Windmill Palm help

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

Hey yall! Long time reader, first time poster.

I live in Corpus Christi, TX and I've got 6x Windmill palms. These are my first inground palms I've ever had. My dirt is mostly clay and they are in nearly direct sunlight all day. They have been in the ground since around October2024. 

Four of them are doing great. With those plants, they all have constant new growth and color is normal. I water all of them about every fews days but I recently found out that it's a "no-no" to water the fronds and crown. Unfortunately I spent about a minute watering the crown directly on about every third watering and usually sprayed down the fronds quickly on most waterings. I won't be doing this anymore for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure one is dead and another is struggling. I was able to pull the sear out of one and it's very moist inside the trunk. I started cutting it down and adding hydrogen peroxide, soaking it up, then adding copper fungicide. Pictures attached. Let me know if yall have any ideas to try and save it.

For the other tree, most of it's fronds are yellow/brown but some still have green. The spear is green (on the lighter side) and cannot be easily removed. I'm mostly concerned with this one and wonder what yall would recommend.

Please let me know how I can best save this tree and if there are any questions. I appreciate any help!

- Tom

[jwitt]

Just guessing, but looking at the pics of your problem palms, it looks like the roots are exposed.  Are they exposed like this on your "good" palms?

With that many roots exposed to the air, not soil, the palm may be unable to get enough water to the leaves.  Which I think the second pic portrays. 

Maybe build up the soil above the roots and keep consistently watered thru the summer for the one you are most concerned about.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Welcome Fond of Fronds!

I like your PT name.

First some disclaimers:

I don’t grow any of these in Puerto Rico, but they grew well for my decades in VA. 

I have no experience about growing palms in your conditions. 
 

That said I too noticed the surface roots and wondered if planting too high could be at least one issue.

Mounding high quality dirt over some of those roots seems reasonable to me. Perhaps a small circle of above ground landscape edging could hold the dirt in? 
 

I have had a fair number of palms recover despite looking pretty miserable with pulled spears due to root issues. In my case it was roots and/or stem being chewed up by rhino beetles but I would think any sort of root issue might look similar? 

The change in your overhead watering and use of H2O2 for spear pull is good advice that I too learned on PT.

I defer to others for more authoritative opinions. 

You might also want to check out the IPS President’s page for the next December travel to South Padre Island in your State.

 

[Allen]

18 hours ago, Fond_Of_Fronds said:

Hey yall! Long time reader, first time poster.

I live in Corpus Christi, TX and I've got 6x Windmill palms. These are my first inground palms I've ever had. My dirt is mostly clay and they are in nearly direct sunlight all day. They have been in the ground since around October2024. 

Four of them are doing great. With those plants, they all have constant new growth and color is normal. I water all of them about every fews days but I recently found out that it's a "no-no" to water the fronds and crown. Unfortunately I spent about a minute watering the crown directly on about every third watering and usually sprayed down the fronds quickly on most waterings. I won't be doing this anymore for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure one is dead and another is struggling. I was able to pull the sear out of one and it's very moist inside the trunk. I started cutting it down and adding hydrogen peroxide, soaking it up, then adding copper fungicide. Pictures attached. Let me know if yall have any ideas to try and save it.

For the other tree, most of it's fronds are yellow/brown but some still have green. The spear is green (on the lighter side) and cannot be easily removed. I'm mostly concerned with this one and wonder what yall would recommend.

Please let me know how I can best save this tree and if there are any questions. I appreciate any help!

- Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pic 1 Trunk cut if not already

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ9zPxk5EjY

A video on when I think you should trunk cut a palm When to cut: -Spear has Pulled and is 'mushy' -You don't see a new spear -The Cut won't cut green fronds - Especially needed if you see other newer fronds browning To cut: -Cut down till you see solid center -After cut treat one time with Hydrogen peroxide then with copper fungicide one time over whole area -Treat for insects if present (Sevin Dust) -Water sparingly unless ground is really dry, moisture has no where to go in palm

Pic 2 Likely spear pull keep checking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EwU4F-Gotw

Watering tips - Don't water unless dry for a week till temps warm more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9ZY7HPSRRQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAJyHU8X0YQ

 

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

Thanks everyone for all of the help. I'm going to get some topsoil to put down over the roots of the one still alive. I'll also build up the surrounding area a bit too.

The other trees root systems are mostly covered up.

As for the trunk cut, I'm going to watch the videos provided and look to do the technique mentioned. I already have the hydrogen peroxide and copper fungicide. I'll keep yall posted.

