Palm damage mystery

[Cindy Adair]

I'll send these photos one at a time since that's easier than figuring out how to make them smaller. Not the best from my husband's phone... Verschaffeltia trio March 2011

[Cindy Adair]

Another view of leaf damage. No other palms seemed to have any leaf damage like this anywhere on the farm. The leaves were fine in November.

[Cindy Adair]

The last of the available photos. My husband thinks the spears are okay. PVC pipe gives some idea of scale.

[Cindy Adair]

More photos show the only similar damage we've seen which was in 2008 to a Livistona (chinensis???). It has now completely recovered as shown in the 2001 photo. We found plenty of evidence (see cow patty photo) and damaged fence. The Livistona is up a main path from the Verschaffeltias. We wrote a nice but firm letter with help from a local lawyer after the Livistona lunch (as suggested by the former owner of our farm who once collected damages from cattle plant damage) to the absentee owner. No problems since and we've never even seen the neighbor. No proof this time but one rain would wash it away. Somehow I don't think Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) will help so I'm turning to Palmtalk. These Verschaffeltias may be small and not super rare but I LIKE them and don't want to lose them. At least if they survive to be larger the spines may protect them from marauding cows. Any other ideas of bugs who could cause this damage? Thanks!

[Cindy Adair]

These are the "before" photos from November 2010 that should have been posted first.

[Patrick]

Pic 5 in post 4 seems pretty tell-tale:lol:

[LauraAnu]

Hello Cindy,

I would blame those cows . You should see how they chew up palmscapes here if they get a chance. They seem to love palm leaves espicially adonidia here. If you leave your gate open your plant will be sure to be missing its leaves if a herd passes by .

Laura

[Mandrew968]

I figure they think, "what's the worst you guys are gonna do--eat me?!"

Edited March 21, 2011 by Mandrew968

[dalmatiansoap]

snails?

[Palmə häl′ik]

Nuthin' like havin' hard evidence...

http://www.basspro.com/Moultrie-Game-Spy-D55-IR-5-0-Megapixel-Digital-Game-Camera/product/10206405/-1692847

[Just1MorePalm]

At least they left you some fert...even-steven...

[DoomsDave]

apaand:

Yeah, sure looks like cattle. If you're finding more patties and damaged fences, I'm sure they're at it again.

Here in Cali, we sometimes have to deal with this as well, though usually the problem is rabbits or smaller critters. Also, neighbors' "landscapers" can also cause problems when they get wacky with the weeding.

By all means send the absentee owner a lawyer letter (I do those, too) but be prepared for cattle to show little interest in legalities.

You might want, as a practical matter, to experiment with cages to keep the cows out, at least until the palms get too big and/or tough to be reach or eat.

Some of the pictures you showed also resemble grasshopper damage, though I realize that most grasshoppers don't leave cowpatties . . . .

Looks like the cows (and calves, plus the inevitable bull) just want a little variety. Looks like they've caused some damage, but no permanent destruction. In a place like yours, I doubt the damage will faze the palms much. Given a choice between a climate like yours, with cows, or a climate like mine with no cows, I'll take the climate and the cows (etc.)

That said, let us know what you do, and how things resolve.

ANd keep planting palms in your palmaliscious paradise.

[Cindy Adair]

Thanks for all the comments. To us the leaf damage on the Verschaffeltias looks similar to the known damage on the Livistona.Since only one palm was eaten before and no damage to any other palms (like that) in 3 years even with lots of snails around, we think another cow got in. Since it will be another month until we can get back to inspect the long fence line (his) bordering us, my husband has decided to print the new photos and send another letter. The very thought that multiple cows could wander over and decimate the hundreds of palms, mostly tiny, is enough to give me nightmares. Now we can write that we heard from "palm authorities all over the world" who agree with us. A bit of STRETCHING the truth, but for a good cause.

I do like the idea of the camera. In my darker moments I thought of planting a row of delicious, but toxic to cattle, plants just on my side of the fence. However, the poor cows aren't the criminals and anyway,they'd probably live plenty long enough to munch down on palms and stagger around into my farm. I don't really want to find cow carcasses on my paths!

