Hyophorbe Lagenicaulis

[oppalm]

I have a container grown Hyophorbe Lagenicaulis that is getting ugly. In mid July 2008 I repotted after the fronds started browning and drying and shriveling up. It has thrown 4 new fronds this summer and the fronds come out looking great and then the bottom ones begin to dry and shrivel up. It is an ugly transformation. See the pictures I have provided below. I have fertilized it twice this summer. once with a 20-20-20 water soluable at 1/2 strength and an osmocote timed release formula. I also treated with a granular systemic in August 2008 because the fronds look horrible.

Any idea's or suggestions on what's going on?

Heres a close up of my problem.

[Kim]

Four fronds this summer is a good growth rate. I'm curious about the location and sun exposure of your palm, because that looks like sunburn to me. I also question frequency of watering. I have a potted Hyophorbe lagenicaulis and the only time the fronds looked bad were during a heat wave when I was out of town, so it didn't get extra water, and from too much winter cold. We can rule out the winter damage for your palm, obviously.

I see you have it in a clay pot -- these dry out more quickly than plastic, so water accordingly. I also see it's sitting on a paved surface. While mine is in full coastal sun (not especially hot), it's sitting out in the garden, surrounded by other plants -- no reflective heat, lots of humidity, and it gets automatic irrigation almost every day, plus I give it extra on the weekend. Do you think any of these factors could contribute to burning your fronds?

My hyophorbe fronds (lagenicaulis in foreground, verschaffeltii in the distance).

[palmislandRandy]

Mine is sitting on a hot pool deck In full inland Florida sun. It gets plenty of water, but never looks perfect, though my pot is larger.

[oppalm]

I pulled it onto the pavers to get a picture of it. The container is a composite material , lightweight clay pot look a like. The palm is in a somewhat protected sunny spot , but a very bright spot surrounded by taller palms and banana trees so it gets maybe 4-6 hours of dappled sunlight each day. It does not get full hot sun. We have plenty of huimidity and its gets plenty of water. Probably gets watered very well every 2-3 days. I can't believe it keeps throwing fronds, and it seems to be growing very well. Any other thoughts?

[palmislandRandy]

Is your potting mixture draining OK? Maybe too wet?

[oppalm]

I use my own potting soil mixture that drains very well but you could be on to something. I repotted this palm in July because when I watered the palm the water just ran right through the soil and I thought maybe this was causing the brown frond problem. When I took the palm out of the conatiner the roots were wound tight. I didn't think the soil was holding any water because the root mass was solid and water could not get to the roots. I repotted into a container 3-4" inches bigger and used a good draining soil mix. I probably am watering it too much but it did have this problem before and thats why I repotted.

[DoomsDave]

opppalm

Yours looks gorgeous compared to my two sad sacks.

They really need humidity to look their best, which we don't have much of here, and which is probably in short supply in the winter where you are.

[Tyrone]

It still looks like sunburn to me. I don't know how hot you get, but if you do have a hot spell, and the palm is not acclimatised to life in the hot open fullsun, breaks in the canopy can still provide enough energy to burn a shade grown specimen in summer. The oldest leaf may have formed early on when things were cooler and the sun was not as bright. It stands to reason that that frond would burn and not the others. These will take enormous amounts of heat and fullsun. When it's hot and bright, you can pump these full of fertiliser and water. They love it. Don't do that in winter though unless you live in the tropics. I wouldn't worry, soon it will have even more fronds. When they're bigger they'll hold maybe 5 or 6.

Best regards

Tyrone

[oppalm]

Thanks for your thoughts. I only have about 45 days to get it in great shape to withstand its winter vacation spent indoors. I think I am going to put it in a shaded but bright location for a while and see if that helps the newest fronds.

[xerophyte_nyc]

So-Cal Dave

Mine is wintered indoors for about 6 months with low humidity and it still looks great, so for me at least humidity does not seem to be an issue.

palmisland

how are you going to repot your plant? the roots will occupy the undercuts of the bulging areas in the pot, no???

oppalm

It looks like those leaves experienced conditions that the others did not: could be cold, or sudden heat and sun, something chemical/ fertilizer related maybe???

I can water mine several times daily, it seems to be impossible to overwater. I have a very coarse potting mix.

Here's my big one some weeks ago.

[Tyrone]

Thanks for your thoughts. I only have about 45 days to get it in great shape to withstand its winter vacation spent indoors. I think I am going to put it in a shaded but bright location for a while and see if that helps the newest fronds.

You know, I'd leave it where it is to acclimatise to the conditions, and as Autumn approaches give it more and more sun until it's too cold to leave it out unprotected, and then bring it in. These love and need a lot of sun. If you protect it all the time it will never sun harden, and will burn every year. They toughen up as they get older.

Just my thoughts

Best regards

Tyrone