Crisis with Coccothrinax borhidiana

[Breadfruit Bill]

My two large Coccothrinax borhidiana that I have in 45 gallon pots looked different this morning...    One of the has something wrong with it...  It's new leaves are coming out stunted and incomplete...  It has some kind of yucky looking almost like compost like stuff at the growth point...  I've dealt with pest and critters and have gotten decent at knowing how to handle some of those but I've never seen anything like this, so I'm bringing it to the members on Palmtalk!  Youv'e saved my palms before and I'm back asking for advice...  I really don't want to lose this palm...  I am hoping for it to set seed in the next year or two!  

What's ailing my palm and how do I correct it?

Sigh...  The photos...

A couple bad photo's looking down into the crown

This is the icky stuff that's in the crown...

And this is a newer leaf... it opened up incomplete like that

HELP!

[Breadfruit Bill]

I was thinking about my lollipop palms when I titled this...  Dang.... O moderatooor!  :laugh:

[Breadfruit Bill]

Ok, I think it's bud rot...  That's not good...  H2O2?  Copper fungicides?

[Toni]

I think of a watering excess.  

[Davidl]

Not sure what that is but I would mix up some copper and pour into the bud.I have lost coccothrinax that looked better than that. They don't recover as good as fast growing palms in my experience. Good luck.

[Breadfruit Bill]

I hope it's not excess watering!  I don't irrigate this one!  Only been getting rain from the sky for the last 6 months!

I just mixed a gallon of copper fungidie, probably a little stronger that recommended, and applied it, then I weakend the solution and applied it preventatively to palms in the immediate area...

[TikiRick]

That would be my guess as well, Bill. Copper, a prayer, and time.

[Carlo Morici]

Look for insects too... I spy some little black things.

Do not throw anything away, Coccothrinax species can always surprise the grower. It could sprout from the base after a year or so or this could be the start of a multi-headed specimen.

Carlo

[Toni]

An option. Surgery that I made time behind. This Sabal it happened the same thing

Cut until the healthy area, for cleaning

After treating her with fungicides, it begins to grow to the few days.

[Breadfruit Bill]

I don't think I have the juevos for that kind of treatment on my C. borhidiana!  Very cool idea... I have never seen such a drastic surgery!

Thanks for the feedback ya'll.

Of course I played with this palm throughtout the day...  I saw a teeny tiny new leaf starting that was the palest green you could imagine...  It pulled out very easily  I think I'm gonna take a bottle of peroxide in tommorow and pour that down in there also...  I've heard of the Cali guys talk about doing that after developing bud rot from cold spells...  

I think I may have to put this bad boy in the truck and haul in back down to Homestead and show it to the grower...  I know he'll be half mad with me (desevervingly) if I kill it...  The other half of him will be thrilled at the opportunity to sell me another one!  

[BS Man about Palms]

Whatever you do keep the crown/bud  dry. Tip it? Still in a pot, right?

[Breadfruit Bill]

If you told me to stand on my head next to the pot for a week to save it I would...  Anyone else have any suggestions before Mr. Sanford tells me to stand on my head next to the pot?

[Gbarce]

When my bromeliads have a hint of any rotting- they give off a bad odor I also tipped them over.

If the crown area is kept dry it has a better chance of the fungus not spreading.  Also allows powdered fungicide to work better.

I think you have to tip it more than that so that the water does not collect in the hollow of the crown rot -- the head of the plant would have to be below the horizontal.  

Good luck with your Borhdiana.  Those are one of my favorite palms.

[cfkingfish]

I have copper fungicide but never use it because H2O2 works just as well and for OCD people like myself you can apply it liberally and many times without weakening the plant. Don't give up on it till it tips over.

[Breadfruit Bill]

I think this bad boy might live...  It has definately taken a beating...  At one point in time I pulled out a very small and mushy spear.  I thought it was a goner.  I tipped the pot to keep the crown on an angle, drenched the soil with copper fungicide, and poured on at least half a dozen bottles of H2O2.  I stopped irrigation of this palm entirely.  It's only water has been from the sky.  Since the above pictures It pushed out a leaf that was completely destroyed.  It is now working on a new spear (slowly) that looks like it may be healthy and entire.  

I just wanted to post an update and thank you all for your help... I think this one may pull thru!

[Joe palma]

Looks like it's pushing through and gonna make it.

That's great, cause it would be aweful to loose that one!

[MattyB]

That's great news!!!!

[BS Man about Palms]

Awesome Bill!!

[palmislandRandy]

Nice save    

[fiji jim]

Looks like recovery for sure.

Good work!

What strength of H2O2 did you use?

[Walter John]

Tough palm, well done.

[brodklop]

great work Will, this is to good a palm to lose. I supose it took ages to get it to that size.

[FRITO]

nice, looks like shes gonna make it