Hi, i live in central Florida. My spindle palm is having problems I can’t identify. The new palm fronds are opening with yellow tips. I applied special palm fertilizer a couple months ago and have also used a soaker hose to ensure water is getting to roots. The palm is growing and throwing large fronds. The soil here is sandy and drains well. We’ve also had good slow rains 2-3 times per week. I wanted to reach out to the palm experts to diagnose the problem. I appreciate your feedback

Looks like Manganese (Mg) deficiency, this is quite common in sandy soils. Need to add some trace elements to it, regular fertiliser does not usually contain enough.

Agree with Manganese (Except it’s Mn, not Mg) deficiency. These minor nutrient (Those other than N-P-K) deficiencies can look similar but the key is when it shows. Manganese (Mn) deficiency affects the new emerging leaves. Magnesium (Mg) and Potassium (K) affect the older leaves. Sandy soil and a lot of rain tend to create nutrient deficiencies even though you applied fertilizer. What specific palm fertilizer did you use and how much? There are many different formulations and they all can say “palm fertilizer”. For example, Sunniland has only .14% Mn with a 6-1-8 N-P-K ratio while Palm Gain has 1% Mn and is 8-2-12. Generally speaking, the Palm Gain has the better formula for Florida sandy soils. It follows the guidelines (8-2-12+4Mg) set by Tim Broschat at UF. Sunniland is cheaper and you could use it with a supplemental bag of Mn to achieve similar results.

https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP267

Thank you for your replies. The fertilizer I used was PalmGain 8-2-12. I used about 1 1/2 lbs and applied it around the base in early July. I do want to mention the heat in Florida has been intense this summer and some of my outdoor plants have struggled with the heat.