Is my Windmill palm dead?

[Tgonzalez37]

I have had this windmill palm since last March. I have watered it once a week since after the initial month, where I watered it more. The past 2 months I have noticed the center spear turned brown and stopped growing. Attached is a picture. Is my Windmill palm dead? Is there any way to recover it? 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by Tgonzalez37

[Allen]

Please provide more detail.

Where you live exactly

What rain you have had on it in last 2 months

fertilizer used

does palm get water from yard irrigation (sprinklers)

[SeanK]

Agree with Allen; helps to know where this is planted. Drought? Alkaline soil?

I have never seen this. Give the brown spear a gentle tug. It will be easier to treat if cleaning is needed.

[Tgonzalez37]

I live In the Charlotte, nc area, have not used any fertilizer yet, I water it with a hose, 5 minutes going around the tree with the gardening hose once a week. It has been pretty dry here lately, not much rain. If I pull the spear, what am I looking to happen? If it comes out is that good or bad?

[NBTX11]

It’s not dead yet. Tug on the spear to see if it comes out. It probably will. Next see if you can see a green spear or growing point coming up from the center. I’ve seen many palms come back from spear pull. For whatever reason the palm is getting rid of unhealthy tissue. If you still have a green growing point underneath the brown spear, you might be ok. I didn’t say will, but might. A lot of people pour hydrogen peroxide down the center after a spear pull to kill off any bad bacteria. 

Edited October 19, 2022 by NBTX11

[Allen]

23 minutes ago, Tgonzalez37 said:

I live In the Charlotte, nc area, have not used any fertilizer yet, I water it with a hose, 5 minutes going around the tree with the gardening hose once a week. It has been pretty dry here lately, not much rain. If I pull the spear, what am I looking to happen? If it comes out is that good or bad?

Way too little water.  The palm has not gotten established well enough and grown so slowly a fungus or something has gotten in there.  That is why all those fronds are short-not coming out of crown well (From not growing well not the fungus).  Gently pull the spear and see if it pulls free.  Regardless you need to spray the entire spear area with copper fungicide a couple times and the palm ideally needs to be dry covered (Dec-March) until it grows a new spear or if temps go into mid/low teens.  I would also mark any non pulling spear or newest frond then same spot on a older frond with a sharpie see if it's moving in a couple weeks.  I would also suggest mulching 18"-24" around the palm to help retain moisture and eliminate grass competition (Can't tell in photo if it is already pine straw mulched or not).   Next spring when temps warm up you will need to preventatively spray copper fungicide when temps hit 65F a couple times and watch fungus till palm is growing well

Edited October 19, 2022 by Allen

[Allen]

1 minute ago, Allen said:

Way too little water.  Competing with water hungry tree.  The palm has not gotten established well enough and grown so slowly a fungus or something has gotten in there.  That is why all those fronds are short-not coming out of crown well.  Gently pull the spear and see if it pulls free.  Regardless you need to spray the entire spear area with copper fungicide a couple times and the palm ideally needs to be dry covered this winter from Mid Dec-March.  I would also mark any non pulling spear or newest frond then same spot on a older frond with a sharpie see if it's moving in a couple weeks.

Sorry for the double post -  Why can't I delete my own posts????

Edited October 19, 2022 by Allen

[Tgonzalez37]

The frond is not coming out, and I gave it a good pull a few times. How much water should I use around the tree? Maybe 10 minutes around it instead of 5 minutes?I was going to get fertilizer and fungicide this weekend, would it still help?

[Allen]

10 minutes ago, Tgonzalez37 said:

The frond is not coming out, and I gave it a good pull a few times. How much water should I use around the tree? Maybe 10 minutes around it instead of 5 minutes?I was going to get fertilizer and fungicide this weekend, would it still help?

Don't fertilize till May

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by Allen

[UK_Palms]

If it was the effects of under-watering, the older fronds would have died back long before the central growing point. It would have no other healthy fronds left on it before the most recent emerging spear goes. Not to mention it has been receiving weekly watering. Trachy’s can take a fair bit of drought anyway and mine only showed a bit of yellowing on the lower fronds from 1 inch of rain across 5 months and no irrigation. That was with 104-105F temps as well.

I can see quite a bit of green grass there and across the street too, which tells me rainfall must be sufficient there. It probably just has some kind of bacterial infection, which may be exacerbated by high humidity. Personally, I would be hesitant to keep watering it. Younger Trachy’s can often have issues with the most recent emerging spear (I have had them spear pull after a mild winter) but they always seem to grow out of it normally. My money is on a random bacterial issue, not under-watering.

[Tgonzalez37]

I marked it with a sharply and will use fungicide on it this weekend. Like I said before, the center frond wouldn’t pull out. That makes me think that it is still trying to grow, but that is just an assumption. I would think if it was completely gone the frond would just pull right off.

[Allen]

47 minutes ago, Tgonzalez37 said:

I marked it with a sharply and will use fungicide on it this weekend. Like I said before, the center frond wouldn’t pull out. That makes me think that it is still trying to grow, but that is just an assumption. I would think if it was completely gone the frond would just pull right off.

