Help reviving indoor Licuala grandis

[PsyPalm]

Hey all, I have a recently acquired l. grandis that's not doing well and I was hoping for any tips to keep her from dying.  I received it in the mail from FL four days ago (I'm in Seattle) and has been declining since arrival.  The first picture is the first day it arrived and unboxed (I just put it in the sun to take the picture, it doesn't get sun on the leaves regularly).  The second two are from this morning.  Fronds that were green are now brown and very crispy and the fronds seem to have all closed back up, gotten skinnier.  It's next to a west facing window that gets lots of bright light but the sun never hits the palm directly.  My home is kept at 65% humidity via humidifier and is around 70-80 degrees during the day, 65-70 at night.  Ive made sure to keep the soil moist during this time but haven't done any deep watering, it was already very wet when it arrived in the mail.  As per the sellers instructions, it's still in it's original landscaping pot I didn't want to repot when it arrived to reduce stress.  Any help is greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance:)

[maxum2610]

Your soil is wrong. Take a look at the  Pal Meir soil mix: seramis, leca, tree bark chips. I've had L. Grandis come back from this condition, but you need to act fast. If you can't get seramis quickly, just use leca (expanded clay) and tree bark (which you you can buy at your local reptile/pet shop). 

[PsyPalm]

I was afraid it was wrong, seemed much different than any soil mix I've seen on here for l. grandis.  I've been reading up on the best mix to use and was gonna re pot in something similar to what you recommended, I was just waiting for it to acclimate to my spot before I did.  But I'll do it sooner rather than later!  Thanks for the reply

[maxum2610]

Also, use a much smaller pot. The one in the picture is 7 x 7 x 18 cm. Taller pots are generally better for drainage. Only when the roots come through the bottom should you repot, not before. The pot you are using is way too big, which means way too much water sitting arround the roots, which means root rot, which is what your plant has. But it's a fairly large plant so there is a chance.

 

[Pal Meir]

Here my L grandis, at first with wrong soil mix:

 

And here after repotting, using my Lytocaryum weddellianum mixture:

[PsyPalm]

Thanks for the tips on the pot size!  I'm going to repot today in a proper mix, I did have another question.  Should I trim off the fronds that are the worst off?  Sadly at this point it looks like most of them are pretty brown.  I know usually for palms this means the frond is at the point of no return, so should I just trim them mostly away and wait for new growth?  

Also, should I be looking to prune away any roots that are affected by root rot when I repot?  Not sure of the sensitivity of the roots of l. grandis so I don't want to shock the plant any more than I have to by overhandling the roots.  I know she's not looking good but I appreciate the help regardless, thanks guys!

[Steve Mac]

Crikey,  what an ugly cat,  I love it.

[PsyPalm]

15 hours ago, Pal Meir said:

Here my L grandis, at first with wrong soil mix:

 

And here after repotting, using my Lytocaryum weddellianum mixture:

Pal Mier seeing these pics of your l. grandis from other threads are what inspired me to get mine.  Very nice:)

[greysrigging]

Can I suggest you not plant it out under your back stairs ? 





 

[Steve Mac]

Crikey,  what an ugly cat,  I love it. 

No seriously , as stated, the growing medium, is as important as light. Follow Pal's advice. Your soil/ growing medium seems too heavy, too much organics. 

When pushing the boundaries, i.e. when trying to grow tropical plants (a lot of palms) in a lot of Europe and American States, a lot of work and sometimes a lot money is involved. From Australia I cannot help you, in not knowing your specific area. If a local chimes in you may be saved. 

And Mate, if I may be so candid, please can you sign off with a First name so that people can respond to you as a person that you are, with at least a feeling of it being a bit personal. This is not a requirement, I am not a Mod.  I am but a lone voice calling from a distant wilderness who likes to speak to a person not a username.

 

 

[PsyPalm]

Hey Steve, thanks for the advice! 

I'm new here so any and all is appreciated:) Unfortunately this l. grandis isn't going to make it but the seller is going to send me another via faster shipping (it was only in my possession for 6 days so they're taking responsibility and sending it for free!) but I've acquired all the proper growing mediums so hopefully I can get it potted into the proper mix and get a different result this time around, I'll keep you guys posted!

Loch

[PalmatierMeg]

@PsyPalm, it looks like you placed your newly acquired grandis and its pot into a ceramic container. Does that ceramic container have lots of drain holes? If not, use it for something else. Your Licuala should never sit in a tray of water or you risk root rot that destroyed your first. Water it only when the top 1" of potting mix is dry, then let excess water drain away. Your potting mix must drain very well and should be moist, never mucky or soggy or roots will suffocate. More palms die of overwatering than underwatering so resist the urge to grab the watering can unless absolutely necessary. Also, hold off on the fertilizer for a couple months while the palm settles in. Let it have good light (no sun), warmth and high humidity. 

