Deficiency? Root rot? Too much water? Shock?

September 6, 2015

Update on my wooly jelly palm. Leaves are dying. I'm not sure what's wrong with it. I cut off one dead shrivelled leaf and more are dying. The leaves turn yellow, shrivel up and die. It has three new green leaves but it also has three more that are yellowish and dying. How much water should I be giving it? Could it be in shock from being repotted? It has millipedes in with it, could these be eating the roots? Can anyone help? I don't want it to die.

It has a couple of weird brown spots on the leaves too.

September 6, 2015

September 6, 2015

Just so you can see how fast it has deteriorated, these were taken 21/Aug/2015, the day it arrived. I hadn't repotted it yet.

September 6, 2015

I think it is starving from lack of light. It is best to give Pindo Palms direct sunlight or as bright of light as possible. A South or South West facing window without blinds would be the best if it to kept inside.

September 6, 2015

It was somewhat yellow when I bought it though and it was outdoors originally. I do open the blinds, but since I live in the UK there isn't much natural light here. My other palms are doing well though so I didn't think lack of light was causing the issues. I'm going to purchase a full spectrum light to see if that helps.

September 6, 2015

I think the roots don’t accept your new soil mix and there are no new roots extending into the new mix, maybe a large part of the old roots is already rotten. I know, the time for repotting a palm now in September is not ideal, but if you let it be as it is, your palm will die, I suppose.

Take it out of the new pot, be very carful not to break any roots, inspect the roots (are there new, white ones?), and as I suggest there are (mostly) no new roots, repot it in a pot slightly bigger than the old one (a cylindrical pot would be better than a conical one). Use a mineral rich mix with best drainage (e.g. Seramis together with cacti mix) and water it at first repeatedly. Don’t leave afterwards any water in the saucer (no "wet feet"!).

Place it on the brightest place you have, but full sun could be dangerous when the roots don’t accept water and nutrients. Mark the spear with a felt-tip to see if it is growing.

But all this is no guarantee for surviving …

September 6, 2015

Thanks for the advice. I removed it from the pot today there was no rot and the roots appeared to be in good condition with new root growth. The new leaves are growing quite fast and are a bright green colour. I gave it some water and Palmbooster after removing it. I placed it back in it's original pot since it had plenty of space in there. It's in a sandy soil (John Innes No.3) perlite and some porcelain.

September 6, 2015

"Original pot": Does this mean the big pot you planted it in? "… plenty of space …" is not good, you should use a pot only a little bigger than the pot in the 2nd photo of #3 above.

September 6, 2015

Yes, the big pot in the pictures. Would it still be a problem if it has very good drainage?

September 6, 2015

I fear yes, this size would only be good if the plant would already have developed vigorous roots. I would NOT repot it in the same pot. And I would not use the same soil, but choose another mix with less organic matter.

September 6, 2015

Another question: What is the diameter of the old pot, what of the new one? And how deep was the old pot, how deep the newer?

September 7, 2015

I think it's just acclimating to a new life indoors. Everything Pal Meir says is right also, so factor this in as well.

September 10, 2015

Old pot was 24cm high, new one is about 33cm high.

So far, two leaves have been cut off and it has three more dead. However, it does have quite a few healthy green leaves. I think I've counted about four new ones. It seems to be growing fast.

I can go out and buy a smaller pot, but because of the stress it's been under I don't think I should remove it again. The roots look healthy and the new growth is expanding further out. I think the palm is just stressed and I personally see no reason it shouldn't make it. I recently repotted a previously pot bound Blue Mediterranean Fan Palm and I have the same issue as the Wooly Jelly, the lower leaves are dying but there is plenty of new growth coming in. I think it's just shock.