Chamaerops humilis Changes

[Lou-StAugFL]

Need some help with this palm. It is about 25-30 years old.  I forget when I planted it, but it has been a long time ago.  You can tell from the photo that the new fronds are much smaller than before.  And the older fronds are falling down.  It has never done this in the past,  I fertilize it with palm fertilizer two or three times a year. I haven't yet, because I wanted to see if any of you have suggestions.  Could it be at the end of its lifespan?  Thanks for any help.  This palm is in St. Augustine, Florida on the northeast coast of Florida.

[Trava]

Maybe much shade than before?

[Lou-StAugFL]

Just a butia and a queen palm nearby.  Not too much shade. Thanks

 

[Neil C]

There is a Chamaerops in Italy that is something like 800 years old so I don't think it is old age. Have you had much rain recently? It might just need a really good watering. Other than it could have something attacking the roots but I'd give it a good water unless the ground is obviously wet.

Regards Neil

[Karen]

Lou,  I know nothing about your Florida soils, but we had a Dypsis decipiens that showed the same symptons.  At first we thought it had been caused by high winds but it kept happening.  Our university extension agent said it was caused by a calcium deficiency.  We used dolomite ag 10 (granular form) and it finally corrected the problem.  The older leaves did not "perk back up" but the other leaves stopped drooping down. 

Why it happened is a mystery to me.  The palm had been planted for at least 15 years without any problems & with the same treatment.  It may have been drought related but that is only speculation!

Gorgeous palm, by the way.  They are a pretty slow grow here for us!

Aloha,  Karen

[Yort]

Calcium is indeed a very important nutriënt in cell walls, but I think it is very unlikely to have a calcium deficiency. My guess would also be that the light intensity has changed over the years. Less light means longer leaves.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Yort

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Second time in 1/2 hour I've made the same suggestion...just different threads.  Wet Feet!  They aren't really fond of wet feet and St Aug can be a more than they'd like.  Mine in Jax looked like that sometimes too.  I do think light contributes to the problem as well.  Mine looks pretty good at the moment (house is for for sale...so won't have it for long, i hope).  

[PalmatierMeg]

Keith may be on to something: wet feet. I don't know about St. Augustine but here we've had a rainy, cloudy, dreary winter until just a couple weeks ago. In Jan. alone I had 14.5" of rain at my home (normal is 1.92"). Heavy rain, chilly temps and little sun will cause havoc for a sun loving palm.

[Lou-StAugFL]

Thanks everyone for taking a look at my problem.  It started last fall with the older fronds drooping and then all the new fronds were much shorter than they have ever been which is why I thought it may be a nutritional problem.   it is on pretty high ground, my property is high and drops down about 5 feet not far from that palm, so it drains pretty well.  So I am not suspecting wet feet. I also don't irrigate at all. I only water during really dry times. I don't even have an irrigation system on my property.   I'm thinking it could be change in light over time more than dampness. The palms near it have been there for years too.    Our soil is pretty acidic here too.

[Monòver]

Here in Spain, the wild Chamaerops grows in pine tree forest in full shade.

But always in dry and limestone soils. I think wet and acidic soil is not the best for Chamaerops. You could feed it with dolomite or calcium nitrate.

[Neil C]

Here is a post where all the plant needed was a good drink.

Your palm is also showing the older fronds drooping down which could indicate a lack of water. Also those palms nearby look fairly large and could have reached a size where the roots are sucking all the moisture out of the soil around the Chamaerops. If a lack of sunlight was causing this issue I would imagine the newer fronds too be elongated and not reduced in size. I'm not saying this is definitely the solution but judging from what you have said a really good deep soak could be all that is needed.

Regards Neil

[Ben in Norcal]

1 hour ago, Neil C said:

Here is a post where all the plant needed was a good drink.

Your palm is also showing the older fronds drooping down which could indicate a lack of water. Also those palms nearby look fairly large and could have reached a size where the roots are sucking all the moisture out of the soil around the Chamaerops. If a lack of sunlight was causing this issue I would imagine the newer fronds too be elongated and not reduced in size. I'm not saying this is definitely the solution but judging from what you have said a really good deep soak could be all that is needed.

Regards Neil

I'd be shocked if it was a lack of water in Florida.  Chamaerops need no supplemental water even in California.  They are basically a cactus in my experience.

[Darold Petty]

Lou, I believe your palm is suffering from a reduced light level.  The petioles are much too long.

Here is the "Palma di Goethe" at the University of Padova in northern Italy.  It is approximately 430 years old.  It is not senescent, and is actually quite vigorous.  

[Tassie_Troy1971]

I took a picture of this Chamearops humillis today that was planted in 1824  and taller than most telegraph poles