[PsyPalm]

Hey Meg, I just set the landscape pot it was shipped in inside that bigger one to keep it off the floor, there was never any watering done in that container or standing water.  Unfortunately this palm looks to be beyond recovery, but since I just received it in the mail six days ago the seller is sending me a new one with expedited shipping this time.  (Fedex held this last one over a weekend due to covid shipping shortages so I think it was just shocked to death from being in the mail for 9 days :/). As soon as I get the next one I'll be sure to post its progress on here!  Thanks for the reply:)

Loch

[maxum2610]

Don't give up on it so fast. I've had quite a few of these come back. Just be patient. Repot (gently) in the mix I told you and wait. Sometimes they do come back

 

[sashaeffer]

Did your palm come in that pot and soil?

[PsyPalm]

Hey sashaeffer, yeah this is the pot and soil the palm was shipped in, and it died promptly after I received it.  The seller is in the process of sending me a replacement, I've got the proper pot and and soil ready this time so hopefully we'll have a better outcome!

[Lizard]

Having a similar issue with 2 young grandis and an elegans that were shipped over last week. All the fronds have tightly closed up and are drying out. Repotted with as close as I could get to the PM mix with what I had on hand and out in the humid shade they went. I haven’t seen too many people commenting on if they bounce back from that point, drop leaves and start over or just die so def send updates if you have them

liz

[PalmatierMeg]

42 minutes ago, Lizard said:

Having a similar issue with 2 young grandis and an elegans that were shipped over last week. All the fronds have tightly closed up and are drying out. Repotted with as close as I could get to the PM mix with what I had on hand and out in the humid shade they went. I haven’t seen too many people commenting on if they bounce back from that point, drop leaves and start over or just die so def send updates if you have them

liz

Photos? We need to see what is going on.

[Clairebell83]

Hi, I’m in the uk, I was given this plant as a birthday gift in September. The leaves are browning and splitting. I keep the soil moist without letting it dry out. Could it be humidity levels? I  mist it a few times a week and have asked for a humidifier for Xmas to see if this helps. I will take a picture. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou. Claire 

[Steve Mac]

Hi Claire, Welcome to the forum, and Happy Birthday, when we see the picture it would help. But generally speaking that problem is usually associated with bad drainage, an insufficiently light aerated potting mix. it could be a few things, humidity, wind, pests even sunburn. 

I wonder if Loch's second one was ok.

[Clairebell83]

Thankyou so much, my Birthday was actually in September and my palm initially looked great. Perhaps not the best idea for Scotland haha...This is her now  it’s the 2 lower leafs that are worse affected.  The lower leaf that’s really dried out could have been too much direct sunlight through the window? 
 

 

Edited November 15, 2020 by Clairebell83

[Clairebell83]

Just wanted to add that I haven’t repotted it, it’s still in its nursery point, I just put a skim of soil over the top to cover the rim of the nursery point so it looks like it’s planted straight into the decorative pot 

 

thanka again, Claire 

Edited November 15, 2020 by Clairebell83

[Steve Mac]

I would not worry about those old leaves, it does look sun burned, and don't cut them off until they are all dead and the plant has withdrawn all of the nutrients to reuse for newer leaves.

When you feel the need to repot it, read a few threads here on potting mixes first. But over all the plant looks good.

[JANAIY]

yes, they don't like sunshine and love shade with good daylight, can be in darker spots in the house as well for a little time. The leaves are delicate even you might not think so when you touch them. Once those leaves are all dried out just cut it off a few inches away from the stem. Once it is dried off you can take it off too. I mist mine (they live outside all year) when its hot outside but not when they are indoors (they come inside when it gets under 50F). Make sure you check the pot you don't want them to sit in water. Its always better to see water running out so you can measure yourself how much water to apply. I would sit the nursery pot on some stones inside the saucer and have some water in there, that way they produce humidity as well , of course depending where you live and if you have 4 seasons. Heat in the winter will dry them out quickly than the idea with stones works well.

Don't overwater them, if you are not sure just buy a watering meter for 10 bucks, that helps. A humidifier is always good inside for you and the Licuala. They are amazingly beautiful wherever you put them.. You should give some fertilizer twice a year, I use Palm Gain (Amazon) . Its good stuff and all she needs. If you can collect rain water, they love it and grow nicer and faster. Once in a while turn the pot that way they grow evenly and all get some daylight. Avoid any sun.

I have several species of Licualas, the Grandis I have 2 big ones and 1 small, one is dark green and the others are bright green, no clue why, maybe different origins or depends on the soil they came in or could be some deficiency. Good Luck!

 

 

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[maxum2610]

Hi Claire, 

I'm also in a colder climate and have a lot of licuala grandis grown from seed. The thing you need to know to keep tropical palms alive up north is that, the further north you are the better draining your soil need to avoid root rot. Judging from the look of your licuala leaves, I'm wondering if the soil it's in is draining enough? Look up Pal Meir's soil mix and his post on licuala grandis. Mine are in the same mix but with more laca (clay balls) for extra drainage. Of course you need to water more frequently with this mix than with other soil mixes, but you have very little chance of fungus infections. That's the main cause of problems with palms up north in the winter. And don't worry about humidity. Mine are at 20% inside in the winter without any problems. 

