Help needed with palms!! New to central fl.

[Jasong]

We just moved to Port Orange, FL and we have a few palms that may need a little help.. One is a smaller spindle palm between 6-8 ft. It has yellow spots on most of the fronds and the main thick part of the fronds are orangish to yellowish. From searching on the web, it looks like maybe pottasium deficiency? Magnesium? We are in climate zone 9b, which may get a bit too cold for this palm as well a few days in the winter..?    The other palm in question is a Sylvester (i think). The bottom half of the fronds are yellowing but the top half looks bluish green (healthy). Thinking it may need some help as well but I know yellowing can be normal as the old fronds die. I ordered the Jobe's palm spikes and am thinking of using them but want to know if there is a better product. I am attaching a few pics and may add some better ones tomorrow. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

[Jasong]

[PalmTreeDude]

One cold(er) winter and the Spindle is toast! The Sylvester looks fine and should be fine at all times. The Spindle also looks fine. I use organic fertilizer and compost. But I am not the best when I comes to fertilizer brands! I simply use Eco Scraps all purpose plant food, Haha, it is not ment specifically for palms but it does it some good. I would wait for another forum member to reply for better info about a fertilizer.

[Danilopez89]

Palms look just fine man. They just need a little bit of love. Palm specific fertilizer will make them look great 

Jobes spikes work pretty good. Can't go wrong there. They also sell spikes specific for treating  that yellowing you got going on.

[RedRabbit]

Welcome to the forum! What part of Port Orange are you in? If you're east of I-95 your palm options are considerably more extensive.

I'll be interested to know how your spindle holds up in the winter. They seemed to do alright down here in the last big freeze we had so they're not that wimpy, but I'm not too sure how they'll hold up in Port Orange. 

[Jasong]

Thanks! Just on the other side of 95 in Sabal Creek. I just used the jobe's on the sylvester and am exploring my options for the spindle. I've taken some better pics of the spindle's orange and yellow flecks. Even the new growth has some orange spots...

[RedRabbit]

11 hours ago, Jasong said:

Thanks! Just on the other side of 95 in Sabal Creek. I just used the jobe's on the sylvester and am exploring my options for the spindle. I've taken some better pics of the spindle's orange and yellow flecks. Even the new growth has some orange spots...

I know there are some royals a couple miles east of you that have been there since the 90s, but it is probably a little warmer there on average given it is roughly half the distance to the ocean... I think the spindle will probably be marginal there. Planting close to your home can actually make a big difference so if you've got it planted up next to your house it will probably be okay for awhile. 

Edited September 6, 2016 by RedRabbit

[PalmTreeDude]

6 minutes ago, RedRabbit said:

I know there are some royals a couple miles east of you that have been there since the 90s, but it is probably a little warmer there on average given it is roughly half the distance to the ocean... I think the spindle will probably be marginal there. Planting close to your home can actually make a big difference so if you've got it planted up next to your house it will probably be okay for awhile. 

Wouldn't some burlap and a heat wire fix the problem of it getting cold damage? If there is a cold snap. 

[RedRabbit]

8 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Wouldn't some burlap and a heat wire fix the problem of it getting cold damage? If there is a cold snap. 

Well, that is true but using that logic you could grow practically anything if you're willing to work hard enough to protect it. 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Hey Jason,

Welcome to the forum.  According to my Betrock's Landscape Palms book, it looks like it is Potassium deficiency, which palms in Florida and here in South Texas are susceptible to, especially in the winter.  According to my book the palms most susceptible to it in Florida are:  royal, queen, coconut, areca, and spindle.  It also says, "Treatment requires soil applications of potassium sulfate at rates of 3 - 8 lbs. per tree four times per year plus half as much magnesium sulfate to prevent a potassium - magnesium imbalance (and resulting magnesium deficiency) from occurring."

I use a very high quality all organic fertilizer called MicroLife made by San Jacinto Environmental in Houston.  Their fertilize I use is 8-4-6 Ultimate with over 70 minerals and micronutrients, so it covers the full spectrum of any micronutrients a plant could ever need.  I went all organic 4.5 years ago, and my plants, including my palms are doing MUCH BETTER than they ever were with all the synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  I would suggest that you look for a similar all organic fertilizer with a similar ratio and apply it 3 to 4 times per year.  MicroLife also has a foliar spray called Ocean Harvest 4-2-3 that I use in tandem with their granular slow release, and together I get really good results.  Applying a foliar spray that has potassium several times throughout the winter seems to help cold sensitive palms that have a hard time taking up potassium from the soil in the winter.  With my coconut palms that are very susceptible to potassium deficiency here in the winter, I have decided to start applying the 8-4-6 Ultimate to them in the winter in December, to see if it helps them make it through the winter here, since they are marginal here.  If I were you, I would also apply a good organic compost twice a year as a top dressing about an inch thick around the root zone of your palms (but not right up against the trunk), then you could apply a layer about an inch and a half thick of organic shredded hardwood mulch on top of that, but also not right up against the trunk.  Allow a couple inches of space between the mulch and the trunk.

John

[Jasong]

Thank you for that info!! I will do that!

[Walt]

With respect to the spindle palm, 100% no doubt K (potassium) deficiency. As for the Sylvester, looks like combination of K and magnesium deficiency -- all typical for this species in central Florida. But all in all, the sylvestris looks healthy.

Forget fooling around with tree fertilization spikes. You need a good granular palm special fertilizer that you can broadcast 360 degrees (and outward) over the palm's root zone. Further, you need to procure a composite soil sample and take it to your local extension office and have the pH checked. You want to get your soil pH brought into the proper range for maximum mineral uptake.

The university of Florida recommends a palm fertilizer analysis of 8-2-12-4 (magnesium), preferably all in 100% slow release form. Good luck trying to procure such an analysis, Moreover, be prepared for your bank account to take a hit. But if you can find the 8-2-12-4 (or even if less magnesium) analysis in a more fast release form, that is okay, you just will have to fertilizer more often (but less per application) so that the minerals are always available for the palm's uptake.

Check out the below links for your palm fertilization education. This info is 100% applicable to growing in-ground palms in Florida.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep273

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep261

Use this website for all your horticultural needs (just query the search block for subject of plant you want information about): http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

[Jasong]

Will a granular palm fertilizer harm st augustine grass? And will scott's southern weed and feed harm palm trees? 

[Eric in Orlando]

Palm fertilizer will not harm the grass unless it is put down very heavily then it could burn it. Water it in real well after you apply it.

On the other hand, keep weed and feed away from palms. The herbicide can damage or even kill a palm, especially younger or smaller specimens.

[Jasong]

Good to know. Thanks Eric. I know this is a palm forum, but does anyone have a good recommendation for a st aug grass fertilizer for central fl?

Edited September 21, 2016 by Jasong