Dypsis Lutescens Areca browning help

[CentralCaliDan]

My Dypsis Lutescens Areca from Home Depot is browning. We had one before this that started doing the same thing until eventually it just died.

 The last one we kept fairly moist. This one we’ve been waiting for the top inch to dry out before watering. 

Kept in medium to bright indirect light. 

[kinzyjr]

How wet is the soil at the bottom of the pot?

[JohnAndSancho]

How's the drainage in that pot/soil? 

Are you watering it with tap water? I bought a ~$30 filter for my kitchen sink and it does a pretty good job. We have really hard water here and the salts/minerals/chlorine/flouride are all terrible for palms. I used to buy distilled water, but that's cost prohibitive for the amount of palms I have now. 

[CentralCaliDan]

Good questions. 
 

The bottom of the pot is damp but not soaked. Pot is currently fairly light, but not bone dry light. 
 

Water is tap water run through an under sink charcoal filter. 

[CentralCaliDan]

It’s the soil that it came in and drains well. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by CentralCaliDan

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, CentralCaliDan said:

Good questions. 
 

The bottom of the pot is damp but not soaked. Pot is currently fairly light, but not bone dry light. 
 

Water is tap water run through an under sink charcoal filter. 

May be the angle of the picture, but appears there are numerous discolored / rotten - looking roots emerging from the bottom of the pot.. Along w/ the dying leaves, good hint those seedlings aren't happy.   Would get it out of the decorative pot that appears to have no drain holes and into something bigger, - with drain holes.  Since pots of  Dypsis lutescens  sold at this size are filled w/ seed ( ..for a fuller look when sold ), these can be separated as well, -if need be.  To do that, plunk the pot in a bucket of water to get the soil off and make untangling the roots easier / less stressful.  Keeping everything the way it is, you may loose all them again.

[96720]

I agree with @JohnAndSancho I have started  watering my potted plants with RO water and it seems to be doing great!!

[CentralCaliDan]

15 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

May be the angle of the picture, but appears there are numerous discolored / rotten - looking roots emerging from the bottom of the pot.. Along w/ the dying leaves, good hint those seedlings aren't happy.   Would get it out of the decorative pot that appears to have no drain holes and into something bigger, - with drain holes.  Since pots of  Dypsis lutescens  sold at this size are filled w/ seed ( ..for a fuller look when sold ), these can be separated as well, -if need be.  To do that, plunk the pot in a bucket of water to get the soil off and make untangling the roots easier / less stressful.  Keeping everything the way it is, you may loose all them again.

I think it was the poor photo. I’ve cleaned off the dry loose soil and taken another photo. Doesn’t look like any rot, just some roots extending beyond the potting medium. 

We typically remove the inner pot for watering, ensuring that it has properly drained before returning it to the decorative pot. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by CentralCaliDan

[PalmatierMeg]

Dypsis lutescens is a clumper but you have 2-3 dozen individual juvenile palms jammed into that pot, which is how stores/nurseries market them. All those little palms are competing to survive. Most of them will die while only a few strong ones will remain.

[Billeb]

4 hours ago, CentralCaliDan said:

I think it was the poor photo. I’ve cleaned off the dry loose soil and taken another photo. Doesn’t look like any rot, just some roots extending beyond the potting medium. 

Pot it up to something larger. It’s ready. 
 

I wouldn’t worry about the browning honestly. It’ll grow out of it. 
 

-dale

[Tracy]

19 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Since pots of  Dypsis lutescens  sold at this size are filled w/ seed ( ..for a fuller look when sold ), these can be separated as well, -if need be.  To do that, plunk the pot in a bucket of water to get the soil off and make untangling the roots easier / less stressful.  Keeping everything the way it is, you may loose all them again.

 

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Dypsis lutescens is a clumper but you have 2-3 dozen individual juvenile palms jammed into that pot, which is how stores/nurseries market them. All those little palms are competing to survive. Most of them will die while only a few strong ones will remain.

 

54 minutes ago, Billeb said:

Pot it up to something larger. It’s ready. 

These are the answers for you. Nathan, Meg and Dale have hit the nail on the head for you.  Your carbon filter will remove chlorine and chloramines (depending on whichever your local purveyor uses), but will do nothing for the hardness in the water.  Try potting up and thinning them first and if you are still having issues, try using a Reverse Osmosis drinking water system if you want to do something to treat your water.  In my area, we predominantly get Colorado River water, but it is blended with a local desalination plant's stream to bring down the hardness.  It's still pretty high, but I use it for everything in my garden except certain orchids. 

Good luck and report back on what happens after you replant your babies into multiple containers.  If you don't have room for multiple containers, spread the wealth to some friends and keep the best for yourself.