Phoenix pests

[Glawyer]

I have several canary date palms (phoenix canariensis) which are showing problems with pests.  The first one forms hard bumps on the leaf. I sprayed it pretty intensely with neam oil, but I don't know if it is dead (and just the skeleton remains) or if the pest is still active. What scares me is that I saw the same type of pest start to appear on a different phoenix about 100 meters distant. All told, I have 5 on the property, and I want to kill this pest before it spreads further... and especially before it gets into the big one, I have no idea how I'd spray anything into that beauty.

 

One of my other small phoenixes has these little black lines on its leaf. I'm sure it is another type of nasty bug, and would love some tips on how to get rid of it.

 

Organic methods are strongly preferred. Man-made poisons just linger too long in the environment and have spillover effects.

 

[Fusca]

Hi @Glawyer welcome to PalmTalk.

It's not a bug but a fungus called Graphiola Leaf Spot.  The little white "appendages" will eventually have a black tail when they have spores to spread.  I've read that you can treat it with Banrot, but I have no experience with that treatment.  I've tried spraying it with fungicides but it didn't work.  The graphiola will cause the leaf to die a bit prematurely, but it is mostly a cosmetic issue.  I'm guessing that you are in Florida or somewhere in the southeast or Gulf Coast where it is humid.  It tends to affect the older leaves closest to the ground and it likes most but not all Phoenix palms.  I have some on my dactylifera, theophrasti and canariensis.  I hate it but it's not really noticeable unless you are right up close to it.  The black marks in your second photo might be something different but might also be after-effects of the graphiola.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Fusca

[Reyes Vargas]

I used to have that (Graphiola Leaf Spot) on my Phoenix dactylifera but after this arctic blast that we had in Texas, it's no more.  I have no doubt that it's going to come back pretty soon but the palm does look a lot nicer without it.

[Corvian]

Pest control is a very complex process that requires a lot of effort. If you find the pests too late, you will most likely not be able to get rid of them on your own, and you will need to contact a pest control company. There are now many companies that can help you solve the problem of pests and, most importantly, not harm your plants. I have a garden with beautiful flowers in my country house. I can not come every week, so my neighbor often waters my flowers. I only come to spread fertilizer.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Corvian