Sick Foxtail Palm - Pictures Included

[JaFL]

EDIT:  I'm not sure if the pictures names show up in the post, but the third picture, which has the bird feeders underneath, is the good palm, palm B, I refer to below.  The others are of palm 'A', the bad one.

 

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction regarding some Foxtail palms I have.   I have two mature Foxtail palms that were planted about 15 years ago.  One of them (Palm 'A' pictures attached), for whatever reason, has always struggled despite being only about 20 feet from the other one.  The other one always looks great (Palm 'B' picture attached).    I live in Zone 9B in Florida, about 5 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.   This is what I've been treating them with:

1) Lesco 8-2-12 Fertilizer. (See attached Image), about 4 pounds per tree, broadcast under the full canopy, watered in well.  Every 3 months.

2) Per the advice of a local nursery, I was told every 30 days to mix up a solution of 1 cup manganese sulfate, 4 teaspoons of liquid copper in 1 gallon of water, and pour down the heart of the palm.  Initially, when the trees were shorter, this was easier to do.  The last few years though it has become more dangerous and I haven't been as diligent about it.  I'm hoping someone here will have an alternative suggestion to this as it has become too dangerous to climb up and apply this.

3) We don't have an irrigation system, but we do water the palms occasionally during the dry months.  However, that doesn't explain why only one palm looks so poor during what has been a very rainy summer. 

The suggestion of applying Epsom salts to the ground has been made to me.  However, the Lesco 8-2-12 already Mangnesium sulfate, so I would think the Epsom salts would be overkill in that regard.

The bad palm (palm 'A') has a large Live Oak just to the east of it, so it probably doesn't get as much sun in the morning as the other one.  Oddly enough though, the top 2-3 feet of the top of the palm has started to lean 'towards' the Live Oak.  You can probably see it leaning in one of the pictures below.

I'm pretty confused as to what to do.  If it' inconsistency with the liquid solution that's causing the problem, then maybe someone here can suggest an alternative.  I just don't get why that hasn't effected the other palm.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2016 by JaFL

[Walt]

I think you are using the best palm fertilizer you can get (8-2-12 in 100% slow release form). I know what you have is what Dr. Timothy Broschat of the University of Florida recommends.

I would advise you send photos of your foxtail palm to both Dr. Timothy Broschat and Dr. Monica Elliott, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, along with any cultural information you can give them. Hopefully, they won't be too busy to respond to you in a timely manner. I know at times they can't get back to me for weeks. They are swamped with inquiries and other matters.

I've sent them photos of sick palms numerous times to get their advice. Depending if your foxtail has a particular mineral deficiency, you may have to add extra amounts of it over and above what your Lesco 8-2-12 has. Contact information (email, street address, etc.) for Dr. Broschat and Dr. Elliott are in the second and third links below.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep344#FOOTNOTE_2

http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/faculty/timothybroschat/

http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/faculty/monicaelliott/

[JaFL]

Thanks Walt!  I'll email them and post back on here what I find out.  I appreciate your help!

[Walt]

5 hours ago, JaFL said:

Thanks Walt!  I'll email them and post back on here what I find out.  I appreciate your help!

Great. I also would like to know what the problem is with your foxtail. I have several mature ones growing myself.

[PalmTreeDude]

It will be interesting to hear what is wrong with the palm.