White spider-web like fungus on coconut palms dead stems

[US_Marine]

The fungus or whatever was stronger than a black widows web but funnel like. Its on the dead stems near the point where the palm sprouted out of the nut. I do mist the palm, but that area stays dry for the most part.

Thanks for any help in advance,

- US_Marine

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

The fungus or whatever was stronger than a black widows web but funnel like. Its on the dead stems near the point where the palm sprouted out of the nut. I do mist the palm, but that area stays dry for the most part.

Thanks for any help in advance,

- US_Marine

Pics, pics, pics, pics, pics.......... with more objective descriptions, please.....with all due respect ......

Rusty

[US_Marine]

Can't really focus enough on the spot, this is the best pic I got.

You see the dead stem in the crack where the palm is sprouting from? I dont know what that stuff is either, but what I mainly talking about is the other white spot to the top left of it. Its behind that dead frond as well. It was actualy taking up alot more of that spot inbetween the fibers on the left and the stem on the right. I dug it out thinking it was a black widows nest.

Hopefully this helps some, and thanks for looking

- US_Marine

[richnorm]

Can't really see what you mean but can't harm to nuke it with some hydrogen peroxide (5%). Should be able to buy it at any drug store at approximately that strength.

cheers

Richard

[US_Marine]

Yeah sorry about that. The only other way I can describe it is "cotton candy" like. Wasnt thinking right when I removed most of it. I should have known better.

IDK if this should be a new post, but since this is related:

This is on another coconut palm I have, one I recently got.

Is this a fungus too? Looks like it to me.

- US_Marine

[tjwalters]

The fungus or whatever was stronger than a black widows web but funnel like. Its on the dead stems near the point where the palm sprouted out of the nut. I do mist the palm, but that area stays dry for the most part.

Thanks for any help in advance,

- US_Marine

From this description, it sounds as if some type of funnel web spider had taken up residence in the cavity of the nut.

[US_Marine]

Thats what i thought at first and its possible. I seen a spider there a few days before I noticed it. Some kinda medium sized one, almost like a wolf spider but wasnt. It was probably about the size of a dime. It reminded me of a spiders egg sac in a way but I never did see the spider again. The only spider I know of that has a web close to being that strong at least in California is the black widow. If it is indeed a spider I am curious on what kind.

- US_Marine

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Yeah sorry about that. The only other way I can describe it is "cotton candy" like. Wasnt thinking right when I removed most of it. I should have known better.

IDK if this should be a new post, but since this is related:

This is on another coconut palm I have, one I recently got.

Is this a fungus too? Looks like it to me.

- US_Marine

Have to agree with Tom and richnorm...there are few fungal pathogens that can affect your palm that would manifest as web-like hyphae....

...in your subsequent pics it appears an opportunistic fungus is on the palms petiole.....no hand wringer on this one, it only affects a limited area, usually when a plant is stressed for whatever reason, and is seldom pathogenic......if it makes you feel better apply a fungicide, (thiophante-methyl is good, sold as Cleary's 3336).

Rusty

[US_Marine]

The spots are on other fronds as well but not that one. And another coconut from the same place and time as I got the one above is begining to spot up as well. The other one I havnt transplanted yet. They were probably green house grown. I just got some " daconil" fungicide. Going to treat both palms.

- US_Marine

Edited May 13, 2012 by US_Marine

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

The spots are on other fronds as well but not that one. And another coconut from the same place and time as I got the one above is begining to spot up as well. The other one I havnt transplanted yet. They were probably green house grown. I just got some " daconil" fungicide. Going to treat both palms.

- US_Marine

Chlorothalonil will work as well as thiophanate-methyl.

Rusty

[MattyB]

They're coconut palms and you're in Northern California. Let them go and don't waste your time and money with expensive and toxic fungicides. I don't think that you can be successful with these. Give Beccariophoenix alfredii a try for a similar looking palm. Or one of the Parajubaeas.

[US_Marine]

Some day I will give both of those palms a try along with many others I've read about. Given a good micro-climate they might survive here in the central valley.But nothing can beat the coconut. They seem to do just fine going out in warm weather and indoors during winter. I just got the one pictured last a few days ago along with another one that isnt pictured. It's also getting brown spots on its fronds. No telling how they were taken care of before I picked them up. This fungicide should save both palms. If not I tried. I still have the one pictured first which hasnt really given me any problems since I got it.

lol I'm nuts for coconuts!!

- US_Marine

[MattyB]

I understand your enthusiasm but I think you're wasting your time. These spots and possible fungus stuff are the initial signs of these palms eventual slow death. Palms sometimes grow slow and they die slow too. Just because you can keep it alive for 3 years doesn't mean it's not dying the whole time. But I guess we're all dying a slow death. Knock yourself out. I suspect that if you acquire the palms that will thrive for you, your palm enthusiasm will increase even more, once you see the vigor in a healty plant.

[Palmy]

I have left some coconuts laying out on the patio in their pots with total neglect (I know so disappointed in myself) for a winter without too much. Then again, it's those cool rain in our high water content soil that really kills it. In Norcal, the cold is much more of a problem than say San Diego.

I know what you mean about being coocoo for coconuts! You can't beat them!

[US_Marine]

True, but I dont leave them out in winter. I bring them in when temps no longer reach 70f+ for highs and 50f for lows. I also DO NOT water in winter while they are in doors (or outside when temps are that cool) even with fast draining soil. Also my summers are pretty hot and long. I'm sure they like having the extra heat when they can go back outside again. I did my research on them as far as taking care of them goes. My first one I ever got lived just a little over 4 years and it died I'm most certain over failure of the root heating cables. When I inspected the palm for the cause of death (looking to see if it had root rot or something obvious) I noticed the cables were pretty much burnt, broken in places and easily fell apart. From that observation, its fair to say the plant was probably shocked to death... Never again will I get heating cables. Its still possible something else was the cause of death but its hard to say.

I also never had to use any fungicides or anything special on any of my plants until I got the green coconut palm pictured above and a dwarf from same place and time.

- US_Marine

[Brad Mondel]

This happened to mine.... it turned out it was rotting from the inside out and when I realized it, it was too late.

[PANGEA EXPRESS]

hey US MARINE its probably a pathogen that was already present when you purchased the palms. Can you return them? is your biggest coconut having any problems?

[US_Marine]

I can't find the receipt but I can find the sticker with the barcode on it that they put on its container. I should still be able to use that right? Both of coconut palms arn't dead they just arn't really acclimatizing like my others ones have. But I've been thinking about returning them if they die or get worse.

My largest and oldest coco (pictured first)is actually doing just fine except one thing. The white fungus hasn't done anything and I could be paranoid now but the oldest petiole is stripped. Petiole blight? One side is dead and the dead portion is black. Now the frond appears to be dead on one side like petiole blight but the other side of the frond is also dying. To me the other side and parts of the stripped side are dying like it should naturally. I see no wounds or entry points. I do not cut off anything that isn't already dead. So only way it could have gotten infected is by insect bite. I do find scale on my palm every now and then but I kill them. Other than that one frond the others are fine, the spear is coming up fairly fast and the fronds appear to be healthy. Although they are a light green I believe thats typical of a golden malayan dwarf. If I need to I'll add pics tomorrow.

- US_Marine

[PANGEA EXPRESS]

depending on where you bought them you can return just with the sticker and pot it came in.

my coconut does the same thing. i wouldnt say it was petiole blight probably just natural shedding of old fronds. i would say aslong as its only on the oldest fronds its not a problem.

[US_Marine]

Could be but I dont remember them stripping, hmmmmmm... Anyway heres pics.

Other than that my palm looks healthy.

- US_Marine