Queen Palm Dying ?

[MichaelFL]

Hello 

My Queen palm has been doing amazing until the summer started ; and is about 20 years old. 
Recently it started acting like it is starving for water ; but it's summer here in Florida and rains everyday.  Other Queen palms on my neighbors property are doing fine too.  
On my queen palm tree, The leaves are thin on each frond ; and some of them are broken almost like they were chewed up by an animal.   
I realize it needs trimming of the dead fronds ; but I've been waiting on my lawn company to do it.  

Any ideas why the tree looks like it's dying?  

[MJSanDiego]

Looks reasonably healthy to me. I see where the tips are missing or have damaged leaflets. Wind damage?

[MichaelFL]

Hi MJ ; No wind damage ; it's been like these all summer.   If you look at my neighbors tree in the distance ; it is a full palm tree ; this is how mine used to look. 

 

 

[MJSanDiego]

If all of the leaflets are thinner than normal, and its not something eating them, it is likely a Boron deficiency

[MJSanDiego]

[MJSanDiego]

Hope this helps

[MichaelFL]

Okay thanks MJ ; I'll give that a try.  It kind of makes sense ; it does look like its deficient of a nutrient.  

[Merlyn]

Boron deficiency would make sense, given the planting location in the grass.  Usually a 6 foot diameter mulch ring around the trunk is a good idea, and palms get their needed boron from decomposing mulch and other plant matter.  Keep in mind that boron is phytotoxic and might kill the grass where it's applied.  I'd do a smaller dose than the UFL people recommend, maybe 1oz in 5 gallons of water.

I'd agree though, generally speaking it looks pretty healthy.  The tattered ends could be the visible signs of an old crown infection, something like that usually damages the ends of fronds as they grow out.  The newest fronds look pretty normal.

[sonoranfans]

Boron deficiency seems to be mostly manifested in new growth.   I have seen it in deformed new leaves in bismarckia.  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP264

In florida, high soil pH is one of the most common causes as only trace levels are needed.  The boron can be in the soil but the pH doesnt allow uptake as its not bioactive at alkaline pH..  It binds to the soil increasingly with increasing soil pH.

https://balchem.com/plant-nutrition/boron-availability/

 

Could be Boron but it is most often impacting of the new growth.  Is that the case?  They mention a foiliar solution which would not be impacted by soil pH.  Adding boron to alkaline soil is not recommended unless you have a soil test.  IF you add boron to soil where its bound by high pH and then later adjust the soil pH, you could have toxic soil.  Mn deficiency(frizzletop) is very common in queens and is most often caused by high pH.  Its likely that since its a queen which are quite sensitive to deficiencies, it has multiple deficiencies.  

[MichaelFL]

Thanks Merlyn and sonoranfans I will  try these treatments that you suggested.  And that's a great idea that grass should not be up around the palm tree.  i did not know that. Thank you both !