 

Oh it's still alive just weak going into winter.  I think it just hasn't gotten established due to competing with the tree roots for water/nutrients over the growing season so the spear stayed in there unopened too long and got a fungal infection at the spear growth point.  Most likely when that frond pushes out you will see a spot where the infection started.   It is prone to further fungus due to this slow growth.   I would continue to water till the rains start coming back as these palms grow thru fall and it is trying to establish roots.  it can't do that in dry hard ground competing with a tree.  

Edited October 19, 2022 by Allen

[WSimpson]

I would not water anymore till warm weather next year . I would tug lightly on that spear and see if  it pulls out . Check it every week or so . Getting that spear out will stop rot ands allow air into the crown . I think it will be fine and a new spear will emerge . Good luck . Some people pour fungicide into the crown . 

Will 

[Tgonzalez37]

Thank you guys for all of the help. I will use a fungicide on the tree and post back here in a few months.

[Tgonzalez37]

I got the “Fungicide 3 in one” spray that I found at Lowes by “Garden Safe”.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Safe-Garden-Safe-Fungicide-3-Ready-To-Use-32oz/5005513663?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-LIA_LWN_241_Chemicals-_-5005513663-_-local-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9IJAj2R6qcWCxcThNkpn4c2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4tfYotv1-gIVAeiGCh1DDQuaEAQYASABEgJ7d_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This question might be a stretch, but do you guys think it is ok to use this in the crown of the Windmill Palm?

I have been reading the reviews and details, and it seems to be a good product that CAN be used on “ornamental trees, but it doesn’t say anything about palm trees.

I couldn’t find the copper fungicide that you guys recommended, but I am not eating any fruits grown from the tree, and I believe that is the point of using a copper fungicide in place of a regular fungicide.
 

 

[Allen]

7 hours ago, Tgonzalez37 said:

I got the “Fungicide 3 in one” spray that I found at Lowes by “Garden Safe”.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Safe-Garden-Safe-Fungicide-3-Ready-To-Use-32oz/5005513663?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-LIA_LWN_241_Chemicals-_-5005513663-_-local-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9IJAj2R6qcWCxcThNkpn4c2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4tfYotv1-gIVAeiGCh1DDQuaEAQYASABEgJ7d_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This question might be a stretch, but do you guys think it is ok to use this in the crown of the Windmill Palm?

I have been reading the reviews and details, and it seems to be a good product that CAN be used on “ornamental trees, but it doesn’t say anything about palm trees.

I couldn’t find the copper fungicide that you guys recommended, but I am not eating any fruits grown from the tree, and I believe that is the point of using a copper fungicide in place of a regular fungicide.
 

 

That product looks to be neem oil.  I myself would use the copper but maybe someone else will chime in.   Some people swear by neem for mites, etc.

You home depot has this

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bonide-32-oz-Liquid-Copper-Fungicide-Ready-To-Use-775/203564335

Or Amazon - this will mix spray for a lot of gallons

https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Ag-02901-Liquid-Fungicide/dp/B007PJRPKW/ref=sxin_15_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.9c246b91-3d49-4e6c-8ff6-5b6e9a100bd4%3Aamzn1.sym.9c246b91-3d49-4e6c-8ff6-5b6e9a100bd4&crid=1BFGFJFAYDKU4&cv_ct_cx=copper+fungicide&keywords=copper+fungicide&pd_rd_i=B007PJRPKW&pd_rd_r=bb767eb7-347e-4a85-a5b6-0b52112b74c4&pd_rd_w=URpX6&pd_rd_wg=pJIpq&pf_rd_p=9c246b91-3d49-4e6c-8ff6-5b6e9a100bd4&pf_rd_r=5AMTMB7WHAV8GTY4ES7V&qid=1666534553&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjYyIiwicXNhIjoiMi43OSIsInFzcCI6IjIuODEifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=copper+fungicide%2Caps%2C92&sr=1-1-a43b4223-fbe9-48b0-af69-6d70cf84978b-spons&psc=1&smid=A3KCHGLLGSQCO4

 

 

[Tgonzalez37]

Thanks, I ordered the copper fungicide you listed.

[Tgonzalez37]

I sprayed copper fungicide twice, once a week, but do not see any change. I am thinking of getting hydrogen peroxide to pour down the crown. How much should I use? Would 16 fl oz be too much or too little? I also got some palm tree food, but I think I should fix the fungus problem first and then feed the tree afterwards. From what I read 3% does the trick, but no one states how much they used. My tree is roughly 3-4ft tall.

[Chester B]

This is not a quick fix. It’s going to take a couple months or more at this time of year or you may not see new growth until next spring. I’d continue with anti fungicide again in a week or two. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

Probably not a bad idea to keep the center growth point dry. 

[Allen]

Is the spear moving since you marked it?  If so baby thru winter.  if not pull moderately on spear again and see if it pulls.

[Tgonzalez37]

The spear has not moved in the last few weeks. I am tugging on it once a week, but it doesn’t budge, I will attempt the hydrogen peroxide next week. I understand that this takes time, thank you for all of your replies.

[Harry’s Palms]

Hang in there! I have seen some pretty sick palms come back to life. Ya never know until all the fronds are dead. That one looks like it just needs help.