-complete-palm-fertilizer-spikes/?gclid=CjwKCAjwsJ6TBhAIEiwAfl4TWBIYTOIQ3aRfDmfaBOJ1wcZDiq-Y0RynTnJYTUOZ6uVuFxaELrFhEhoCH0sQAvD_BwE
• The instructions did call for about eight, but I did not want to overkill it straight away. Im not sure if you can over fertilise palms?
• I have been trying to research whether it is manganese, magnesium or potassium issue. But none of the pictures seem to reflect what I am specifically seeing. I have fertiliser sticks for each separate mineral from Treehelp as well, but not sure which to use.?
•  

Any-help on identifying the issues would be much appreciated. I also read about iron deficiency, but it is planted around a lot of red clay, which does have a high iron content naturally.

 

[Allen]

You've got cold damage where its browning out completely.  The spotting in the last pics is because the palm is a nutrient hog.   In Atlanta it is probably not warm enough year round to keep it happy so it will put out better fronds in the hot summer.  

[aztropic]

Might also be planted too deep and possibly too much water. Can't tell without seeing it in person,but it's something to consider.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[Allen]

Just FYI - If you are in 8a Atlanta you will have a hard time keeping this alive long term. 

[GApalm]

4 hours ago, Allen said:

You've got cold damage where its browning out completely.  The spotting in the last pics is because the palm is a nutrient hog.   In Atlanta it is probably not warm enough year round to keep it happy so it will put out better fronds in the hot summer.  

Thanks for your reply.  Do you know what nutrient it is lacking? And what i should do to address is?

[GApalm]

4 hours ago, aztropic said:

Might also be planted too deep and possibly too much water. Can't tell without seeing it in person,but it's something to consider.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

It is mounded., so i don't think that is it.  How much is too much water? I watered it everyday when it was first planted in June. It was hot summer. Now i probably water once a week. Not at all, if it rains.  What is the sign of too much water?

Edited April 27, 2022 by GApalm

[aztropic]

Newer yellow leaves are the sign of too much water ... Start removing dirt from the top of the mound until you hit lateral roots! ____ My guess is that lateral roots will be found a MINIMUM of three inches below current soil level! The palm is suffocating,due to lack of oxygen,at the roots! That is MY expert opinion, without seeing it in person,after growing many species of palm trees over the last 25 years... Check it out,and please, report back.  

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[Allen]

21 hours ago, GApalm said:

Thanks for your reply.  Do you know what nutrient it is lacking? And what i should do to address is?

Mine is planted in 7a in solid clay in a wet zone where a downspout empties.  Mine will have to be protected fully every winter or it will die when large.   I get no yellowing from the water.  I get the spotting exactly like yours in your last photos and it clears up in summer if I fertilize with liquid palm fertilizer.  So I am not sure it it is having trouble getting nutrients in the clay or at cooler temps.  Mine has cold damage starting in low 20's and for sure in teens.  I don't have time to do pics but I can tell you my browning and spotting looks exactly like yours.  The yellowing all over I do not have.  If your palm had it when you got it I assume it's some shock.  Mine is going to be 14-15' or so this year.

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Allen

[Alan_Tampa]

Planting depth, for sure. Common issue. Plants can't go through the Calvin cycle when roots are too deep.

[GApalm]

20 hours ago, aztropic said:

Newer yellow leaves are the sign of too much water ... Start removing dirt from the top of the mound until you hit lateral roots! ____ My guess is that lateral roots will be found a MINIMUM of three inches below current soil level! The palm is suffocating,due to lack of oxygen,at the roots! That is MY expert opinion, without seeing it in person,after growing many species of palm trees over the last 25 years... Check it out,and please, report back.  

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

You think so? IT is mounded, so not flush with the ground soil level. And then slate chips on top. I just pulled some of the gravel back, this is what it looks like. Is that too deep?
 

appreciate your thoughts. 
 

Edited April 28, 2022 by GApalm
Error

[GApalm]

10 minutes ago, Alan_Tampa said:

Planting depth, for sure. Common issue. Plants can't go through the Calvin cycle when roots are too deep.

This is how deep it is?

Edited April 27, 2022 by GApalm

[Alan_Tampa]

Wow, doesn't look bad. But pull dirt and whatnot away anyway until you see roots.  Exposed roots are OK. 

[aztropic]

Yes,it looks like it was planted way too deep. Did you witness the planting? Could it have been planted at ground level,THEN the mound pushed up around it? Start digging a little hole about a foot away from the trunk with a hand trowel. You should be running into tons of roots just an inch or 2 below grade...

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

Here is a picture of the base trunk,of my butia to compare with your mule. See the roots at the base of the palm? Dig down beside your trunk,and see how deep it is planted before you see the roots at the base of your tree.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Fishinsteeg234]

Hmm, I don’t think the palm is planted too deep. Look at the banana planted right next to, it’s also showing yellowing. I think it’s the soil PH or soil nutrient issue. Has that area received pool water over splash over the years? I think the last few months coming out of cold Atlanta winter temps, plus some soil nutrient issues is the reason for the yellowing. I think you should continue to apply some high quality, slow release granular plam fert around the base, not too much, plus apply some organic fish emulsion fert with steady watering on upcoming dry days. Hopefully this summer with good heat and steady rains it will start to green up again. Don’t give up! 

[GApalm]

22 hours ago, aztropic said:

Yes,it looks like it was planted way too deep. Did you witness the planting? Could it have been planted at ground level,THEN the mound pushed up around it? Start digging a little hole about a foot away from the trunk with a hand trowel. You should be running into tons of roots just an inch or 2 below grade...

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

So I began digging away at the base, and hit small roots and the top of the root ball straight away I think. I did not want to dig out any further.  See vid and pic. Is this still.

 

Video upload - 

 

too deep?

 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by GApalm

[Allen]

14 hours ago, GApalm said:

So I began digging away at the base, and hit small roots and the top of the root ball straight away I think. I did not want to dig out any further.  See vid and pic. Is this still

 

 

So planting depth doesn't seem to be a issue to my eyes.  Mine is planted deeper and is green still.  Looks to me like you have 3 problems..

1--Nutrient uptake when soil is cold like my palm.  Maybe has something to do with clay and cold.  Queen palms are picky and like hot temps (I know this is a mule).  Will resolve when temps go up and you fertilize in summer.  Will come back though.  Here is what mine looks like on a bad frond

2- cold damage.  Browning that sets in after palm has been exposed to temps in low 20's or below and can occur on newer or older fronds.

3- Yellowing -  Unresolved cause.  Since you just planted I still say some sort of shock combined with Florida acclimated fronds seeing 19F.   You need to apply a slow release palm fertilizer and watch all new spears/fronds to see health.  I water my mule a lot and your palm looks dry actually but you should have been getting plenty of rain there.  

PS - IMO you should consider getting a Trunked Sabal Palmetto or Trachycarpus to survive Atlanta winters

If you look at this thread you can see some more examples of mule palm cold damage in 8B

 

 

Edited April 29, 2022 by Allen