Wet cool winter's toll on some palms

[Tracy]

Southern California growers know that this has been an exceptionally wet and cool winter here.  I have seen a few nights drop to the mid 30's, with frost on the roof tops and a light coating on tops of vehicles and their windshields.  Not ever cold enough to see frost on any plants though.  I thought it would be interesting to have a thread to show what this winter's cooler than normal temps have yielded in damage.  If you have had similar damage please feel free to share.

My most dramatic examples were small Dypsis (unknown) and a clumping Dypsis psammophila, which yellowed and just ended up rotting from the cool damp conditions.  Fortunately in the case of the D psammophila, only one trunk failed.

[Tracy]

Far more typical damage was just leaf spotting, yellowing and some browning of emerging leaves.

Veitchia spiralis

Dypsis lanceolata

Dypsis pembana newest leaf

Dypsis saintelucei newest leaf

Dypsis plumosa newest leaf

Dypsis bef

Dypsis robusta newest leaf

Chambeyronia hookeri newest leaf

Dypsis crinita new leaf

 

[Palm Tree Jim]

Tracy,

I was just discussing this exact topic with a few others. For me, the heat wave from July (topped out at 107f) and then this cold wet winter has left some plants beat up.

This winter, I had frost on roofs and cars but never did see any on the plants. Visually, my garden has "yellowed" like never before and I wonder if over the next 30 days more damage will appear. After some conversation, adding some Sul Po Mag this week may be in order. For my location, we had more rain this past Saturday and perhaps more rain this week. The good news is that the temperatures are much warmer then in February, especially night time temps.

Later today, I will go out into my garden and take some pictures of some plants as you did and post. 

[Tracy]

Most things seemed to pull through without too many problems.  I am looking forward to soil temps warming a bit as we approach spring later this month.  I will definitely be applying some fertilizer with micros as well as some chelated iron.  At this point with high temps still only going into the mid-60's and overnight temps in the mid to low 50's it just seems to early to apply anything though.  Interestingly, most of the plants have continued to grow and push new leaves albeit at a winter's slower pace.  New Caledonia palms I'm growing seem to appreciate the additional water, and seem less offended by the absence of the higher daytime highs (Burretiokentias, Cyphophoenix, Cyphosperma and Kentiopsis).  Most of my Pritchardias have pushed through this without damage as well with the exception of a beccariana which has always been more prone to leaf spotting on everything but the newest couple of leaves. 

If you aren't looking closely though, the overall look is still pretty good (examples of the good performers below).  I'm curious if others have had a similar experience with this winter's damper cooler conditions?  Please share in photos and or examples.

[Ben in Norcal]

It's interesting - you guys have essentially had a Norcal winter this year.  I'm down there every other week, at least, and the temps have been the same.

We're always wetter though.

[Matt in OC]

Yes, super beat up but I haven't lost anything yet. Jim's right about the temperatures rising. This is really good news and means I'm going to broadcast a lot of PalmGain before the next rain storm on Wednesday to hopefully help out.

[Tracy]

19 minutes ago, Matt in OC said:

Jim's right about the temperatures rising. This is really good news and means I'm going to broadcast a lot of PalmGain before the next rain storm on Wednesday to hopefully help out.

 

49 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

It's interesting - you guys have essentially had a Norcal winter this year.  I'm down there every other week, at least, and the temps have been the same.

We're always wetter though.

Good call Matt, I'm waiting a day or two to see what the extended weather forecast is for next week.  I've got caught off guard before, fertilizing a little too early in March, which leaves me a little gun shy.  Hearing that you are planning on it gives me a little boost of optimism though.

Ben you are right about that.  Down south, we usually get a few warm spells thrown into our winters, but the warm ups were exceptionally brief and short lived this winter.  I know that northern California has also received some exceptional weather (cold and wet).  Russian River overflowing, snow on Twin Peaks in the City, Mammoth hitting record snowfall for the month of February have all been indicators of what you have endured.  So given the exceptional weather up there, have you seen anything that normally floats through your winters being a bit challenged?

[Ben in Norcal]

3 hours ago, Tracy said:

 Ben you are right about that.  Down south, we usually get a few warm spells thrown into our winters, but the warm ups were exceptionally brief and short lived this winter.  I know that northern California has also received some exceptional weather (cold and wet).  Russian River overflowing, snow on Twin Peaks in the City, Mammoth hitting record snowfall for the month of February have all been indicators of what you have endured.  So given the exceptional weather up there, have you seen anything that normally floats through your winters being a bit challenged?

The inverse, actually.  It's been cool, but completely frost and freeze free.  Even the bananas are still up.  It's been a good winter for us in NorCal.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Some pictures:

 

[Palm Tree Jim]

And more:

 

[Palm Tree Jim]

[Ben in Norcal]

52 minutes ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

 

How cold did it get for an Encephalartos to get damaged????

[Palm Tree Jim]

Ben,

The lowest temp I recorded was 37.

This Encephalartos is Laurentianus, which is very sensitive to cold. One might even say they are somewhat tropical....at least for Encephalartos.

This was a second flush within 9 months.

[Tracy]

52 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

1 hour ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

 

How cold did it get for an Encephalartos to get damaged????

