This palm won't grow....Is it still getting its roots established?

[Sandy Loam]

In January, I bought a 25 gallon (large) size Livistona Mariae.  It planted it in full sun and it has been getting plenty of water since it was planted in late January. 

The roots were literally bursting out of the pot and looked like rope, not like fleshy, healthy roots.  In fact, the roots had consumed bottom of the pot.  I couldn't even remove most of the base of the plastic pot because the roots had grown over it, literally.

It is now June tomorrow, over five months since I planted the palm.  It really hasn't pushed out a single frond since then.  I clipped off the existing fronds except for the middle one because they had been bent in transit.  Yet that central frond will simply not grow out.  It's as though it was stunted at the nursery where I bought the palm.  After more than five months in the ground (and especially now that we are in the heat of the growing season), I would have expected this palm to push out its original frond and grow at least a frond or two.  It hasn't.  It's like a statue, just sitting there, despite receiving plenty of water, sun and heat. 

Is doesn't look dead because its only frond looks alive, but I just can't get it to show any signs of growth.  Is this normal?  This palm did not experience any winter cold weather because I planted it right after the big January freeze.    

Is this normal?  When should I expect growth to start happening?   If this palm stays like a stunted statue forever, I am inclined to dig it up and throw it in the trash.  However, I hate to do that for an expensive 25 gallon rare palm.

Your advice is most welcome.  Thank you. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Give it more time. Sounds like it was abused/neglected for a long time before you bought it in winter. It probably did little or nothing for several months, except, hopefully, try to regrow its root system. Now with heat and rainfall it really can. Until it does, it may not show any signs of growth above ground until the new roots can support it. As long as the spear is intact don't give up on it.

True story: I had a wind-damaged Borassodendron machadonis I dug up and repotted and moved to the front yard late one fall. In spring I planted it outside the front window where it was wind-protected. By then it had 3 small fronds and the tip of a new frond. I waited. Several months went by so I checked the spear - nothing. Month after month went by - the spear didn't move, the fronds didn't fade. Summer passed, then fall, then another winter. Nothing. The new year passed into spring again. Nothing. The palm didn't move but it didn't die. I waited. One day in early summer I did another spear check and realized: it was a fraction of an inch taller. I marked it and checked a few days later. The spear had moved! My palm was growing. And so it has ever since.

My point: that Borassodendron spent 18 months apparently doing nothing. Not true. Maybe it was concentrating on its roots, taking a siesta, who knows? But it wasn't dying. And I gave it the time it needed. As long as that spear stayed healthy I gave the palm benefit of doubt. It was too rare and expensive to compost if there was any hope it might survive.

[Moose]

I agree with Meg. The roots are expanding out of the bondage of the root ball. Energy is being diverted to root development rather than new leaves. Sounds like you have plenty of leaves to maintain carbohydrate production. It could possibly remained "stalled" as in not much fronds getting produced until next June. Then a very noticeable increase will probably be seen. Be patient, we don't have to fret about gophers.

[SEPalm]

Removing all the fronds except the spear can sometimes put them in a state of shock and really slow their growth.

[kurt decker]

SEPalm is correct. By clipping off all the damaged leaves, plant has no ability to photosynthesize, which is what promotes growth. Try to shock it into opening that spear. The best product for doing that is Miracle-Gro. It won't burn the palm, and you need to get that spear open. The roots are not growing. Nothing is growing. The Palm needs open fronds to make the energy it needs to grow

[Sandy Loam]

Here is a photo of the palm attached.  The central spear is open and has been open since I bought the palm, but has remained only partially emerged, as you see in the photo below.  The petole won't come out.  There were a couple of other fully emerged fronds, but they looked ratty, so I cut them off (perhaps that was a mistake)

For scale/size comparison, the hedge behind the palm is about five feet tall, like the palm.

Thanks for all of your advice, everyone.  Please do keep it coming!

[Missi]

Thanks for this post. I planted two 3 gallon Livistona decora far up in my front yard (where I only visit when I mow the lawn, so needed low maintenance palms). Yes, they were pretty pot-bound from the grower. I've been miffed as to why they've hardly put out any new leaves. I guess they're working on their roots as well!

[sonoranfans]

I agree with SEpalm. This palm has one leaf to gather sunlight for photosynthesis and it points straight up, certainly not "catching" as much sunlight as more horizontal leaves would, let alone a full crown.  And all the leaves that were chopped contained sap that the plant labored over time to create in order to grow.  The palm will need to recover that fluid and produce much more over time in order to grow to its potential.  A loose analogy would be a sail boat, drop all but one sail and it goes a lot slower.  So the palm will go slowly till it gets more leaf area to convert sun energy to plant mass which will then accelerate root growth.   I learned my lessons about trimming green matter years ago, I mostly trim only brown matter.  With a palm like a mariae, a relatively fast grower, you might as well start with a 3 gallon size.  I have two bismarckia(both in full sun) one planted as a very root bound 15 gal and one planted as a small 5 gallon(not root bound).  After 7 years the 5 gallon has passed the 15 (about 2 years ago) and continues to grow more robustly with a thicker trunk and a more dense crown.   I also saw this same behavior with several 15 gallon queens vs 24" and 36" box queens when I first started growing palms in Arizona.  the 15's blew past the bigger palms planted at at the same time.  Some of the faster growing palms may peak in growth hormone production at a younger age and might be better off in the ground before they get to a 15 gallon or larger size.    

[Steve Mac]

  " so I cut them off (perhaps that was a mistake) "

Yes it was , you have slowed it down, but it looks like it will recover.

I have seen them in their natural habitat at all stages of growth from a seedling to mature.

It is a hot dry desert in the day and a freezing cold one at night,

I would not worry too much about the water, they are tough not thirsty.

It is a pity that it appears to have grown past it's colorful stage already.

A dollar gets ten that it will be fine. But it will never be quick.