Deformed Palms.. please help

[enigma99]

I've got 4 Kings which are all showing varying degrees of deformation. I'm not sure what the root cause is and I am worried about losing them... (All 5+ ft to top of crown )

Plant #1 - In late summer, one 7ft tree started to gradually put out shorter spears with deformation. In fact they got to the point where they would only come out 1 ft from the crown before trying to open up. Since then it hasn't grown...

Plants 3,4,5 - Remaining plants are opening with short spears and also starting to show deformation. I'm worried they will suffer the same fate.

Could it be fungas in the soil? Soil pH is about 5. Too much water? I do not have well draining soil since it's pretty much sand and river rocks (like concrete)

For fertalizer, I am using lilly miller palm tree food and I have been putting 5 inch holes into the ground and fill them up.

Temps have been fairly cloudy and cool this year with just 7 days in the 80s so far. Ground Temps are currently 68F.. Nearby 15ft Queens are doing good but of course they are tough as nails lol.

Thanks!! I will certainly be grateful is someone is able to help out.

Edited April 28, 2011 by enigma99

[MattyB]

Hi Derrick,

I think you're gonna have to post some pics so we can see what you're talking about. Also, if you fill out your location on your profile we'll be able to give location specific advice or be able to key in on certain local pests or disease.

[enigma99]

I live in the Sacramento area.. and the spears are really soft... If anyone can figure it out I will donate!

Edited April 29, 2011 by enigma99

[enigma99]

I dug down about a foot and it was moist but not holding water hm..

[enigma99]

Also the new fronds are really thin and frail... any ideas.. anyone?

[sonoranfans]

Soil pH of 5 means lots of problems with micros, particularly Mg, Ca, P, S, among others. I would suggest you get some liquid lime and apply carefully. I am puzzled how the palms got so big in that soil, are they recently planted??

[Davidl]

Looks like cold damage or a nutritional problem. That Ph is not good for sure.

Edited May 7, 2011 by Davidl

[enigma99]

Thanks everyone! I will work on getting pH fixed first, and hopefully they will perk up. And they have been protected from cold so I don't think it's cold damage...

And they were planted about 16 months ago so bad soil would certainly explain it. Can anyone recommend a good fertilizer with micros? In the meantime, I will apply liquid lime

[_Rich]

what was your winter like? Absolute low temp and duraiton? I saw that you indicated you protected them. What protection measures were used? All these will help with the diagnosis.

Thanks,

Rich

[MattyB]

Are you sure your pH is 5? That seems really low. Can you show us a pic of the entire palm? I suspect that it might be going through some sun acclimation and now because it's throwing shorter leaves they are getting bunched up inside of the old crown shaft causing the accordian leaf. That pleated leaf isn't too uncommon, neither is the rotten stuff on the leaflets. They were rotting in the crownshaft during winter and have since pushed out. That's a good sign actually. Mark the spear with a sharpee and if it's moving then you're doing ok for now.

[enigma99]

Are you sure your pH is 5? That seems really low. Can you show us a pic of the entire palm? I suspect that it might be going through some sun acclimation and now because it's throwing shorter leaves they are getting bunched up inside of the old crown shaft causing the accordian leaf. That pleated leaf isn't too uncommon, neither is the rotten stuff on the leaflets. They were rotting in the crownshaft during winter and have since pushed out. That's a good sign actually. Mark the spear with a sharpee and if it's moving then you're doing ok for now.

Matt, actually you are right!! I bought a new pH tester because the old one stopped working completely when I tried it today. Readings are 6.3 to 6.8 depending on how deep or where the sample was taken. So I think from my research that is actually ideal for palms..

I live east of Sacramento so the temps are a little warmer at day and cooler at night (further from the influence of the ocean)... 27-28F on a couple occasions this winter (duration under 30F ~ 4 hrs each occasion) but did use heaters to keep them above 32F. What sucked is the cloudy cool weather which made them grow really slow this winter. (Like 4 inches of spear from Jan1 to Feb 28)

Looks like 80s all week long so I am hoping for more growth! The upper 90s from last week really helped them grow and I hope everything is harmless. I had one start throwing short leaves and stop in September when it was 100F daily so I can't say for sure what is going on there.. Could be micronutrient but I'm not sure what are good fertilizers. No action yet this spring on the one so I did put some copper fungicide during the winter and some hydrogen peroxide down the shaft just in case... no spear pull yet so that's good but might just be a weak tree....

