Can You Drown a Majesty?

[freakypalmguy]

Here is a pic of one of my Ravenea rivularis that is about 8 months in the ground.

I know these like lot's of water and fert so that's what I gave it lots of Water and a few handfulls of Palm Plus around base. New fronds started pushing out and not opening all the way and they started looking like this. I backed off on the water thinking maybe I was drowning it. The new spears do seam to look like they might do ok though.

Could this be transplant shock maybe?

One of the fronds'

Thank you,

Matt

[redant]

I'd be surprised if you could. Mine live in standing water for several weeks during the summer and love it. I have pictures of them living in swamps and growing enormous. Maybe if the soil is clay it might be different but in FL sand they will drink as much as you can give.

[junglegalfla]

Did you put the fert down right after planting?

[Jeff Searle]

Matt,

      I would attribute the browning of leaves to when you transplanted the palm, and now some of the leaf damage is showing up. These palms come from wet areas, found growing along stream banks. So I doubt your troubles are from too much watering. Give it some time and see how it progresses.

Jeff

[doubravsky]

Matt,

I agree.. I don't think in our climate these things can get too much water. I have two that I bought 3 years ago as little one gallon Home Depot indoor plants. Stuck them outside right where the natural drainage is from mine and my neighbors lawn... constantly wet. They've grown like crazy! They burned up a little the first year.. but roared back the next year and haven't stopped.

[DoomsDave]

I concur with everyone else, and note that the only way you might drown one is if you literally submerged it for a long time.

How long, I don't know.

They like their water, no two ways about that.

dave

[freakypalmguy]

Excellent. Thank you Redant, Junglgalfla, Jeff, Dave, and Dave for your responses. Sounds like just a little shock then. I'll post a pic of the new fronds when they open. I hope it's feeling better before our next cold season.

And Bren, I would say I waited a month or so before I gave it any fert.

Take care all,

Matt

[Daryl]

I remember Rolf K talking about R.rivularis a few years ago. He said he had seen them in Madagascar growing in swamps that were seasonally inundated. He said the smaller plants were totally under water, which was more than 4 ft deep. He said at first he thought it was R.musicalis, but it was only R.rivularis. Obviously they can take a LOT of water!!!

Daryl

[Phil]

Matt,

My bet is it's not the water, but rather those "few handfuls" of fertilizer you gave the plant.  Liking lots of water doesn't mean liking lots of salt to go with the water.  Fertilizer burns always attack the newer or newest leaves.  Ravenea rivularis are pigs for nutrition, but you can overfeed them with resulting burned leaves.  

Phil