Heavy scale on establishing Sabal palmetto transplant

[Joe NC]

I planted a 20' hurricane cut S. palmetto "telephone pole" in July.  During the warmer months it had been putting out fronds and seemed to be recovering from the transplant.  However, it has a bad case of scale, to the point that the newest leaves it is putting out are yellowed and browned from the insect damage.  I managed to snap a photo with my camera with decent zoom before the battery died, and can take a couple more once it charges.  The photo shows how crusty the petioles are now with scale.  It was hard to notice in the summer when there were no leaves and the crown 20' in the air, but it has become obvious that there is an issue with the newest fronds looking bad.  From what I have read, Sabal scale doesn't seem to be a major killer, but I am worried about how severe it is on an already weakened transplant.  How do I approach this?  Ignore? Soil drench once it warms?  Attempt to spray in the crown up there?  Any tips or experience is appreciated. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Do a soil drench with Bayer's imadicloprid. You can buy the liquid concentrate (12% ?) at the local BB. It's rather expensive. I use the Merit 75% powder and mix with water but you probably can't buy it in a store - try the internet. I'm going to try a granular form from Southern Ag to protect my 6 surviving Bizzies from palm weevils and I learned Southern Ag markets it in 30 lb bags as "Grubs Away" or something like that. Active ingredient is imadicloprid at 1% and it's much cheaper than the same stuff marketed as palm weevil killer. Check with your local BB to see if they have a granular insecticide targeted toward grubs. If it has imadicloprid it will be taken up by the palm's roots and kill scale.

Problem is, the dead scale remains. If you don't mind climbing a ladder you can mix up a bucket of soapy water and wash the scale off. Use soap not detergent. I bought bars of castile soap (from coconut or olive oil) and shave off bits when I need it but Ivory would probably do. Soap solution also kills scale in case you abhor insecticides and feel energetic.

[Joe NC]

6 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Do a soil drench with Bayer's imadicloprid. You can buy the liquid concentrate (12% ?) at the local BB. It's rather expensive. I use the Merit 75% powder and mix with water but you probably can't buy it in a store - try the internet. I'm going to try a granular form from Southern Ag to protect my 6 surviving Bizzies from palm weevils and I learned Southern Ag markets it in 30 lb bags as "Grubs Away" or something like that. Active ingredient is imadicloprid at 1% and it's much cheaper than the same stuff marketed as palm weevil killer. Check with your local BB to see if they have a granular insecticide targeted toward grubs. If it has imadicloprid it will be taken up by the palm's roots and kill scale.

Problem is, the dead scale remains. If you don't mind climbing a ladder you can mix up a bucket of soapy water and wash the scale off. Use soap not detergent. I bought bars of castile soap (from coconut or olive oil) and shave off bits when I need it but Ivory would probably do. Soap solution also kills scale in case you abhor insecticides and feel energetic.

Thanks,

I'll wait for it to warm up and the palm to start growing and I will do a soil drench with imadicloprid.  I think in the interim I might try 2 tbs cooking oil and 2 tbs soap to a gallon of water mix, like treating scale on house plants just on a larger scale.  I think I can get the hose end sprayer to reach the crown if I climb up something, and stretch my arm waay out.  I'll put equal parts oil and soap (hmmm maybe some left over dog flea and tick shampoo?) in the sprayer and set it to dilute at 4 tbs per gallon.  At least I'll feel like something is being done to help until the temps are probably warm enough to soil drench.  Maybe this will blast some scale loose while killing it?  I'm feeling energetic, but not trying to be 20' up in the crown of a palm with a brush and soapy water for a scale cleaning.  My neighbors already think of me as that weird palm tree guy as it is.

[Monòver]

The imidaclorprid is ineffective with scales. You must use an organophospphorus insecticide, for example, Clorpirifos 48%.

Mix with water dose 0'2%. And spay in the crown. Repeat the treatment two weeks after.

[WestCoastGal]

We used a really strong sun coffee tea on our sago's scale a few years ago and got rid of them with it. They died and flaked off. Has any tried to see if the same kind of coffee liquid would kill scale on palms? 

[PalmatierMeg]

It should. I spread used coffee grounds around the stems of my two Cycas revolutas to ward off Asian scale and it works. Do you used it as a soil drench or spray it on the foliage? His problem is his is 20' tall. But I see no reason why he can't water down a few pots of coffee then apply with a pressure sprayer. I don't know if dilute coffee (no particulate matter) would damage an electric pressure sprayer. If not he could really shoot that stuff upward.

In the past I've used something like Organicide to go after scale and mealy bugs. You can buy it to hook onto a garden hose I believe. It is vegetable oil based and should coat and suffocate scale without poisonous chemicals.

All my Sabals seem to have scale to some degree and I don't bother with that - Sabals are really tough. But if his is weakened by transplantation and a hurricane cut, which is an abomination, he may need to nurse it along till spring. That may require some ingenuity on his part.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

As I went all organic four years ago, I only use organic products.  Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap (for Organic Gardening) seems to work well for me whenever I notice scale on anything.  The active ingredient is Potassium Salts of Fatty Acids 1%.  I think you can get it in concentrate and mix it with water for use in a large hand held or backpack sprayer.  All my plants except for my large Queen Palm and Hong Kong Orchid Tree are still small enough for me to use the off the shelf ready to go hand held sprayer.

[Palm Tree Jim]

On 1/29/2016, 3:04:12, PalmatierMeg said:

It should. I spread used coffee grounds around the stems of my two Cycas revolutas to ward off Asian scale and it works. Do you used it as a soil drench or spray it on the foliage? His problem is his is 20' tall. But I see no reason why he can't water down a few pots of coffee then apply with a pressure sprayer. I don't know if dilute coffee (no particulate matter) would damage an electric pressure sprayer. If not he could really shoot that stuff upward.

In the past I've used something like Organicide to go after scale and mealy bugs. You can buy it to hook onto a garden hose I believe. It is vegetable oil based and should coat and suffocate scale without poisonous chemicals.

All my Sabals seem to have scale to some degree and I don't bother with that - Sabals are really tough. But if his is weakened by transplantation and a hurricane cut, which is an abomination, he may need to nurse it along till spring. That may require some ingenuity on his part.

I have also used coffee grounds with success on my revolutas.

[Joe NC]

Thanks everybody!

I sprayed offending bugs this weekend with 4 parts canola oil 1 part soap diluted to 3 tablespoons per gallon, out of a hose end sprayer.  I could hit the top of the palm no problem once I took the little plastic deflector off the end.  I highly recommend one of these, hudson hose end sprayer, if you need to spray the top of something 20' tall.  I'll probably soak it a few more times with the oil , but I guess soil drench with imidacloprid is out if the oil doesn't work.  I'm interested in the coffee method, does it need to contact the insects or is there some sort of systemic uptake of the caffeine (or whatever compound is killing the scale)?  

[Donna L]

I just found out one of my Sabal Palms has scales.  I was advised to remove the pine straw and sprinkle Grubs Away over the area  from the drip line to the tree trunk then put the pine straw back..  I was also advised to spray the entire palm from the base of the tree trunk to the top of the fronds with a liquid insecticide using one with the following active ingredients: Bifinthrin, Imidaclopid, Pyrithrin or Bayer Systemic.  My palms were planted 2 years ago.  Any advice would be appreciated!