Edited May 9, 2011 by enigma99

[ErikSJI]

I am having this accoridan leaf happening to some of my seedlings. This just started happening after I fertilzed and had a heavy rain. They are starting to lean over at the growth point where the new emerging leaf is not able to pop out and some of the new leafs are just popping out of the sides. I am hoping they grow out of it. Or is there possibly a fix someone might know.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

"Soil pH is about 5."

I'm with Matty B. That seems really low for your area. Is your irrigation water coming from the Sierra snowpack? That is rather pure water but still, I'd expect your soil is very well buffered against pH drop.

I can't offer much beyond some general advice: Nutrients that show deficiencies in the new growth are: Boron, Calcium, Iron, Manganese. Boron will become deficient after a period of soggy conditions. It can take months for it to show up, and years to recover. Don't over-apply Boron, however, because it makes a good herbicide. Manganese and Iron should be quite available at low pH so if your pH reading is correct, it shouldn't be either. Calcium will also become deficient in cool, moist conditions (just like blossom end rot on Tomatoes).

I've killed every Arcontophoenix I've owned due to freezing. We're just too cold here to grow them. The symptoms you illustrate remind me of the way my Trachycarpus spears looked when they began growing in spring after a winter with lows below 5F (I was living north of Charlotte, NC at that time). Is it possible you are seeing the affects of those light freezes?

[yachtingone]

Too much water will do that!

Randy

[yachtingone]

Too much water will do that!

Randy

[felixcb]

Boron Deficiency. As said above DO NOT over apply boron. Also, Ive noticed that applying Potassium simultaneously with boron help aid the absorption of the Boron. The existing new leave will remain deformed, cant help that, but if you apply Boron correctly your next leaf should look much better. Boron Drench with some Potassium added applied upon the root system should do the trick. I would be very careful with Boron and the seedlings.

[Jastin]

APEX Palms Plus Fert

[Patrick]

These guys have Apex, I believe. I have gotten it from them before, but that was a couple years ago so you may want to double check. That was easy.

http://www.cpsagu.com/Default.aspx

Crop Production Services

10210 Systems Pkwy. #310

Sac, CA 95827

916-867-5309

And I must say I think this guy has just about the most awesome phone number I have ever seen. Makes me think of a certain song

[palmarium]

Can anyone help me with applying boron? I bought some Solubor without any instructions, just a ziplock bag from the feed store. A number of people have said they killed palms by overapplying boron.

[Dr. George]

For mature Teddy's with 6-8 ft trunk we used Solubor for each tree at 4 ounces (by weight) in 5 gallons of water and drenched the root zone (trunk to drip line). Do not repeat within 5 months. Yes, too much can be toxic.

If your trees are substantially smaller, then reduce the amount of the mix applied.

One treatment followed by mulching and regular application of palm fertilizer with micros has kept the problem in check.

gmp

[Moose]

Usually Boron deficiency only occurs in high rain fall areas. Having lots of organic material in the soil is beneficial. Yes, heavy applications of Boron supplements can be toxic to palms. It is a micronutrient that requires only trace amounts.

[WestCoastGal]

A few years ago one of our mules had the tale-tell signs of boron deficiency, the lightning bolt in the leaflets. We hadn't had the palm that long, it was a transplant with about 10 feet of clear trunk. While we were fertilizing all along with a slow-release fertilizer, when we checked, it didn't contain any boron. We had not mulched yet so it wasn't getting the boron that way either. Figured out that part of the frond had been developing back in February which had been a particularly rainy month. Think all but two or three days saw rain that month. We had read that you need to use boron with caution and given the heavy rainy period was not really normal decided to not do anything and see how the fronds emerged from that point forward. Being in the SF Bay area we really only have rain during a few months of the year.

A few years have passed since spotting this problem and believe that was the correct diagnosis. The lightning bolts haven't happened again. Haven't had anywhere near the amount of rain we had that one month either. We continued to fertilize with that fertilizer until we ran out and eventually we regraded the bed using compost and mini fir bark mulch. The rest of the fronds have looked great.

Aside from the lightning bolt, I don't think our mule had any other deficiency symptoms. Guessing the OP's photos are indicative of a more serious or longer term deficiency. Love to see an update photo of the palm today.