I have an old chamaedorea elegans that I bought in 2017. It grew a trunk about six inches high but now is fading.  Not sure if problem was over watering or simply old soil. I am wondering if cutting from the bottom and re-rooting from side roots could help rejuvenate it before it's too late? 

56 minutes ago, Robert D. Young said:

I have an old chamaedorea elegans that I bought in 2017. It grew a trunk about six inches high but now is fading.  Not sure if problem was over watering or simply old soil. I am wondering if cutting from the bottom and re-rooting from side roots could help rejuvenate it before it's too late? 

 

You can certainly air-layer Chamaedoreas; I'd do that rather than just cutting and planting it, or you will probably not have enough roots to support the foliage and the whole palm might die. Have they been growing well in the same position since 2017? In which case it might be a root/soil problem and that could help. If not, I wonder if they're getting too much sun. They are very shade-loving. The palm leaf in the top right of the photo (which I can't identify; Arenga, maybe?) also looks possibly sunburnt, although there are no doubt other explanations.

Soil too wet? Bad drainage? But don't cut the stems!!!

On 3/28/2023 at 6:10 AM, PalmsandLiszt said:

You can certainly air-layer Chamaedoreas; I'd do that rather than just cutting and planting it, or you will probably not have enough roots to support the foliage and the whole palm might die. Have they been growing well in the same position since 2017? In which case it might be a root/soil problem and that could help. If not, I wonder if they're getting too much sun. They are very shade-loving. The palm leaf in the top right of the photo (which I can't identify; Arenga, maybe?) also looks possibly sunburnt, although there are no doubt other explanations.

The palm on the right is Adonidia. Actually both chamaedorea elegans and Adonidia merilli suffer from spider mites, especially during Winter. I don't think too much Sun was the issue as they are normally inside and I put it outside on a cloudy day. It could be old soil compaction and/or too many mites. It's frustrating because this was the first elegans I managed to get to 'trunk', it might be too late to save one of them but the center one is in survivable condition. How do I air layer? 

9 hours ago, Robert D. Young said:

The palm on the right is Adonidia. Actually both chamaedorea elegans and Adonidia merilli suffer from spider mites, especially during Winter. I don't think too much Sun was the issue as they are normally inside and I put it outside on a cloudy day. It could be old soil compaction and/or too many mites. It's frustrating because this was the first elegans I managed to get to 'trunk', it might be too late to save one of them but the center one is in survivable condition. How do I air layer? 

they are both chamaedoreas, adonidia dont trunk at that size, and when they do the trunk is a brown woody trunk

On 4/2/2023 at 6:41 AM, Robert D. Young said:

The palm on the right is Adonidia. Actually both chamaedorea elegans and Adonidia merilli suffer from spider mites, especially during Winter. I don't think too much Sun was the issue as they are normally inside and I put it outside on a cloudy day. It could be old soil compaction and/or too many mites. It's frustrating because this was the first elegans I managed to get to 'trunk', it might be too late to save one of them but the center one is in survivable condition. How do I air layer? 

Ah, got you. I assumed they lived outside. I sympathise with the spider mite problem; they can be a nightmare.
What are the roots like? Air-layering could save the palms if the roots are rotting, but it obviously won't help if the problem is mites. Air-layering consists of tying a watertight sheath over a section of the stem filled with a moist medium such as sphagnum moss; the aerial roots then grow into this medium until they are numerous enough to support the whole plant, whereupon it is possible to cut the stem and the palm will survive. I'd only attempt this if the problem is the roots' rotting; if it's just spider mite then the roots might be fine and you should treat for spider mite. I'd look at the roots first, and de-compact/partially change the medium if this looks necessary. If however the roots are brown and soft and smell putrid, then attempting air-layering might be your best option.

On 4/2/2023 at 11:17 AM, Little Tex said:

they are both chamaedoreas, adonidia dont trunk at that size, and when they do the trunk is a brown woody trunk

Far Northeast corner. Look again 😉

On 4/6/2023 at 5:54 AM, PalmsandLiszt said:

Ah, got you. I assumed they lived outside. I sympathise with the spider mite problem; they can be a nightmare.
What are the roots like? Air-layering could save the palms if the roots are rotting, but it obviously won't help if the problem is mites. Air-layering consists of tying a watertight sheath over a section of the stem filled with a moist medium such as sphagnum moss; the aerial roots then grow into this medium until they are numerous enough to support the whole plant, whereupon it is possible to cut the stem and the palm will survive. I'd only attempt this if the problem is the roots' rotting; if it's just spider mite then the roots might be fine and you should treat for spider mite. I'd look at the roots first, and de-compact/partially change the medium if this looks necessary. If however the roots are brown and soft and smell putrid, then attempting air-layering might be your best option.

Could you have a short video or at least photos? Whether I do it with this one or another, I have quite a few chamaedorea elegans and my goal is to get them to 'trunk' and live many years. This one is the first to make it to 5 years since bought but the one on the right is looking like it's going to die so I wanted to try a last chance intervention.