What’s wrong with my Bismarck Palm? The new from is turning yellow.

[Juanaramirez]

It was planted June 2024 and it’s been doing great. It’s summer now in SoCal Zone 10b and it has been about 75 to 85 degrees these last few weeks.

I’ve watered it twice a week since I had it and it’s been doing well until I noticed this frond started turning yellow two days ago. It gets PM sun and I haven had issues until this week. 

Does anyone have an idea what’s going on? Is it too much water, not enough, or is fertilizer missing? What I can I do help it ASAP. 
 

It has two pipes for deep watering and it has an irrigation drip underneath. The drip system waters every Monday and I do the manual watering every Thursday. 

 

[sonoranfans]

nothing wrong at all.  The leaf will color up in a few weeks.

[PhoenixFXG]

It is so happy and growing so fast. The frond is opening without developing the color first.

[sonoranfans]

My 35 footer typically opens yellow new leaves in spring.

[zero]

@Juanaramirez, the same thing happened to my young Bismarckia that I grew from seed several weeks ago with the newest opening fronds.  In several days it looked normal without me doing anything.  Here it is today.

[Rubberboots]

20 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

My 35 footer typically opens yellow new leaves in spring.

@sonoranfans photos please 

[sonoranfans]

50 minutes ago, Rubberboots said:

@sonoranfans photos please 

The birds get the best view.  It was windy in this pic  Trunk base is about 36".  The healthy ones have thicker trunks

[Juanaramirez]

@PhoenixFXG It was a 20 gallon Bismarck when I got it. It got me concerned because I never saw the frond come out so yellow but I’ll give it a few days and hopefully is what you said and others. The palm has been healthy since I planted it.  

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Juanaramirez said:

@PhoenixFXG It was a 20 gallon Bismarck when I got it. It got me concerned because I never saw the frond come out so yellow but I’ll give it a few days and hopefully is what you said and others. The palm has been healthy since I planted it.  

If that turf is a walkway, get ready to have to duck and weave when passing this palm in a couple f years.  In another 10 years, expect the trunk to take up the width between your inner boulder ring.  We often don't appreciate the size some of our palms will gain until long after they are planted.

Hopefully you have some room between your your palm and the house as well as your neighbor's home.  The crown can get quite large too.  I planted mine a little close, as you can see from the upstairs bedroom window, but it has a little clearance.

[Bkue]

Mine emerge a different color. They are super silver once matured. Just took 4 fronds off this weekend. Probably one of if not the most low maintenance palms I have. Went from a large pot to a beast in 5yrs. Have a smaller that is catching up. I literally do nothing other than throw a little palm fert 2x a year and the rest is grass fert. Put it in the sun. They appear to be fine in FL sandy soil. 

[sonoranfans]

14 hours ago, Bkue said:

Mine emerge a different color. They are super silver once matured. Just took 4 fronds off this weekend. Probably one of if not the most low maintenance palms I have. Went from a large pot to a beast in 5yrs. Have a smaller that is catching up. I literally do nothing other than throw a little palm fert 2x a year and the rest is grass fert. Put it in the sun. They appear to be fine in FL sandy soil. 

they are good in sandy soil as they grow deep roots to where the moisture is and the reflective leaves limit transpiration losses.  My best shedding fan palm, no trimming of dead leaves, just let them fall.  However mine is a female and throws down 300+ lbs of fruit a year.  Big fruits and hundreds of pounds means there is maintenance, about 2x a year and they fall for a ~ 6 weeks each time.

[Bkue]

Here is mine now . Lowest maintenance palm I have honestly. Or should I say most neglected. 

[PhoenixFXG]

My mule palm does the same thing. The spear is yellow and over time it changes to dark green. It’s summer, which means fast growth. Especially if it’s been in the ground for more than a year.