Chambeyronia hookeri been looking rough lately - Thoughts?

[Christopher Dillman]

Bought a lil gizmo Chambeyronia hookeri in a 5g. Planted in April, it's been somewhat a lackluster take off. Here's what I've done:

> Planted in morning sun only, shade in afternoon.
> Palm and Cactus mix for planting soil. Light peppering of Palm Plus.
> Watering schedule - 2 days a week, 20min drip ea day, one sprayer and two 2 GPH emitters close to the root ball and under canopy.
> In late April I began using a Vit B (Superthrive) + water bucket treatment (pin hole in bucket slow release) for possible transplant shock. Applied every 7 days, three treatments so far.
> In May, I added some used coffee grounds as soil topping (nitrogen).

The good news – there appears to be a new spear that is slowly getting taller. Very slowly. It was a nub when it was first in the 5g pot. Maybe just my hunch, but sense the Vit B treatments are helping.

Questions -

> Leaves are not a darker green, but a light green with burnt ends.
> Is it getting too much water at this stage?
> Overdoing it with the Vit B hits every 7 days?
> What else might help?

Thank you for reading and guidance!

 

[happypalms]

Your palm is sulking, often some palms sulk after planting from a container. You’re doing nothing wrong. And by the sound of you grow schedule your onto. Your palm will could sulk for twelve months or less give it time and in 20 years time you will have a beautiful palm. I should know I did the same as you plant hookerii palms. So the only thing I can suggest for your palm problem is plant more palms that will fix it!

[Harry’s Palms]

Interesting , I think @happypalms is right. I planted a Pyroformis last year and it is the only palm that kind of struggled even though it was very healthy and planted in the perfect spot, under my large Macrocarpa. It is now almost a year later and it is pushing a new spear . I guess I just needed to be patient. Harry

[Merlyn]

@Christopher Dillman I'd guess it's mostly acclimatizing to the sun.  The splotchy dead spots and the reddish streaks look a lot like sunburn to me.  And the darker green frond that's off to the right in the top photo looks like it has more shade from the Revoluta above it.  That's just a guess.  

When I tried Chamberyonia in nearly full sun they were getting a 1gph dripper 40 minutes per day.  They acclimatized pretty quickly.  My sandy soil here drains really fast.  If you are on clay the water you are giving it might be enough.  But dead tips on the leaves is a common sign of too little water, so maybe add a bit more until it roots in?

[Christopher Dillman]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Christopher Dillman But dead tips on the leaves is a common sign of too little water, so maybe add a bit more until it roots in?

Good to know, thank you! I will continue the Vit B bucket treatment then. Maybe a hand water once a week.

I thought I would need to hit it with this next.



But sounds like I should stay the course.. and maybe visit it every now and then and tell it how wonderful it's doing. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[sonoranfans]

My container hookeri's and macrocarpas burn in sun, never was able to stop it.  Once in the ground the hookeri's seem more sun tolerant no doubt.  Ideally these want to be wet and they like humidity.  Its early int he growing season for you there, they should perk up as it warms.  I might water 3x a week and for 40 mins just to be sure they are getting good and wet.  I watered in mostly clay soils 3x a week in arizona for all my palms.  2x a week wasnt enough.  ANd in clay the longer you water the deeper the wet spot.  Faster watering tends to go sideways more.   If deep root development is your goal(it should be), water longer with your drippers.  If your drainage is decent 3x a week and double the duration would be a good first step.  Looks like it in the 50's at night there and mid 70s in the day, just the start of the growing season.  Keep them well watered and let the weather do the rest.   I used to put overhead netting on a lot of wet loving palms just after planting when I lived in arizona.   I'd leave it on one summer then take it off.  The roots establish and that is part of what helps against sun burn.   A slower acclimation to sun over this year would leave you with more growth next year I think.  

[Christopher Dillman]

29 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

I might water 3x a week and for 40 mins just to be sure they are getting good and wet. 

So currently I'm running 2x a week and 20 mins ea. Are you suggesting 3x a week and 40min each time?

Just making sure - that's a lot of water. That will also affect my other Cycads and palms on the same drip line, which are doing dandy at the 2x a week schedule. 

[Merlyn]

@Christopher Dillman previously you said:

"Watering schedule - 2 days a week, 20min drip ea day, one sprayer and two 2 GPH emitters close to the root ball and under canopy."

I'm having a hard time guessing what that means.    If I'm guessing right, you are running the dripline 2x per week for 20 minutes.  The Flamethrower has a small sprayer nearby (I see the 8 needle sprayer in the photo) and a pair of 2gph button emitters dripping somewhere nearby. 

If the drip emitters have 1/4" tubing putting it out near the palm's trunk that's a good amount of water total.  On fresh plantings I make sure I stake the emitter tubing on the existing rootball.  It'll take months to grow roots outwards, so put them fairly close and move them outwards later.

If it's watering the existing pot-shaped rootball then that could be up to 11.66 gallons from the bubbler and 1.33 gallons from the button emitters.  I'd think that's more than enough, though maybe it dries out too much in between?  Hard to say...

[Johnny Palmseed]

That fertilizer is quite strong. I would not use it unless you dilute it substantially.

[sonoranfans]

1 hour ago, Christopher Dillman said:

So currently I'm running 2x a week and 20 mins ea. Are you suggesting 3x a week and 40min each time?

Just making sure - that's a lot of water. That will also affect my other Cycads and palms on the same drip line, which are doing dandy at the 2x a week schedule. 

If those are not moisture tolerant cycads, probably shouldnt be near a chamby.   Seems like your area is cool and not so dry.  Maybe 2x is enough but the depth of watering is purely a length of time thing in slow drainage clay.  IF the soil is not fast draining, you dont need sprayers for deep watering, that would be wasteful.  Hopefully the sprayers are on a different zone.

[Christopher Dillman]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

@Christopher Dillman previously you said:

"Watering schedule - 2 days a week, 20min drip ea day, one sprayer and two 2 GPH emitters close to the root ball and under canopy."

I'm having a hard time guessing what that means.    If I'm guessing right, you are running the dripline 2x per week for 20 minutes.

My bad. Yes, 2x per week and 20min ea. So 40min total per week, not 20min total per week.

Roger that on closer to root ball. I shall stay the course and avoid heavy fertilizing from EZ-Gro.

[sonoranfans]

15 hours ago, Christopher Dillman said:

My bad. Yes, 2x per week and 20min ea. So 40min total per week, not 20min total per week.

Roger that on closer to root ball. I shall stay the course and avoid heavy fertilizing from EZ-Gro.

yes, 40 mins 3x, and avoid that nasty concentrated liquid fertilizer, it often has a propensity to burn roots.  TImed release or fish emulstion is the way to go and use it sparingly for a few months.

[Christopher Dillman]

3 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

TImed release or fish emulstion is the way to go and use it sparingly for a few months.

Thanks for that recommendation! I've heard good things about fish emulsion.

Questions..

> 1 tablespoon in one gallon of watering can, every two weeks on the hookeri sound about right? Sounds like I could skip the Vit B bucket treatment.
> Is fish emulsion helpful for older established palms? Or it's really just for the youth?