CONCERN FOR THE HEALTH OF A NOLINA NELSONII AND TRYING TO REVIVE

[Tim Hess]

I am concerned with the health of this triple trunk nolina nelsonii. I noticed the yellowing of the leaves about a month ago on one of the branches. I have no idea if it is salvageable or not but obviously would like to save it.

The plant is approximately 25-years old. I never water it since it is a desert plant and its root system is quite well developed. That being said, last year was a harsh winter and this summer was a harsh drought. As a result, I added mulch about a year ago - possibly 2" to 3" mainly since we have been having hard freezes in the winter months lately. I fertilize annually with Roots Palm Saver 6-3-6 every March.

Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions?

[Tracy]

9 minutes ago, Tim Hess said:

I have no idea if it is salvageable or not but obviously would like to save it.

The plant is approximately 25-years old. I never water it since it is a desert plant and its root system is quite well developed. That being said, last year was a harsh winter and this summer was a harsh drought. As a result, I added mulch about a year ago - possibly 2" to 3" mainly since we have been having hard freezes in the winter months lately. I fertilize annually with Roots Palm Saver 6-3-6 every March.

Hello Tim, and welcome to the forum (looks like you are new here).  I'm not growing any Nolina, but for those that do have experience with them, it would be helpful to know a little more about where you are growing the plant and what sort of temperatures or conditions (snow/rain) accompanied the harsh winter.  Location can provide a lot of insight on your climate and perhaps there are people on the forum in your general area that may have knowledge about growing this species or something else in the genus in your local climate.  Sorry I have nothing to offer more than just prompting questions that will help others to provide some recommendations.

[tiburcio]

57 minutes ago, Tim Hess said:

I am concerned with the health of this triple trunk nolina nelsonii. I noticed the yellowing of the leaves about a month ago on one of the branches. I have no idea if it is salvageable or not but obviously would like to save it.

The plant is approximately 25-years old. I never water it since it is a desert plant and its root system is quite well developed. That being said, last year was a harsh winter and this summer was a harsh drought. As a result, I added mulch about a year ago - possibly 2" to 3" mainly since we have been having hard freezes in the winter months lately. I fertilize annually with Roots Palm Saver 6-3-6 every March.

Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions?

seems like extreme weather did them or it got water in the crown somehow (sprinklers? dew? etc) and they are very susceptible to crown rot. you can try the almighty H202 in the crown and hope for the best. in the bare stem there´s something dripping, slime? water?

[Merlyn]

Just copying-and-pasting my reply from the other forum.  It looks like a fungal crown rot to me.  In palms a good treatment is hydrogen peroxide + Daconil poured into the crown.  I use 4tsp of Daconil into a 32oz bottle of 3% standard hydrogen peroxide.  Pour about 4oz per head, check for bubbling, and repeat weekly.  I honestly don't know if that'll help on a Nolina, but it has worked well for me with palms and spear pull.  When people first suggested hydrogen peroxide on a palm crown I thought they were joking, but having successfully treated 10 or more palms with it, I'm a believer!

I'd guess (and this is only a guess) that you should cut off the old dead brown leaves with a sharp pair of scissors.  If it's a crown rot, getting air into the crown will help dry it out.  I'd also check the trunks for any soft, squishy spots. 

As far as the mulch goes, I guess it could contribute to rot problems.  Maybe instead of pine bark mulch use something like lava rock.  I *think* that keeping roots dry in winter is more important than keeping them from freezing.  That's mostly based on my experience with cycads, agave, cacti, and aloes.  Anything that stayed wet over the winter here tended to rot, fast.  But water-sensitive agaves that I put in mostly perlite/gravel/Turface MVP with just a bit of organics did much better than expected.  As an example, I have a hard time keeping any Parryi species alive here.  But ones in pots with 90% inorganics did great last winter with near-record freezes and are thriving now.

Edit: you could also try asking here with the same photos.  There are some great enthusiasts there too! https://www.agaveville.org/viewforum.php?f=44&sid=4c91a8ee658454402aed304fe61def53

[Tim Hess]

I applied a fungicide today using Cleary's 3336F made by Nufarm. Will retreat weekly. Hoping this works.

 

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Too much shade?

[Tim Hess]

I started this conversation in November. The triple trunk Nelson Nolina (about 6-ft tall) has turned for the worse. Will these sprout new growth from the root system if I cut it back. I am pretty sure that the fungus treatment was applied too late. Although there are no signs of fungus anymore, there is no more growth. Suggestions welcome.

P.S. the 8-ft tall double-trunk 15-ft away looks great still.