CIDP Advice

[lpandroc]

Hi palm experts

 

So I have a CIDP in my front yard...overall it looks pretty good (your thoughts on how it looks is apprecited).  I know I have seasonal yellowing on the old fronds and I use Palm Spikes from TreeHelp.com.

I just hammered 20 spikes in about a month ago, but I am wondering how I can better fertilize the tree without burning the Jasmine ground cover underneath?..A few years a go I threw on some granular palm fertilizer, watered it in and it still fried the Jasmine (wife was not happy).

 

Any advice is apprecited to make this tree look a little better and should I continue the spikes in the spring?

 

Thanks

Edited September 14, 2023 by lpandroc

[PalmatierMeg]

Don't waste time and resources on spikes. You need a time release pelletized fertilizer targeted at palms and containing all micronutrients. Apply as directed. Be aware that CIDPs are desert palms that want dry heat and tend to resent FL's heat/rain/humidity. They show their displeasure with nutrient deficiencies and fungal infections. City of Cape Coral planted a brigade of CIDPs in avenue medians some years back and they have been declining and dying ever since. Cape Coral does a lot of a lot of dumb things without doing research first.

Too late for you to do much now other than try to make it a bit happier with dutiful care. But if you ever want to add another Phoenix palm to your property, look for Phoenix sylvestris - tall, elegant, beautiful and happy to live in FL. That would be the only. Phoenix I would ever consider for my yard. I don't count the pgymy date triple my husband bought 25 years ago but they are happy too.

[Rivera]

Agree with Meg, these are rarely tended to much in California and do just fine growing in coastal sand with very limited nutrients available. Other factors at play.

[Jim in Los Altos]

The lower yellowed fronds are the result of magnesium deficiency. Lots of these palms in California exhibit this too. Magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) available at any drugstore will help prevent yellowing of additional fronds. I have to add it to my regular feeding regimen on my adult Phoenix canariensis twice per year. 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Jim in Los Altos

[Looking Glass]

That’s a nice looking tree overall.  But it shouldn’t have any lingering yellow old fronds.  It is calling for help.   I agree that it likely needs magnesium, like Jim said above.  

In Florida rain and sand, Phoenix family palms usually need extra magnesium and potassium, in addition to high quality palm specific granular fertilizer.  

In sandy soil here, fertilizer spikes don’t work as well as granular fertilizer spread around.  I have regular, mixed with variegated, asiatic jasmine in a bed, and throw tons of good quality granular fertilizer around in there and use it to fertilize the jasmine.  It doesn’t burn it at all.  It’s the cheap, immediate release fertilizer from places like Lowes that burns the hell out of everything.   Splurge on some high quality, timed-release palm fertilizer, like Meg said.  

Also, Lanbeinite or sul-po-mag, 3x-4x per year, will correct the yellowing and necrosis of old fronds, but that takes a year+ for full effect.  This won’t hurt the jasmine either.   Just get it off the leaves after you spread.   Put that down between regular fertilizing.  

[lpandroc]

Thanks all…would you all recommend Palmgain granular?  
 

something else available that won’t burn jasmine?  I will check out Langbeinite as well

Edited September 14, 2023 by lpandroc

[FlaPalmLover]

9 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Don't waste time and resources on spikes. You need a time release pelletized fertilizer targeted at palms and containing all micronutrients. Apply as directed. Be aware that CIDPs are desert palms that want dry heat and tend to resent FL's heat/rain/humidity. They show their displeasure with nutrient deficiencies and fungal infections. City of Cape Coral planted a brigade of CIDPs in avenue medians some years back and they have been declining and dying ever since. Cape Coral does a lot of a lot of dumb things without doing research first.

Too late for you to do much now other than try to make it a bit happier with dutiful care. But if you ever want to add another Phoenix palm to your property, look for Phoenix sylvestris - tall, elegant, beautiful and happy to live in FL. That would be the only. Phoenix I would ever consider for my yard. I don't count the pgymy date triple my husband bought 25 years ago but they are happy too.

Sad but true. The CIDP is beautiful and an amazing palm in CA but in FL you just hardly ever see any as nice as theirs.

[Merlyn]

Langbeinite or SulPoMag are great slow release forms.  For just Magnesium I get the bag of Rite Green Magnesium sulfate.  It works well on Phoenix Roebellini and others that get yellowing older fronds.  Nothing will turn the yellowed fronds back green, but you can prevent the next set from yellowing out.