Help Save This Palm!

[PalmInVancouver]

 

After a rough winter, my palm is in bad shape. Any ideas if it has any ailments? (Palm Leaf Skeletonizer,  Fusarium wilt, …?). What treatment can I provide this poor palm?

Is an insecticide helpful? I saw this video of a professional who sprays the trunk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeAeIk-GJYk&ab_channel=PalmProfessionals

I planted the palm last fall and it went through two snowfalls in Vancouver Canada.  After the 2^nd snowfall, I built the palm a little house to shield it from the next snow but it may have been too late

On the plus side the fronds are still upright and there is two fronds that look healthy.

Thank you for your help!

[ChicagoPalma]

Mine looks worse but you still have a bit of green on that spear.

[Allen]

You are a hydrogen peroxide then copper fungicide candidate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EwU4F-Gotw

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

Pull the dead spear(s). Treat as above and cross your fingers. Some (many) are California grown and shipped up here and sold though a variety of garden centers. If you do replace it, try to source out locally grown palms. The imports have been grown with little climactic change and so are not really hardened off like local palms are. Once these have been established locally, they do adjust nicely, but we've had 3 nasty winters in a row. Good luck with your palm.

[PalmInVancouver]

10 hours ago, Allen said:

You are a hydrogen peroxide then copper fungicide candidate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EwU4F-Gotw

 

Thank you for the treatment recommendation.

Fortunately no spear pull! I tugged hard and nothing came out. I guess from the video that means I would look at the preventive measure which is Copper Fungicide?

Any Canadians have recommendation on effective Copper Fungicide products available in Canada? (see my note below on active ingredients)

 

Here's my summary of that video in case it's helpful for others:

3% Hydrogen Peroxide
    -Use if you have spears that can be pulled out or see rot        
    -pour directly, undiluted, into spear area
    -Apply every few days to a week on a rotted palm
    -Use when warm, not when it's freezing at night

Copper Fungicide
    -Use for preventive measure
    -spray in daytime the trunk and spear area
    -can also spray the fronds is you see any issues
    -can also spray roots (i.e. if exposed roots)
    -frequency not mentioned

 

Active Ingredient in Copper Fungicide    
    -In the video, it uses Southern AG product that I see used in other palm treatment videos as well
    -This uses Copper diammonia diacetate at 27%
    -Unfortunately in Canada they ban a lot of pesticides and I can only find weaker ones like Copper Octanoate (i.e. Canadian Tire's Doktor Doom 1.8% Copper Octanoate)

This website compares the two types of copper fungicide
https://www.shonnards.com/spray_disease_prevention-2/

Website Excerpt:

Copper Octanoate, also known as Copper Soap
This is a fairly weak form of copper in a thick liquid form, but tends not to wash off and is less likely to cause plant damage. It can be used on houseplants, ornamental plants, vegetables, herbs, and fruit and nut producing plants, and is suitable for both dormant applications and (with care) active growing season treatments.

Copper Diammonia Diacetate Complex
It is a very strong copper fungicide in a thin liquid form, and mixes easily. It is moderately resistant to washing off, but must be used with careful timing and with limits on total applications per year to reduce copper accumulations and plant injury. It is suitable for dormant applications only on deciduous fruit and nut producing plants, but can be used in limited amounts during the growing and production seasons on citrus, olives, and some vegetables. It is a particularly good bactericide, reducing ice nucleation in fireblight and lilac bacterial blight.
 

[PalmInVancouver]

9 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Pull the dead spear(s). Treat as above and cross your fingers. Some (many) are California grown and shipped up here and sold though a variety of garden centers. If you do replace it, try to source out locally grown palms. The imports have been grown with little climactic change and so are not really hardened off like local palms are. Once these have been established locally, they do adjust nicely, but we've had 3 nasty winters in a row. Good luck with your palm.

Well fortunately no spear pull   So I guess just copper fungicide? Do you have any recommendations on products, I see you're on the island.

Oh I didn't realize it could have been imported from a warmer climate. Well it's good to know that if it survives, it will likely adjust nicely.

Edited March 18, 2023 by PalmInVancouver

[WSimpson]

I would cut it horizontally till you get healthy tissue . They come back perfectly from cutting down into the trunk if it hasn't rotted all the way down into the bud . I would cover it with a blanket too to keep it warmer on cold nights . 

Good luck , and keep us posted on its recovery .

Will

[PalmInVancouver]

Hi Guys, thanks to everyone's input, so my palm tree did survive! 😀

I hope this gives some hope to people when they see their palm take a beating in the winter.

I didn't show above, but eventually all the spears died and I did pull all of them out, leaving it just a stump.

I did pour the fungicide I showed above but didn't go so far as to start cutting

By mid-June I started to see 3 little fronds coming from the center! The picture below is now October.