Sometimes it isn't the bottom temp but when they flush.  Cool damp and windy and they can get pretty whacked.  Notice that the worst damage is on the leaflets up top, which were the last to harden off.  Looks like Encepalartos laurentianus to me, but Jim will correct me if I'm wrong.  They have a tendancy to flush at odd times in my experience.  This winter I'm getting lucky with my laurentianus; it is packed full of juice and ready to flush as soon as the weather warms.  Early winter flushes just go so slow that they are vulnerable for a long time with soft leaflets getting whipped with every wind storm.  In general Jim's examples look like I just walked into my back yard!

 

[Matt in OC]

Put out around 4 bags of PalmGain this morning in anticipation of tomorrow's rain. The Matty B method of fertilizing! Hopefully it helps with the yellowing.

[Palm Tree Jim]

3 hours ago, Matt in OC said:

Put out around 4 bags of PalmGain this morning in anticipation of tomorrow's rain. The Matty B method of fertilizing! Hopefully it helps with the yellowing.

Glad to hear.....went to do the same but I’m all out currently.

Keep is updated on the results.

[Tracy]

On 3/5/2019 at 11:07 AM, Matt in OC said:

Put out around 4 bags of PalmGain this morning in anticipation of tomorrow's rain. The Matty B method of fertilizing! Hopefully it helps with the yellowing.

I hope you are right on the timing, but I decided to wait a week.  Sounds like despite a warm morning today, the backside of the current front gets cooler as we progress into the weekend and early part of next week.  I hope my delay is unwarranted.  When the weekend comes I may reevaluate.  Either yesterday or this weekend, it appears there will be rain to allow the fertilizer to start soaking into the root zone.

[Matt in OC]

1 minute ago, Tracy said:

I hope you are right on the timing, but I decided to wait a week.  Sounds like despite a warm morning today, the backside of the current front gets cooler as we progress into the weekend and early part of next week.  I hope my delay is unwarranted.  When the weekend comes I may reevaluate.  Either yesterday or this weekend, it appears there will be rain to allow the fertilizer to start soaking into the root zone.

Yeah, I think that is a prudent call.

[Tracy]

On 3/4/2019 at 6:32 AM, Palm Tree Jim said:

this cold wet winter has left some plants beat up.

Another one that looks toast is a Dypsis scottiana.  It is just off a covered patio in a planter between the patio and the detatched garage, with further overhead protection from a dual trunked Dypsis pembana.  I grow several orchids in the area as you can see, as well as philodendron, yet the D scottiana was more susceptible to the cool conditions this winter.

[The Gerg]

Great topic.  This is something I have been thinking a lot about lately myself. I’ve been wondering if I should go ahead and throw the palm gain on now to hopefully help with the yellowing or if it’s still too cold and rainy in this unusual year we are having. My palms look to be holding up ok for the most part.  Some are just yellowing from too much water. What I am really concerned about is if I did a good enough job to provide adequate drainage. I did for my drip system and our normal rainy season.  Haha! We’ll see. Fingers are crossed I will not have plants croaking from soggy wet rotting roots.

I’m new on here btw.  I actually had a different account in the past but never really participated in conversations.  Just read them.

Edited March 7, 2019 by The Gerg

[Jim in Los Altos]

Pretty screwy in CA this winter. Except until a week ago, my lowest temperature here in the Bay Area was 40F. Last week it went down to 38F. Everything in the garden is still deep green and most continued growing through the winter. Only my 7 rear old Dictiosperma album has suffered, losing all but one leaf and spear. Cool and wet for months. Looks like a warmup is on the way next week. It's time. 

[Palm Tree Jim]

7 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Pretty screwy in CA this winter. Except until a week ago, my lowest temperature here in the Bay Area was 40F. Last week it went down to 38F. Everything in the garden is still deep green and most continued growing through the winter. Only my 7 rear old Dictiosperma album has suffered, losing all but one leaf and spear. Cool and wet for months. Looks like a warmup is on the way next week. It's time. 

Lets hope for the warming trend!

 

[tejas1978]

My Bentinkia got hit pretty hard but everything else seems to be okay, a little beat up but nothing to worry about. My little black stem dypsis, mad fox, dypsis lanceolata and candy cane palm breezed through. I have 2 small dypsis leptocheilos that got hit pretty hard too, 1 had 2 out of 5 fronds completely fried but it gets less sun than the other.  

[Tracy]

On 3/7/2019 at 12:00 AM, Jim in Los Altos said:

Only my 7 rear old Dictiosperma album has suffered, losing all but one leaf and spear.

Hope it pulls through Jim!  At least days are getting longer now, which bodes well for some warming.

17 hours ago, tejas1978 said:

dypsis lanceolata and candy cane palm breezed through.

Impressive, is the candy cane palm in the ground or in a pot?  Please post a photo when you get a chance.  I had 3 of these growing for a couple of years (Dypsis paludosa).  I struggled to find the right place in the garden to grow.  Either I gave them too much sun and they got fried in the summer or no sun and they succumbed to a damp cool conditions in winter.   Regarding the Dypsis lanceolata, I have two distinct varieties with one much more sensitive than the other (sensitive one pictured in my damaged section above).  The other D lanceolata had some damage, but minor when compared to the sensitive one (vigorous one pictured here).

[tejas1978]

@Tracy My candy cane is in the ground and is under my front porch/entrance area. It gets pretty good sun protection in the summer but does get some sunlight in the mornings.  you can see the small Dypsis lanceolata next to it as well, zero damage on it.