Pygmy Date Palm in Pot

[Alix]

I have a Pygmy Date palm in a pot and it looks to me like it isn't doing well.  Fronds bend and droop down- with brown tips

It gets watered once every 8 days for 6 minutes. 

I live in northern california- the pots do have drainage holes. I have fertilized them twice in the 3 months I have owned them. 

More water? Less water? more fertilizer?  any advice is appreciated.

[JLM]

More water! The one with the brown fronds is likely dead. Pull lightly on the spears to see if it comes out, if it does, go ahead and cut that trunk back to soil level. The rest of the palms there can be saved with more water. I would water every 2-4 days with the same amount of time. If it continues to look sick, fertilize it.

[Las Palmas Norte]

I water mine 6 out 7 days when the days are warm to hot. They're in a 5 gallon pot with well drained soil. They seem happy and are flowering as a result of good conditions. 

 

[PalmatierMeg]

Pygmy dates hail from tropical SE Asia, not the Sahara. They need regular water. Some of yours (this is a solitary palm and does not play well with others in pots) look already dead and the others close behind. They are cheap so consider replacing them. Keep the clustering to no more than 3 palms per pot.

 

[Palmlover_78]

On 8/22/2022 at 5:13 PM, Las Palmas Norte said:

I water mine 6 out 7 days when the days are warm to hot. They're in a 5 gallon pot with well drained soil. They seem happy and are flowering as a result of good conditions. 

 

My potted Bella Palms have started to produce seeds

[Las Palmas Norte]

7 hours ago, Palmlover_78 said:

My potted Bella Palms have started to produce seeds

I've never heard of "Bella Palm".  Do you know it's botanical name?

[Palmlover_78]

21 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

I've never heard of "Bella Palm".  Do you know it's botanical name?

Chamaedorea elegans

[Las Palmas Norte]

17 hours ago, Palmlover_78 said:

Chamaedorea elegans

OK. Never knew it's common name.

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

A little late to this one, but everyone is right. Phoenix Roebelenii are water hogs.   Lots of water. High humidity.   
 

Another thing that can work against you, especially with them in containers are the multiple plants jammed together.   These palms are solitary palms and do not sucker.   The nursery trade seems to like to cram as many as they can into a pot because they think it will sell better.    I have often seen one ore more of the “trunks” (actual individual pants) die from getting out competed for water / nutrients.   This happens at times to a number of solitary palms that are forced to grow extremely close together like that.     I only get  them as singles or maybe a double.   

i have been growing these in containers  successfully for many years now and not only do they  do better as single palms, but to me look more stately like mini coconuts. They  also seem to grow faster by themselves.   

i currently have 2.   The one in the larger pot on the left I’ve had since January of 2018   It had 6” of trunk then and now it’s taller than I am.   Water water water    Lots of it especially it is in full sun all day.   They literally ate water hogs   Almost as much as Chamaedorea Cataractum in my experience    

 

[Alix]

Thank you and I agree.  We tried to remove the excess trunks - it is hard - especially since they are in containers. 

Can we just cut them off at the top of the soil? or do we need to remove them deep from the root?

 

[SeanK]

or, just put in bigger pots wit more soil. Flood the plants 3x per week. In winter, take them outside once a week and flood the soil with warm water.

[Alix]

Sean, they are already outside and in large containers- so large- I can't move them. I feed them once a month and water a lot 3 times a week but it is getting colder here in the bay area -low 50s at night and 70s during the day. 

I just need to know how I should cut out the extra trunks without harming the main plant??? is there a trick to this?

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

3 hours ago, Alix said:

Sean, they are already outside and in large containers- so large- I can't move them. I feed them once a month and water a lot 3 times a week but it is getting colder here in the bay area -low 50s at night and 70s during the day. 

I just need to know how I should cut out the extra trunks without harming the main plant??? is there a trick to this?

I would leave the two biggest / healthiest.   Try to cut the ones you want to remove down as low as possible.   Since they are individual plants the cut ones will not harm the others at all.   When I hade done this in the past it’s the smallest and / or dead ones that go.  No need to remove roots or anything.  They eventually decay and become part of the soil.  
 

just keep up with watering &  they should be just fine.   I’d also protect them if temps get below 40F.  

[Alix]

Sean -thank you!