Overwatering or Sunburn?

[dp92651]

I just came home after being out of town for the summer. I placed my coconut palm outside (purchased from Home Depot here in CA)and what was nice and beautiful when I left is now all yellow! It was an auto watering so it is possible I was too much or too little. I had inside for about a year. Pic attached.

It is under a big tree so it only gets sun after 3:30 or so. Advice is much appreciated.

[kahili]

Looks like its sunburned-esp if it has not seen direct sun in a yr up to when you put it outside. The sun is really strong at 3:30 in the summer, and I think it might burn it that bad. Also, the soil looks pretty dry to me, so the stress of being under watered might add to the look of the leaves being burned.

[John Case]

I would guess its the cold........nighttimes have been exceptionally cool...

[Jim in Los Altos]

Looks like sunburn to me. The newest leaf appears to be greener than the rest.

[Mats]

With only one emitter on that container, I'm guessing it's been under watered. I bet if you pulled it out of its container you'd find the majority of the root ball is bone dry. How often and for how long were your sprinklers coming on?

I don't think it's sunburn because I'm guessing you had it in a sunny window while it was inside. Not to mention, full sun at 3:30 pm is not that strong in Laguna Beach.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Mats

[epicure3]

My guess would be sunburn, since it looks sunburned. Certainly not cold.

[Kim]

Not enough water AND sunburn from the transition outdoors.

[Peter Pacific]

I just came home after being out of town for the summer. I placed my coconut palm outside (purchased from Home Depot here in CA)and what was nice and beautiful when I left is now all yellow! It was an auto watering so it is possible I was too much or too little. I had inside for about a year. Pic attached.

It is under a big tree so it only gets sun after 3:30 or so. Advice is much appreciated.

[/q

Hi dp, Coconut palms love the sun and lots of water, especially when they're young. It does look a little sunburned but they will easily acclimate to their new location. What I did notice was the pot; coconuts have tons of roots will quickly get rootbound. Put it in a bigger pot. When I started my garden, here on the beach, the only thing that would grow in the full sun were coconut palms and almond trees. Now there are over one hundred cocos nucifera and zillions of seedlings. The other day while pruning we found five sprouted coconut palm seedling still hanging in the tree thirty feet in the air! Peter

[paulgila]

all of the above AND being a coconut in california.

[Walter John]

Not enough water AND sunburn from the transition outdoors.

That's my answer as well. Has it gone completely ? these are tough plants.....