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

I went out and bought some Miracle Grow garden soil and put about one bag per tree, plus mulch as a moisture retainer. I think yall were correct. The best looking trees had the least amount of roots showing.

I also cut down the dead(ish) tree and replanted it in a planter. Pictures acttached. I'll keep yall posted. 🤞

[jwitt]

19 minutes ago, Fond_Of_Fronds said:

I went out and bought some Miracle Grow garden soil and put about one bag per tree, plus mulch as a moisture retainer. I think yall were correct. The best looking trees had the least amount of roots showing.

I also cut down the dead(ish) tree and replanted it in a planter. Pictures acttached. I'll keep yall posted. 🤞

You may want to put shade cloth over your "recovering" palm in the ground. Top growth will be slow until roots are re-established for a year or more 

 

[Allen]

Mistakes were planting in fall, overhead watering, not planting deep enough on a few.  Pulled up palm is dead

[Fusca]

On 3/6/2025 at 8:29 PM, Fond_Of_Fronds said:

Hey yall! Long time reader, first time poster.

I live in Corpus Christi, TX and I've got 6x Windmill palms. These are my first inground palms I've ever had. My dirt is mostly clay and they are in nearly direct sunlight all day. They have been in the ground since around October2024. 

Four of them are doing great. With those plants, they all have constant new growth and color is normal. I water all of them about every fews days but I recently found out that it's a "no-no" to water the fronds and crown. Unfortunately I spent about a minute watering the crown directly on about every third watering and usually sprayed down the fronds quickly on most waterings. I won't be doing this anymore for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure one is dead and another is struggling. I was able to pull the sear out of one and it's very moist inside the trunk. I started cutting it down and adding hydrogen peroxide, soaking it up, then adding copper fungicide. Pictures attached. Let me know if yall have any ideas to try and save it.

For the other tree, most of it's fronds are yellow/brown but some still have green. The spear is green (on the lighter side) and cannot be easily removed. I'm mostly concerned with this one and wonder what yall would recommend.

Please let me know how I can best save this tree and if there are any questions. I appreciate any help!

- Tom

Hi Tom, welcome to Palmtalk!  Unfortunately windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) grown in full South Texas sun will not look good.  They do much better in cooler climates.  Good news is that there are many better palm choices for your area.  Livistona decora and nitida are examples of fan palms that grow pretty fast in your conditions.  Livistona chinensis and saribus would also do well but these do look better with some shade from afternoon sun and don't grow very fast.  Let us know if you're interested in growing other palms because the list is long. 

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

I appreciate all of the replies. Ill try to cover the recovering palm but I also feel like it's probably dead 😔 even to the point where it was cut was still a bit mushy. I suppose its worth a shot though, its being replaced anyway. But lesson learned - I just wish I would have got on here earlier!

Fusca - I'm stuck with the Windmill palms for now but I'll keep that in mind. I had trouble making a decision because each of the past 4 years we've had 20 degree or less days each year. Corpus Christi is actually in a drought right now but once we get the water problem solved I'll be looking to get some more palms for sure.

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

I replaced the dead palm and replanted a new one today. Mixed Miracle Grow ground soil with existing dirt 50/50 and gave it a good slow initial watering. Made sure to cover the top roots and added pine bark nuggets for moisture retention. I'll make sure to water daily for 1-2 weeks and keep yall posted on it's progress. 

For the struggling palm, I decided to prune off the dead fronds. Everything cut was brown and dry so I figured it might give the surviving fronds a better chance of water absorption. It still has a green (slightly yellowing) spear with two green fronds remaining.

Do you all recommend pruning brown tips on the other trees? Any downsides?

[SeanK]

"I live in Corpus Christi. I planted 6 Windmill palms"

Readers are scratching their heads. CC must be a solid z9a, maybe z9b with 9 months of scorching Texas sun overhead. I never recommend Queens, but I think here I would. With a couple of Mediterranean Fan palms at a 2nd level.

[FosterDog]

As a new palm grower, I sympathize with Fond_Of_Fronds regarding the cold snaps.  We are also experiencing drier than normal hot summers and historic cold periods in north Georgia.  I lost two European Fan Palms and one reasonably large Windmill palm this winter. 

I am no expert, but would also recommend a zone 9 palm with a good plan for the winter.  If I had taken the historic cold more seriously last winter (instead of relying on FDA Zone), I might have saved my palms.  

Best of luck this year, Fond_Of_Fronds! 

