Life after spear pull?

[PsyPalm]

Hey all

Looking for some advice on whether or not I can save this howea forsteriana.  It's most recent spear was emerging as usual over the the winter/spring then about a 6 weeks ago it very quickly dried out and died.  (The other kentia it's sharing a pot with is still growing normally so I'm not sure what happened :/ ) Last week I gave the desiccated spear a tug and it popped right out.  I know this is pretty much a death sentence but strangely the single remaining frond is still very healthy looking and feeling.  The petiole on the remaining frond is firm, dark green, and none of the pinnae are showing any signs of decline usually associated with a dying frond.  

I'm curious if anyone has had a kentia that's had a spear pull and lived, and is there anything specific I can do to help it survive?  Thanks in advance!

First photo is of the hole I pulled the spear / base of remaining petiole,  second is the top of the last remaining frond.

 

[PalmsandLiszt]

I'd put some dilute H2O2 in the hole and hope for the best. It looks big enough that it might well have another spear on tow; try shining a torch down there. I don't know about kentias in particular, but spear-pulls can certainly be survivable. It depends on what's caused them. If the meristem at that growing point is still alive, then no reason why it can't have another go; just protect it from infection.

I think the idea that spear-pulls are death sentences comes from the fact that they're usually a symptom of other things that are the real death sentences such as root rot or cold damage, etc. Having said that, I can't think what might have caused it in this case; maybe the other plant has a much better root system and is hogging the water, somehow?

[JohnAndSancho]

Mannnnnnnnn 

 

One of my last 2 Kentia hasn't spear pulled but the newest frond is anything but firm. Following cuz I'm tired of chucking high dollar plants in the dumpster. 

[Butch]

Not a potted palm, but the peroxide trick worked for me...

Butch

[JeskiM]

Well, I can't speak for your species of palm, but I can show you an experience that I had with one of my palms this winter/spring.

I have a Brahea Armata seedling that spear pulled this past winter. I was going through my winter fatalities early in the spring and when I got to this guy I pulled it out of the pot, and the roots, etc looked excellent, so I decided to go ahead and repot it into something bigger with new/fresh soil and give it a few months and see what happens.  Well it survived and pushed out of the side of it's small stem.

I've never seen a palm do that before, but my exposure to palms compared to others on this forum is quite small.

So I would say that maybe I wouldn't give up on it just yet.

-Matt

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by JeskiM

[PsyPalm]

@Butch thanks for sharing this thread, definitely gives me hope! Sounds like some diluted H2O2 is the move, I’ll keep the thread posted on how he fares over the coming months. Thanks for the advice ya’ll! 

[BeyondTheGarden]

I'm no expert, but I know that hydrogen peroxide turns into water after a short time....  It's essentially the same as spraying water on your palm, which is what you're trying to avoid...

[PsyPalm]

@Jesse PNW I had some concerns about this as well. I let the h2o2 soak the socket for an hour or so to disinfect then used kleenex and qtips to soak up all the excess and dry the crown out. Well see how it goes..

[BeyondTheGarden]

That's a nice potted Howea BTW, looking forward to mine getting that big.  Prior to moving my palms outside for the summer, I had mine right next to a Phoenix roebelinii.  The big wide fat leaflets of the Howea are quite a contrast to the tiny, delicately narrow leaflets of the roebelinii.  

[PsyPalm]

@Jesse PNW thanks brother.  Howeas are the palm that started my obsession lol, their leaf shape/profile is unmatched.  I really want to add a p. roebelinii to my collection, the pinnae have such a beautiful fine texture.  My most recent obsession is l. weddellianum (thanks to @Pal Meir & co over in the lyto thread) the fronds also have that gorgeous delicate feel similar to p. roebelinii.  

Great to know another palm enthusiast in the PNW, cheers man

[PsyPalm]

Welp, the single frond specimen died.  Now I'm down to just one palm in the pot but the last remaining specimen is pushing a new spear and seems to be healthy.  It also looks great potted as a solitary palm