Dying Bangalow Palm - help!

[Nickp]

Help! We planted this Palm a few months ago and frond by frond they have gone brown and we’ve chopped them off. One of them bent because it was so weak. We are now left with one frond on each trunk and the spike. Things aren’t looking good. 
could it just be shock and it’ll come back? It came from Queensland (Australia) where it’s warmer than where we are in Sydney. Advice appreciated!!

https://imgbb.com/80P7YnC

additional images:

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https://ibb.co/80P7YnC

Edited June 20, 2022 by Nickp
Pic upload

[Tyrone]

Were they dug out of the ground and weren't in a pot originally?

I would just flood them with water once a day. They look like they have root damage and are too dry. 

[Nickp]

I think it was grown in a bag. We have had masses and masses of rain here so the ground is wet but maybe not wet enough. I was reluctant to water more for fear of giving them too much and root rot!

Edited June 20, 2022 by Nickp

[EPaul]

Dehydration and Root Rot can have similar symptoms.  If the ground is wet then I wouldn't add additional water.  Has the ground been saturated since you've planted?  Do you have a picture of the palm when it was purchased?  My initial guess would be either root rot or root stress/damage from relocation and being dug up - probably both.  It might be worth digging a small hole off to the side of the root ball and inspecting the roots and soil moisture.

[Jim in Los Altos]

15 hours ago, Nickp said:

I think it was grown in a bag. We have had masses and masses of rain here so the ground is wet but maybe not wet enough. I was reluctant to water more for fear of giving them too much and root rot!

Archontophoenix are semi-aquatic palms and will grow happily in saturated soil, even stagnant water without any fear of root rot. I have several growing in a sloppy wet bog. You can’t over water them. Yours looks like it went through some shock during planting. They hate root disturbance. It’s winter where you are so it will be a slow process of recuperation until the warmer season arrives. 

Edited June 20, 2022 by Jim in Los Altos

[Tyrone]

20 hours ago, Nickp said:

I think it was grown in a bag. We have had masses and masses of rain here so the ground is wet but maybe not wet enough. I was reluctant to water more for fear of giving them too much and root rot!

What is your soil like where its planted? Clay, sand, loam? You can give these too much water because Ive done it but I live on a swamp with winter streams. Unless water is literally pooling around the trunk for hours, you won't be overwatering them. Even in winter that's fine in Sydney to water them in winter, unless you're on wet mucky clay. 

I just had a look again at your pictures and its in a raised garden bed with Heliconias looking great. Its too dry. Water the heck out of it and when you think its had enough water it again. Eventually it will start pushing out good looking leaves. I reckon its sat too long in a pot and often what happens then is the potting mix becomes water repellant. Even when you plant it the surrounding soil may be nice and moist but the root ball is having the moisture repelled away. Did you give it a good flooding in the hole when you planted it?

[Nickp]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

What is your soil like where its planted? Clay, sand, loam? You can give these too much water because Ive done it but I live on a swamp with winter streams. Unless water is literally pooling around the trunk for hours, you won't be overwatering them. Even in winter that's fine in Sydney to water them in winter, unless you're on wet mucky clay. 

I just had a look again at your pictures and its in a raised garden bed with Heliconias looking great. Its too dry. Water the heck out of it and when you think its had enough water it again. Eventually it will start pushing out good looking leaves. I reckon its sat too long in a pot and often what happens then is the potting mix becomes water repellant. Even when you plant it the surrounding soil may be nice and moist but the root ball is having the moisture repelled away. Did you give it a good flooding in the hole when you planted it?

Thanks Tyrone. The landscapers planted it and said they did give it a good watering, but who knows. I’ll try giving it a load of water as you suggest and see what happens from there. There was clay when we excavated for the pool but much much deeper down. Would you recommend a dose of Seasol too to give it some nutrients or just stick to the water. I put some Dynamic Lifter in the flower beds a month or two back though so maybe not required. Thanks for your advice! 

[Tyrone]

57 minutes ago, Nickp said:

Thanks Tyrone. The landscapers planted it and said they did give it a good watering, but who knows. I’ll try giving it a load of water as you suggest and see what happens from there. There was clay when we excavated for the pool but much much deeper down. Would you recommend a dose of Seasol too to give it some nutrients or just stick to the water. I put some Dynamic Lifter in the flower beds a month or two back though so maybe not required. Thanks for your advice! 

Great idea to get some Seasol in there. If you've got any Powerfeed give it a bit of that too. You will know if its turned the corner when it cracks a spear open. Deep down clay is not an issue either.