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

12 hours ago, SeanK said:

"I live in Corpus Christi. I planted 6 Windmill palms"

Readers are scratching their heads. CC must be a solid z9a, maybe z9b with 9 months of scorching Texas sun overhead. I never recommend Queens, but I think here I would. With a couple of Mediterranean Fan palms at a 2nd level.

Yeah, definitely a valid point. Many people do plant Queens here in Corpus. But guess what? They almost always die, every year. Even with winter protection, I've seen many Queen palms ripped out during Spring every year that I've lived here.

The most prominent palm in Corpus is probably the Sabal Palmetto. It is beautiful and was truly my first choice, but I was having trouble finding smaller trees. Most available start around 10' and cost at least $100/FT. Given I wanted to plant 6 or more, this wasn't the right choice for me for this landscape.

I appreciate the info, but I made my choice based on the research I had and knowledge of the actual temperatures in my area, not something based on a zone map. (I believe every winter over the past 4 years we've had temps in the teens.)

Palms are something I'm truly interested in, so I should be around here for a while. I'm gonna do my best to take care of them, so we'll see how it goes.

[Chester B]

11 hours ago, Fond_Of_Fronds said:

Yeah, definitely a valid point. Many people do plant Queens here in Corpus. But guess what? They almost always die, every year. Even with winter protection, I've seen many Queen palms ripped out during Spring every year that I've lived here.

The most prominent palm in Corpus is probably the Sabal Palmetto. It is beautiful and was truly my first choice, but I was having trouble finding smaller trees. Most available start around 10' and cost at least $100/FT. Given I wanted to plant 6 or more, this wasn't the right choice for me for this landscape.

I appreciate the info, but I made my choice based on the research I had and knowledge of the actual temperatures in my area, not something based on a zone map. (I believe every winter over the past 4 years we've had temps in the teens.)

Palms are something I'm truly interested in, so I should be around here for a while. I'm gonna do my best to take care of them, so we'll see how it goes.

The one thing that you may not be aware of is that there are many palm species that prefer cooler temps and require night time cool downs and Trachycarpus are one of those.  These palms do best in the PNW and and places like the UK.

Other species require a certain amount of heat units and or solar radiation/intensity and will basically not grow or whither away over a long period of time.  Serenoa repens and many Sabals can fall under this category.

And then there is soil type.  Some don't do well in clay, some hate sand.   

Finally in places like Florida they have nematodes and some palms are more susceptible like the aforementioned Trachycarpus.

So as you can see there is more than one factor in one determines what will do well in your area.  Trachycarpus fortunei are the most cold hardy trunking palm so you would think it would be a slam dunk in your area.  Most sources only reference cold hardiness, but like all things in life its a whole lot more complicated.  Your palms will likely struggle with the heat, humidity, Texas sun and I'm thinking you have sandy soil.  These are four things they don't enjoy.  

My advice to you is this:

1) Amend heavily by providing lots of organic matter to the palms to combat the sand (Assuming you have sand)

2) Water heavily and frequently.

3) Again if you have sand, provide a regular supply of palm fertilizer.  Trachys grown near the ocean or in this case the gulf, always look yellow and anemic.  

4)  Turn that area around the palms into a big garden and interplant with shrubs and mulch well.  That will help to provide some shade to the palms and the ground around them. 

5) Consider planting some small Sabals in between with the intent of either removing the Trachycarpus to a shadier spot, or leaving them to create a dense jungle effect.  If you get some some Sabals my bet is they will outpace those Trachys in no time.  I only have one year of experience growing palms in Texas (many years elsewhere), but what I can say is, to me the Sabals literally explode with growth however the Trachys grow much, much slower than what I am accustomed to and easily burn. 

If you are interested in affordable Sabals, you can usually buy them on here from other enthusiasts.  They may be small but they grow pretty fast in this climate.

Good luck.  

[Fond_Of_Fronds]

This is incredible and valuable advice. Thank you so much for your help.

Fortunately, I'm in clay soil rather than sand but I will certainly keep the area fertilized and add organic matter as you mentioned. 

I'm also going to scout the form for some Sabals because that could look nice and provide some shade. But my observations are consistent with your input - most Windmill Palms don't look all that great in my area while the Sabals thrive. There are a few other Windmills in my neighborhood and they look so-so.

This is the exact reason I joined this forum and I appreciate your input!

[SeanK]

If you have a pickup truck, a trip to Florida may be worthwhile. A trailer with a half dozen palmettos may cost out at $200 each.