King Of Palm fronds are dying

[JosephBayAreaCa]

Hi all. I live in California (Bay Area/Inland area). I've recently had two large (12year old) King palms planted on my property. Weather has been around 85 degrees F during the day and cooler in the evenings to early morning 60 degrees F. The fronds(leaves) have been turning brown(dying off) which I assume because of the warm weather we've had recently. However the palms are watered daily. Once in the AM for about 15 minutes on a drip system and once in the evening on a 15 minute drip system. I also have been spraying water for about 5 minutes in between with a hose. The palms were fertilized during the planting process and I've just recently fertilized at the one month mark. Any advice on how to get green healthy fronds would be great. Thanks

[Harry’s Palms]

If these are newly planted , and given the warmer weather, I would go with a garden hose to make sure the water fully reaches the entire root ball. Archontophoenix love water. I flood my water loving palms when I water . Harry

[JosephBayAreaCa]

So I'm soaking them pretty good but I'll try to water it more and see what happeneds. Thanks for the advice 👍

[Jim in Los Altos]

Your King palms are fine. The brown on the lower leaves appears to be transport damage. Especially if the fronds were tied up while in transit. As long as you keep those exceptionally well watered, they will reward you with lots of new green fronds. The lowest frond will turn completely brown and fall off on its own. Feeding at planting time is more often than not, not recommended. Five to six months after planting as a rule is best for first feeding. 
 

These palms are semi aquatic in nature so it’s impossible to overwater them but easy to underwater them. Fifty King palms grace my property, mostly mature ones 20-30 years old. Three of them live with their roots submersed in water 365 days a year and they are happy as can be. 

[Merlyn]

The normal advice here is to wait to fertilizer, a minimum of 1-2 months after planting.  And typically fertilizing while planting is a great way to burn roots.  That being said, I agree with Jim...they look great!  The bottom leaf looks like it was probably tied up during transport and planting, so having it look a little shredded and dying off is normal.  I'd expect it to start really browning and fall off by the middle of summer, if not earlier.  Just keep an eye on the new spears and make sure they are growing steadily.  If the new spear is browned, or not growing, or bent off to the side, then that might be a cause for concern.

[JosephBayAreaCa]

Thanks for all the advice everyone 👍

[Pankaj Rajpali]

Hi Joseph,

 

• Sunlight 

Although palm trees thrive in tropical climates and receive plenty of sunlight, excessive direct sunlight can burn their fronds, causing them to become brown. If fronds are burning on a regular basis, it is not good for the tree's health. To fix this, you can either move the palm tree or plant taller trees or install shade covers in the area. 

• Water Supply 

The water absorbed through the roots of a palm tree flows through the tree's trunk or stem all the way to the tips of its leaves. Brown fronds on the palm tree's leaves could indicate that the tree's water supply is being cut off, either due to insufficient water intake or too much water being saturated in the roots. 

• Nutrients 

Palm trees thrive when the right nutrients are available throughout the soil. If your palm fronds are discolored, it could be a sign that your palm tree has a nutrient deficiency. To correct this, add a palm specific fertilizer to the soil. Consult a local, Palm Tree Trimming/Landscaping company to assess your tree's fronds and soil and to recommend how to correct the nutrient level.