Help! Yellow / Damaged Spear on Filibusta Hybrids & Med Fan Palm

[windmillcity]

I need help troubleshooting some issues with my filibusta hybrids and mediterranean fan palm. 

Live in the Coachella valley, all were transplanted in April of this year and have been thriving, but this AM I noticed the new growth on a couple of filibustas is coming yellow and straw colored. I also noticed that the new growth on my on the tallest stalk of my mediterranean fan palm is drying out. 

They've all been getting watered 2x daily at 6 AM / PM for about 5 minutes each time. I also give them super moon juice from moon valley nurseries 1x per month.  

First image is of a filibusta frond that hasn't opened, 2nd is of the spear, 3rd is a wide shot of the entire crown. 

Fourth and fifth images are of the mediterranean fan palm. 

Thanks in advance for the assistance--this is really stressing me out 😳 

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, windmillcity said:

Fourth and fifth images are of the mediterranean fan palm. 

Thanks in advance for the assistance--this is really stressing me out 😳

The issue with the Chamaerops humilis appears to be internal fungus.  I had the same issue with one I transplanted about the same time - mine was var 'argentea' (blue form).  Was this a new palm install (planted from container) or dug out and moved (transplant)?  Tug lightly on the spear and see if it comes out.  If so pour some hydrogen peroxide in the hole and you'll likely hear/see it fizz.  Then apply some copper fungicide.  They are particularly sensative to overhead watering in the crown so avoid that.

I believe that both might benefit from a different watering schedule.  The palms should be acclimated to the transplant (or new planting) after almost 6 months.  Fewer deep watering is better than frequent light watering - especially with these species.  I'm not familiar with the moon juice so not sure if that is contributing to the problem with the Washie.

[aztropic]

WAAY to little water!!! What are your emitters rated at? 1 or 2 gallons per hour? 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there is probably about a quart of water per day and not gonna cut it. 5 GALLONS per plant,how ever long it takes your system to apply that amount,is what is required per plant twice a week. With a 2 gph emitter,your system should be running over 2 HOURS.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[windmillcity]

13 hours ago, aztropic said:

WAAY to little water!!! What are your emitters rated at? 1 or 2 gallons per hour? 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there is probably about a quart of water per day and not gonna cut it. 5 GALLONS per plant,how ever long it takes your system to apply that amount,is what is required per plant twice a week. With a 2 gph emitter,your system should be running over 2 HOURS.

Thank you! Each tree has 2x bubblers (not exactly this model, but similar) which flood a moat around the base of the trunk, about 2 feet in diameter. Also have 2x 24" deep drip stakes about 24-30" inches from the trunk as well. 

The soil stays relatively moist throughout the course of the day--even when it's really hot, by 6PM, you can dig 1-2" below the surface and it's still moist. 
 

[Merlyn]

I'd agree on the Chamaerops, it looks very similar to mine when it got a fungal crown infection.  I squirted a mix of hydrogen peroxide + Daconil in there, repeated a week later, and it was pretty much resolved. 

Yellow/white new fronds is sometimes a sign of iron deficiency.  If the soil is sludgy it could be caused by root rot.  Maybe it has a root fungus that's limiting nutrient uptake.  I don't know about Filifera/Filibusta or CA soils, but lack of iron is a possibility.

[windmillcity]

On 9/27/2022 at 5:43 PM, Fusca said:

The issue with the Chamaerops humilis appears to be internal fungus.  I had the same issue with one I transplanted about the same time - mine was var 'argentea' (blue form).  Was this a new palm install (planted from container) or dug out and moved (transplant)?  Tug lightly on the spear and see if it comes out.  If so pour some hydrogen peroxide in the hole and you'll likely hear/see it fizz.  Then apply some copper fungicide.  They are particularly sensative to overhead watering in the crown so avoid that.

I believe that both might benefit from a different watering schedule.  The palms should be acclimated to the transplant (or new planting) after almost 6 months.  Fewer deep watering is better than frequent light watering - especially with these species.  I'm not familiar with the moon juice so not sure if that is contributing to the problem with the Washie.

Thank you! It was planted from a container. I did tug lightly on the spear and it's in there pretty firmly and not coming out. A lot of folks are saying they're not getting enough water, so I do want to clarify that I have a moat surrounding the plant, which gets flooded when the irrigation system runs. 

Now that it's finally starting to cool off, I am considering adjusting to a manual watering schedule, which will allow for lower frequency / higher volume. 

Will also plan to get some copper fungicide asap--and want to confirm I haven't been watering the crown at all.