Help! My queen palms are yellowing and fading!

[NicNZ]

Hi everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster here.

I have some unhappy young queen palms, and I really hope someone can help me to save them.

Twelve months ago, I planted four young queen palms in pots.  They were a nice, rich green colour to start with, but they have steadily yellowed and now they all look quite sad.  Although they have grown quite a bit, some of their branches are more yellow than green, and even the healthiest-looking ones are an uneven, mottled yellow-green colour.  They also have brown spots and dead tips, which I have been trimming off.  I have uploaded some pics. 

The pots are very exposed to sun in summer (December to March here in New Zealand) so I erected a screen over them during that time, but I suspect they still got sunburnt.

I fed them with slow-release fertiliser from time to time, although it doesn't seem to have done much good.  I have uploaded a pic showing the fertiliser NPK levels. 

Please help!

Thanks in advance.

[PalmatierMeg]

Those don't look like queen palms to me, i.e., Syagrus romanzoffiana. More like Chambeyronia macrocarpa. But my visual acuity hasn't improved enough after my first cornea transplant for me to be sure so I hope someone knowledgeable takes a look.

As you are moving into spring I'm thinking sun damage. Have you recently moved the pots from shade to full sun without acclimating them?

[NicNZ]

Hi PalmatierMeg,

Thanks for your reply.

I haven't moved them recently (they have been in the same spot the whole time) but I suspect they got a bit sunburnt when I first put them in. It was early summer when I got them, and they got a day or two of bright sunshine before I erected a sunshade over them.

They have continued to yellow and deteriorate ever since, during autumn and winter and now spring. It's like they are very slowly perishing.

As for whether they are queen palms or not - now you have me wondering what they are. Maybe they are Bangalows?

[PalmsandLiszt]

Definitely not queens. They look like Archontophoenix to me. The sunburnt photo does superficially look a bit like Chambeyronia, but the stems don't look right. Possibly also not getting enough water. I see you have sprinklers in each pot, but the medium looks very dry. They get through a huge amount of water if it is hot.
Whatever they are, I'd move them to somewhere less exposed or put up a shade cloth over them.

[NicNZ]

Thanks Palmsandliszt.

The reason I'm not sure what they are is because I was given them by a neighbour (who has since moved). I understood they were queens but evidently not!

I will try increasing watering and see if their condition improves.

[Harry’s Palms]

As was stated , not Syagrus , more than likely Archontophoenix or King Palms . At this age , partial shade would be best. Keep the soil damp especially in warm weather . When they developed trunk they will be ready to slowly introduce to full sun. Harry

As a side note , if the newly opened frond has a reddish color , then that would indicate a Chambroynia as @PalmetierMeg suggests.

[NicNZ]

Thanks Harry's Palms!