Trunk Splitting on mature Foxtail Palms

[hdlbrg]

I planted these Foxtail Palms a few years ago, on a barrier island, east coast, central Florida; so, sandy soil.  They are flourishing; already doubled in size/height; however, the trunks have deep crevasses only on their south (sunny) side.  They are on a reclaimed water drip system and I apply organic fertilizer every 3 months.  So, should I be concerned?  Should I do anything different? Should I reduce the amount of water they are receiving.  Note: I have Christmas Tree Palms in the same location; their trunks have no cracks.  

[Looking Glass]

Some palms will get this when there is inconsistent watering on dry ground.   The trunks may swell and crack during the wet season.  The cracks don’t go away, and you can’t really fix them, so you end up just watching them for rot.   Many palms with cracks can live a normal life.    You can also get stuff like this with sprayers hitting the trunk, before chunks of surface pseudo bark start falling off.   Adventitious roots emerging can also cause cracks at the very bottom of trunks.  

Drip irrigation systems on sandy soil sometimes aren't the best choice, as the water may just drip straight down with little lateral travel.   The roots on those trees probably extend out 20 feet from the base.  
 

 

[Harry’s Palms]

Palm looks very healthy. The trunk cracks don’t seem to be hurting it at this point. Harry

[Merlyn]

@hdlbrg that looks pretty normal to me, too.  I'd be concerned if there were a sprinkler hitting the lower side of the trunk, as that can cause rot long-term.  That's the only "corrective action" I can think of.  But the bases of Foxtails (and many other palms) expand out as the trunk hits maturity.  Because they don't have "bark" like a tree, that outer layer of old dead fibers can only expand so far before it splits.  I'd just check the sprinklers to make sure they aren't hitting the bottom of the palms.  If it isn't soft and squishy it's probably fine.