[Cindy Adair]

Happy news! All three of the cow chewed palms look good! We didn't know what to expect so bought 3 more. Alas, we now are forced to watch 6 of these lovely plants grow up. That's assumimg no cows trespass again while the leaves are cow reachable...

[peachy]

I have trouble here with grubs and grasshoppers defoliating my palms and while the Verschafeltia damage is obviously from cattle, the Livi looks like a grasshoppers left overs. Now and then kangaroos come up from the reserve and nibble on things outside the fence, but I can live with that. When I lived in the country, although my place was well fenced the neighbouring farm's cows would push their heads through the fences and destroy my plants. I tried to reason with the neighbour, pointing out that he did have 1500 acres to let them roam in so why put them where they could damage my place...to no avail, resulting in much screeching and eventually a fist fight between him and I. To solve it once and for all I planted dozens of oleanders along my side of the fence, a couple of dead cows later the problem never arose again. Maybe some nice Orania species would look pretty at your place ?

Peachy

[Peter Pacific]

Hello apaandssa, yes, it does look like a bovine misdemeanor. When I moved south some ten years ago, I had to recheck my values, good versus evil, right versus wrong, and was challenged on many levels. If you don't know your neighbor maybe you should introduce yourself. If he is an absentee owner, the cows probably belong to a caretaker and you should introduce yourself to him. Where I live cows are an important part of the locals' livelihood and they would probably laugh at a fair but stern letter from a lawyer. I purchased a large Lipstick palm from a guy up the road whose cows seemed to delight munching on the leaves. When I questioned him about the leaf damage, he laughed and cut them off! I bought the palm anyway but he hasn't moved any of the others up for sale and the cows still eat the leaves now and then. Perhaps the only sure way to cowproof your land would be to fence it. On the bright side, think of all the free fertilizer that's being deposited on your land making your whole garden healthier overall. V. splendidas have a special place in my heart and I'm sorry for the loss, but it's only a couple of leaves. Good Luck. Peter

[Mandrew968]

Six Verschafeltias is not a bad thing--they are very beautiful and I could think of so many less attractive palms to have! You are so fortunate to be able to grow them without winter worries

[MattyB]

looks like what rabbits do at my place

[Mandrew968]

Those wascal wabbits!

[Cindy Adair]

Hello apaandssa, yes, it does look like a bovine misdemeanor. When I moved south some ten years ago, I had to recheck my values, good versus evil, right versus wrong, and was challenged on many levels. If you don't know your neighbor maybe you should introduce yourself. If he is an absentee owner, the cows probably belong to a caretaker and you should introduce yourself to him. Where I live cows are an important part of the locals' livelihood and they would probably laugh at a fair but stern letter from a lawyer. I purchased a large Lipstick palm from a guy up the road whose cows seemed to delight munching on the leaves. When I questioned him about the leaf damage, he laughed and cut them off! I bought the palm anyway but he hasn't moved any of the others up for sale and the cows still eat the leaves now and then. Perhaps the only sure way to cowproof your land would be to fence it. On the bright side, think of all the free fertilizer that's being deposited on your land making your whole garden healthier overall. V. splendidas have a special place in my heart and I'm sorry for the loss, but it's only a couple of leaves. Good Luck. Peter

Peter,

Thanks for all the good advice. Most of our farm is fenced but obviously the cows have more time than we do to find gaps. The 2 marauders we saw looked more like Great Dane dog size so we hope they've grown larger so they can't fit through. Of course we also hope they immediately stop reproducing. I agree also that if they only munch a few leaves it's worth it(assuming the palms they choose HAVE more than 2 leaves)to not have to deal with rabbits or squirrels!

[Cindy Adair]

looks like what rabbits do at my place

I have 2 whippets who keep the rabbits busy. Actually the dogs have never caught an adult rabbit(again, gaps in this fence too) and we still have plenty of rabbit damage in Virginia.