[Clairebell83]

Hi all. Thankyou so much for your very helpful replies.  I do have a moisture meter and it does seem to be the case that the potting mix is retaining a lot of moisture. Thanks for the recommendation regarding soil mix. I’ll be honest and say that I’m a complete novice so would appreciate any tips on repotting and the mix. Am I correct that it should be 3/5 pine bark and 2/5 seramis? Maxum2610 do you replace the seramis with lacca or just add some to the mix.  So no general indoor potting mix involved at all? Thanks so much again. Claire 

[maxum2610]

Hi Claire,

 

See the post from 24 August 2016 at this link:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/48442-your-soil-mix-tell-us/&page=3

So that's Seramis 2/5, pine bark 2/5 and leca 1/5. I generally follow the formula and then chuck a handfull more Clay balls. So you get a mix of 1/3 of each component I guess. Seramis is best because it contains trace elements of some minerals. If you can't get it, I've read somewhere that Turface is a decent substitute, else a very coarse pumice will do. The kind you'll find at you local bonzai store ;). For the pine bark I use Reptibark, from a pet store, because they're the right size and also because they have been disinfected. Those are redwood shavings, great stuff, no problems with molds and such. Your standard indoor plant mixes tend to get boggy rather quickly, and in colder climates this promotes fungus growth, and is generally difficult to water correctly. You'll notice with the mix described above, you can basically water every day (or every other day) and not have any issues. Palms prefer to be kept on the dry side (but not completely dry), which is especially important in colder climates. Also If you are repotting, you should use a tall pot, the kind used for roses or special palm pots, which ensures water is always drawn away from the root ball.

Here's a pic of one of my L. Grandis (the rest are in the greenhouse).

 

 

[Clairebell83]

Ahh Thankyou, that was not the thread I had been looking at, very helpful again, thanks so much. Does my basket look ok? 

 

[maxum2610]

yeps. Excellent.

[Clairebell83]

That’s it repotted, I really hope the poor roots recover from the transplant  how often would you recommend watering in this mix please? Also would you just leave the brown leaves for now? Think I’ll also move away from the window, may try it in the bathroom?! 

Thanks again. Claire 

[maxum2610]

Pictures please.... I generally water once a week depending. Lift the pot. If it feels very light, you can water. Resist the temptation to overwater. This mix will retain a remarkable amount of moisture. As you can see from the picture I posted, my L. Grandis that's inside (the others are in the greenhouse) is on the window sill in full sunlight in the mornings. Humidity is not an issue with these. I've had these at 20% without any adverse effects. Wouldn't trim off the brown leaves just yet. Let it recover first. I would however give it a boost with some (not too much) nutrients for Orchids. These contain pretty much the same trace elements that most palms need, but are substantially less agressive than palm nutrient mixes. I hope your L. Grandis pulls through. Good luck Claire

[Clairebell83]

Thanks again, I really appreciate all your help. The roots actually looked fine, not soft or mushy at all...creamy and healthy looking..although some of the soil around the roots felt quite thick and clay like...there was quite a bit of breakage whilst repotting as the roots were quite fragile and I was trying to remove the clay like soil.. so really hoping I haven’t done any damage. I’ve moved it from the South window to a west window for now to make rooms for the Christmas tree. I will report back on progress. Please let me know if there are any recommendations for Orchid feed and I will be sure to pick this up. Thankyou. Claire 

[Clairebell83]

I have purchased orchid myst....fingers crossed....
 

[JANAIY]

bathroom is good for humidity , I would do that once in a week and let the hot shower run in the tub. 
I keep mine in a dark corner where she still gets daylight from a nearby window when temperatures drop. 
keep us updated! Good luck! 

[Clairebell83]

Sorry if this is a silly question but when the leaves have all dried out.... where should I cut them? Close to the soil? Thanks 

[JANAIY]

You should leave a hand long (if still green) to help built a thicker trunk. Later you can cut it off when it’s fully dried out

[maxum2610]

Claire, could you please post a pic of the palm as it currently is? thx

[Clairebell83]

Sure, the plant is in a black plastic nursery pot with drainage holes, it is only sat inside the decorative pot (which also has drainage holes) a layer of lecca has only been placed on top for decorative purposes and to hide the ridge of the nursery pot. 
 

[Clairebell83]

1 hour ago, JANAIY said:

You should leave a hand long (if still green) to help built a thicker trunk. Later you can cut it off when it’s fully dried out

Thankyou 

[maxum2610]

Thank you for the picture. That is one big Licuala. I was going to suggest that you water it in the kitchen sink so you could thoroughly rinse it each time, but judging by the size of the thing, I don't think that's an option

Except for the two bottom leaves, the rest still look ok I think?