Windmill Palm Problem

[Wxnerd]

Hi everyone!

Interesting forum. I found this group while researching an issue with my windmill palm and hope someone can provide some insight.

I've had an outdoor, potted windmill palm for nearly 10 years. It's always done well with no maintenance. Bottom layers of leaves die and fall off while new green leaves open up at the top...Suddenly this past week, the tree has taken a turn for the worse. All of the leaves, including the newer top leaves, have turned brown. The stems of these leaves coming out of the base are a yellow-green shade, turning to brown as they fan out. See pictures below (sorry, not the best quality)...

There's been no unusual temperatures, so it's not temperature damage. Rain has been average with a good downpour once or twice per week, which has been enough to sustain the plant in the past. Hard to imagine this being simply needing extra water, since it's done so well over the years with this general amount....Though I guess anything is possible?

Any advice on what may be going on or what steps I should do to try saving the tree?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

 

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

It's pretty tiny for a ten plus year old windmill palm. Is it possible that the soil dried out? Rain is often not enough to to thoroughly wet the soil. It also looks like a palm whose root ball froze and warm spring temperatures have taken their toll on a palm with compromised roots. Is it possible that the soil froze during the winter? As long as there's green, it has a chance of revival. Repotting in a slightly larger pot with quality potting mix may be the ticket to a healthy return but don't purposely disturb the roots if you decide to repot.

[PalmatierMeg]

Has that poor, stunted thing sat in that same pot and same skimpy soil mix for 10 years? Do you ever fertilize it? If so and if not, maybe it has hit the proverbial end of its rope and can no longer struggle to live. Also, I've read you guys up there have had a particularly harsh winter and suspect that plays into its decline.

[kinzyjr]

Has the spear pulled?  If not, try to give it a gentle tug.  If it doesn't come out, then it might be salvageable with copper fungicide.  My bet is on "end of the rope" as @PalmatierMeg alluded to in her post.

[Steve Mac]

Hi, welcome to the forum

I'm going with the crowd, without wanting to sound rude or critical, it looks like the palm may not have enjoyed the best of conditions for many years. This is not always obvious unless compared to one that has. It may look fine while slowly suffering, especially a tough palm like a Windmill. My guess is that the pot will be full of roots with minimal soil left.

Roots in a pot are subject to greater variations in temps than ones in the ground where they are better protected. It is probably too late but if you wished to try to save it you should repot it immediately in fresh potting mix. Raise it in the pot so that there is potting mix between the roots and the pot. Or a slightly bigger pot. And make sure that the drain holes are not blocked.

Some tough slow palms like windmills in pots can apparently survive well with many years of low maintenance but ultimately and unfortunately that is exactly what happens.

Good luck with that one. Cheers

[Wxnerd]

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome and the responses! No worries about sounding critical! I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about palms (or gardening in general) so I need all the critiques I can get before I officially kill this tree.

A few notes to add:

First, several have recommended a larger pot. Any advice on what size pot would be ideal? The current pot may be larger than it appears in the pictures. If I'm not mistaken, this is a 15 gallon (~ 57 liter) pot....It measures 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and is 17 inches (43 cm) tall. I'm actually not sure if I've seen a larger pot at our local stores. Do you still recommend trying to find a larger pot? Would it hurt to plant it directly in the ground or would a pot be better for the time being considering it's poor health?

According to the company I purchased the tree from, they rated it as cold hardy to 11 F (-12 C) and "could potentially survive short periods down to 0 F (-18 C)"....This past January, we briefly reached 11F (-12 C), but only for a short while...In years past, I've gotten as cold as 8F (-13 C) with no issues, so it seems odd that the cold would have gotten to it this year. Also, we have been very warm since February with many days reaching as high as 85 F (+29 C) and it remained perfectly green in those warmer spells (until suddenly this past week). Again, I'm far from an expert on this, but just seems that if a freeze had compromised the roots, I would have seen signs of damage at least by the time it first warmed up in February?

The soil is slightly damp (not dry, but not overly saturated) and the pot is draining well.

I have not fertilized in a long time, though I have added extra potting mix from time to time. Really not sure what the best type of fertilizer would be and wonder if it would even be a good idea to try fertilizing right now with the plant being in such a compromised state?

Have not tried pulling the spear as I'm not exactly sure where the spear would even be. If I'm understanding my research correctly, it's the newest, top most leaf that is sprouting?

Thanks again for all the help with this and apologies for all the questions and my lack of knowledge on the subject.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

That looks like cold damage to me.  Windmills are hardy to 10F only when they are very healthy and are a little bigger than yours or in the ground.  Plants in pots are always less hardy as a certain amount of roots (usually toward the edge of the pot) will die when the pot freezes which further stresses the plants.  The answer is that a combination of factors killed your plant but the cold was the final dagger.   Windmills fronds will stay green for a while after they are dead.

[kinzyjr]

@Wxnerd Yes, the spear is the newest frond.  If it pulls, that's bad since solitary palms (palms with one trunk) only have a single growing point.  If it does pull, you can try the copper fungicide, which is available for ~$10 at most garden centers, but at this point, chances are good that this palm is headed to the compost pile.

Oh, and no need to apologize.  I have assumptions and misconceptions cleared up on a daily basis on this site.  We're all here to learn and share.  Welcome to the site!

[Las Palmas Norte]

All of the above & as well, potted, they'd be subjected to freezing at the root zone. Planted in ground, these aren't subjected to this issue. It is extremely small for a 10 year old palm and should exhibit much more vigor than it does.

Cheers, Barrie.

 

[Steve Mac]

Hold the plant upside down tap off the pot and see what you have first. This won't hurt it.

Then you will see how much more space the roots need. Lifting it to the top of that pot is possibly enough.

I think that as long as you can get some more potting mix under it and down the sides it will be ok for another year,

after which if it recovers it may be ready for the ground with some protection in winter for a few years.

But I don't know your area a local could probably give better/more specific advice.

It is normal for potting mix to collapse like that after a few years, replace from underneath, you need to lift the plant, don't top up much. 

Plants in pots do need more maintenance and attention than plants in the ground.

I hate them, I try to get everything into the ground as quickly as possible because I am busy and a lazy gardener.

Cheers Steve.