My queen palm has serious issues

[KsLouisiana]

I planted this queen palm in March and it's has almost zero growth. Had older growth die off and its basically stopped growing.  Until today when I noticed a tiny and stunted leaf coming out of it. What do y'all think happened? I fertilized it earlier in the year when I planted it. And it's had plenty of water. Maybe I over fertilized it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Should I try to fix it or replace it? Thank y'all!

[SeanK]

It may be outgrowing cold damage present prior to planting. It's too late to plant another this year, so maybe some H2O2 for now.

[KsLouisiana]

Really? Thats a good idea. I've had areca palms have had cold damage that looked like that first growth.  I'm hoping that now it starts taking off.

[happypalms]

Palms can sulk when planted if they have been in a container for a while, you’re palm sitting impinge a nice city nursery growing fine then you come along take it home and plant it. It’s gone into shock basically and is sulking. Just let it be and regularly water it and a couple of years time you won’t even recognise your palm, it will be a healthy palm that will forget about the past trauma and bea beautiful palm in your garden.

[Harry’s Palms]

Here in Southern California they rarely need fertilizing . Hopefully it will grow out of its current condition . I am one who thinks they are beautiful palms . Just be prepared for the mess they create when it matures. Harry

[KsLouisiana]

1 hour ago, happypalms said:

Palms can sulk when planted if they have been in a container for a while, you’re palm sitting impinge a nice city nursery growing fine then you come along take it home and plant it. It’s gone into shock basically and is sulking. Just let it be and regularly water it and a couple of years time you won’t even recognise your palm, it will be a healthy palm that will forget about the past trauma and bea beautiful palm in your garden.

Thanks! That's what I assumed too but the wierd disformed leaf had me thinking otherwise. I'll hope for the best! I had a big nice 4 year old queen palm there and we had a freak snow storm that killed it. So now this is what I'm left with lol

[PalmatierMeg]

Queens may not need fertilization in SO CAL but they are water and fertilizer hogs nonetheless unless planted in pristine non-alkaline soil. In FL they are Class II invasives and highly discouraged in SFL and SWFL. If your soil at Lake Charles is sandy, calcareous dreck like mine you have to nurture them. They are some of the messiest seeders and drop 1000s of slimy, smelly seeds that attract yellow jackets, swamp rats and muscovy ducks. I've slipped, slid and almost ended up in the canal  dealing with the mess. A lot of upkeep needed with these but they are beautiful when given what they want. I lost all my queens to fusarium wilt nearly 10 years ago. Not going there again.

[KsLouisiana]

On 9/27/2025 at 12:40 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

Queens may not need fertilization in SO CAL but they are water and fertilizer hogs nonetheless unless planted in pristine non-alkaline soil. In FL they are Class II invasives and highly discouraged in SFL and SWFL. If your soil at Lake Charles is sandy, calcareous dreck like mine you have to nurture them. They are some of the messiest seeders and drop 1000s of slimy, smelly seeds that attract yellow jackets, swamp rats and muscovy ducks. I've slipped, slid and almost ended up in the canal  dealing with the mess. A lot of upkeep needed with these but they are beautiful when given what they want. I lost all my queens to fusarium wilt nearly 10 years ago. Not going there again.

Thanks Meg! Yeah it's sandy but with a clay mixture in i think. We have seashells if you dig a foot down so I think its probably similar to Florida....ummm with all those non selling points they better be cute🤣 Thanks for the info Meg!

[Phoenikakias]

Check pH of soil (subsoil too).  If it is alkaline, then you may be dealing with a manganese deficiency.  As far as I am familiar with your local climate, I think your garden receives some serious downpours during summer and autumn (well the word serious taken only in comparison to my arid garden, where it has not rained since past early spring), which, additionally to the inherent unavailability of manganese in alkaline soils, may have leached away this t.e.. 

[Bill H2DB]

11 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Check pH of soil (subsoil too).  If it is alkaline, then you may be dealing with a manganese deficiency.  As far as I am familiar with your local climate, I think your garden receives some serious downpours during summer and autumn (well the word serious taken only in comparison to my arid garden, where it has not rained since past early spring), which, additionally to the inherent unavailability of manganese in alkaline soils, may have leached away this t.e.. 

     What he said . .......

Be sure to use a fertilizer labeled as Palm Fertilizer  .

[KsLouisiana]

19 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Check pH of soil (subsoil too).  If it is alkaline, then you may be dealing with a manganese deficiency.  As far as I am familiar with your local climate, I think your garden receives some serious downpours during summer and autumn (well the word serious taken only in comparison to my arid garden, where it has not rained since past early spring), which, additionally to the inherent unavailability of manganese in alkaline soils, may have leached away this t.e.. 

Thank you. I have a soil kit I need to test it. I never thought of that. It does rain heavy in the summer. But I didnt know that was a possibility.  Thanks for the advice!

[Merlyn]

@KsLouisiana it looks like a typical shade-grown Queen that is adjusting to "normal" conditions.  At nurseries they grow them packed together so they grow tall and super skinny and stretched out, aka "etoliated."  The new fronds being a bit smaller is fairly normal.  But the new fronds do look a bit distorted, like maybe it had a bud infection.  Maybe squirt a little hydrogen peroxide in the crown, just to be sure there isn't still a fungal infection.  If it bubbles up fungus is present...if not no fungus!