Palm Branches Turning Brown, Need Advice…

[toicy4ya]

Hi guys,

Some of the branches on my palm tree are turning brown. Any idea what might be causing this?

I gave them manganese sulphate and plant food yesterday in hopes that it might improve. 
 

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[Harry’s Palms]

My Phoenix Roebelini do that but only on older fronds . I water mine a lot , a real deep soaking . They could benefit from a bit of mulch around the drip circle and top with wood chips. At that size they will need a lot of water especially in the warmer months. Harry

[Merlyn]

@toicy4ya overall they look great!  If it's only the oldest leaves getting some yellow tips it is generally nothing serious.  Phoenix of all types are prone to Magnesium deficiencies in Florida.  I'd get a bag of Magnesium Sulfate and add a handful sprinkled in the bed around the palms.  As a general rule:

• Magnesium deficiency shows up as yellow tips on the oldest fronds first.  This is because Magnesium is "mobile" in plant tissue.  The palm steals it from old fronds to use it for new growth.  This is really common in Florida.
• Manganese deficiency *only* shows up as yellow or brown new fronds.  Manganese is not mobile in plant tissue.  So if there's a deficiency you see it when the palm is growing new fronds.  This is not too common except in Cycas Revoluta aka "sago palm."  They get "frizzle top" pretty frequently here.

[donalt]

my roebelinis have the yellowing and spotting on new growth....applied manganese treatment months ago, but new fronds exhibit same. considering removing palms to avoid other close by roebeilinis from getting it (is that possible?)

 

[Merlyn]

@donalt can you post a photo of the new fronds and of the whole palm?  It would be easier to make a guess as to the cause.

[TropicsEnjoyer]

23 hours ago, donalt said:

my roebelinis have the yellowing and spotting on new growth....applied manganese treatment months ago, but new fronds exhibit same. considering removing palms to avoid other close by roebeilinis from getting it (is that possible?)

 

Yeah definitely provide a picture first. Roebellinis aren’t particularly disease prone so I think removal without even knowing is a step too far.

[Johnny Palmseed]

It could be Magnesium but it also might be Potassium deficient. Generally speaking, Sul Po Mag is recommended for Phoenix palms. Sul Po Mag is Sulfur, potassium and magnesium in one. Site One sells it as K Mag. I’m not 100% sure but I believe that a Potassium deficiency can be triggered by only applying Magnesium. Your palms actually look good but I would recommend to delay trimming the dead fronds off until they are totally brown. This will allow the palm to recapture the nutrients in the oldest fronds.

[donalt]

[Johnny Palmseed]

Magnesium Deficiency-Palms that show yellowing at the edges of the older leaves while the center band stays green.

Potassium Deficiency-Palms showing yellow, orange or brown flecks with necrotic margins and weathering of older leaves.

Manganese Deficiency-Palms with new emerging leaves that are yellowed, reduced in leaf size, or show a "frizzled" look.

Magnesium and Potassium are the likely culprits for both your palms, although @donalt your palms seems further along and I’m leaning more towards potassium. The good news is that the growing season is here and Roebeleniis grow pretty quickly putting out lots of top growth. You should both be able to correct this with palm fertilizer, water and sul-po-mag supplements. 

[Merlyn]

@Johnny Palmseed I was thinking potassium too, though maybe there is something else like a rachis blight going on.  If it's only the oldest fronds then it might just want more fertilizer.  

[Looking Glass]

On 5/9/2025 at 8:21 AM, toicy4ya said:

Hi guys,

Some of the branches on my palm tree are turning brown. Any idea what might be causing this?

I gave them manganese sulphate and plant food yesterday in hopes that it might improve. 
 

any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Agree with everything above.  In Florida these commonly get potassium and magnesium deficiency at the same time.  Leaf tip necrosis (brown) on the oldest fronds indicates potassium deficiency, though magnesium deficiency is often also present, but only causes yellowing.  If you are have lingering old fronds with this pattern, you have a deficiency.  Fronds should go from green to yellow to brown very quickly.   Not hold on as yellow for periods of time.  

In Florida, it’s best to treat generously with a good palm fertilizer like you have, and if you get old lingering yellow and brown tipped fronds, just treat with Langbeinite/Kmag/Sul-Po-Mag.  Also water a lot, and deeply, as these palms love water and it’s been critically dry all over Florida for the past year or so.  And mulch the base and keep weed killers away from it.  There is no role for Mangenese in old frond disorders.  

You can get Langbeinite conveniently on Amazon and cheaper elsewhere.

https://www.amazon.com/LANGBEINITE-Sulfate-Magnesia-Organic-Fertilizer/dp/B07S7Z3XLT/ref=asc_df_B07S7Z3XLT?mcid=bb02247643733fafa6c9e273ab46a3e1&hvocijid=10583155551842924026-B07S7Z3XLT-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10583155551842924026&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011969&hvtargid=pla-2281435178378&th=1

 

General fertilizer help for Florida Palms:
https://www.palmbeachpalmcycadsociety.com/documents/PalmNutritionalDeficiencyCorrectionAndAntagonisticNutritionalRelationships.pdf

Feed and water and it will improve over the next year or so.  

[donalt]

thank you ; will continue trying to revive these palms. if it doesn't work, I'm going to replace them with kentia palms I recently purchased. the location is heavily shaded with only dappled sun, and I've always wanted to grow those beauties. I've seen some nice ones around but they all are in shaded locations. will see.