What deficiency is this?

[GottmitAlex]

It's on the tips on the newest opening frond of my coconut.

 

[GottmitAlex]

[GottmitAlex]

Z shaped

[GottmitAlex]

11 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Z shaped / lightning bolts

 

[GottmitAlex]

2 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

 

 

[Darold Petty]

Boron

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP273

[GottmitAlex]

10 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Boron

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP273

danke Schoen!

[aztropic]

Be VERY careful in applying additional boron. Too much will kill the palm. Common sources of additional boron are boric acid powder or 20 mule team borax laundry detergent booster. A good palm specific fertilizer should provide a safe amount of boron without the worry of over doing it.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Darold Petty]

Yes,  What aztropic said.   A quality fertilizer with a good spectrum of micronutrients will supply a safe amount.  Boron deficiency is not very common, even a very rich compost, as from food scraps should be adequate.  Remember that the affected foliage will not recover, and it will be a long period until the new growth is more normal. 

[Looking Glass]

It can also be a pretty transient deficiency.  Sometimes comes with heavy rains, effecting a round of new leaves, but then goes away as rotting material replenishes the washed away boron. For some reason my cat palms by the door get it every once in a while.  I’ll noticed it on some mature leaves, which means it was from weeks or months ago.  I haven’t treated it beyond normal fertilization, and it hasn’t been a lasting problem for them.  It probably corresponds to the occasional 10-12inch rain event here.  

[Tomas]

A high pH and/or cold temperatures will hinder any boron uptake, no matter how much you apply to the roots. I treat my palms, that suffer the boron deficiency due to the high pH, once a month with leaf applications of specific boron fertilizers, never had the slightest problem with it. There are tons of boron leaf feritlizers here in Italy, they are videly used in agriculture, you should find them in the US too.

https://www.amazon.it/s?k=boro+agricoltura&i=garden&crid=11W9186T5V6NR&sprefix=boro+agricoltura%2Cgarden%2C145&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_16

Tomas

[Fusca]

5 hours ago, Tomas said:

A high pH and/or cold temperatures will hinder any boron uptake, no matter how much you apply to the roots. I treat my palms, that suffer the boron deficiency due to the high pH, once a month with leaf applications of specific boron fertilizers, never had the slightest problem with it.

Would you consider a pH of 7.9 to be in this range of hindering boron uptake?  That is the pH I have here.

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

Would you consider a pH of 7.9 to be in this range of hindering boron uptake?  That is the pH I have here.

Yep....

 

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

Yep....

 

Thanks for posting this - I've never seen this before.  Very helpful.

[GottmitAlex]

Thank you all for your replies.

This palm has been in the ground for 6 years and it's the first time it presents this. 

I use palmgain fertilizer. The last time I employed it was 2 months ago.  I guess I probably need to use more. 

Of course, I'm going to wait until spring to do so.  It'll be a waste now since our lows are 10C/50F.

Our highs still reach 28c/80F. But don't last long.

 

 

[Tomas]

10 hours ago, Fusca said:

Would you consider a pH of 7.9 to be in this range of hindering boron uptake?  That is the pH I have here.

Exactly what Merlyn says

5 hours ago, Fusca said:

Thanks for posting this - I've never seen this before.  Very helpful.

When you read, especialy in some receips how to blend potting mixes, "adjust the pH to 6-6,5 " it means in this interval all the chemical elements needed for plant growth are available at their best

5 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

Of course, I'm going to wait until spring to do so.  It'll be a waste now since our lows are 10C/50F.

I SUPPOSE some cool growing palms may be able to provide the necessary elements for their growth even with low temperatures, but obviously coconut palm is not one of these 🙂

5 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

This palm has been in the ground for 6 years and it's the first time it presents this.

That's normal, probably some delicate equilibrium at a certain point is broken. I also have some double and triple palms in the same pot and only one may show the microelement deficiency, at any stage of growth.

Please also note that the "lightning" signs on your palm leaves have formed when the spear was still forming, so there is a delay between the deficiency occurs and when it appears

[Tomas]

1 minute ago, Tomas said:

Exactly what Merlyn says

When you read, especialy in some receips how to blend potting mixes, "adjust the pH to 6-6,5 " it means in this interval all the chemical elements needed for plant growth are available at their best

I SUPPOSE some cool growing palms may be able to provide the necessary elements for their growth even with low temperatures, but obviously coconut palm is not one of these 🙂

That's normal, probably some delicate equilibrium at a certain point is broken. I also have some double and triple palms in the same pot and only one may show the microelement deficiency, at any stage of growth.

Please also note that the "lightning" signs on your palm leaves have formed when the spear was still forming, so there is a delay between the time the deficiency occurs and when it appears

 

[GottmitAlex]

I made sure their plots were 1 square meter of pure course sand prior to planting.  With some additives. Like lava rock from ACME out of AZ ( no joke 🤣).

Let's see how this plays out.

@Tomas just as you say, it may be a passing thing.   Thank you 

[BigWaveDav3]

Besides the soil pH, consider the pH of the water you in your area used to irrigate. I have used both Boric acid mixed in water as a supplement and also Borax (detergent) powder. Finding a source of boron in an ant/roach insecticide and a common laundry and cleaning product seems a bit strange to use in a drench for your palms but mine have survived and it helped while more organic material was being added to the soil through mulch and compost decomposing to increase boron through increasing organic matter. You can read a bit more about it here and some suggestions under the management section: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP264

 

[Maltese coconut project]

It's Boron deficiency. Boron is quite a difficult micronutrient to find balance for and has a "narrow range" between being a deficiency and between going in too much. But the z shaped tips is signature of Boron deficiency 

[Maltese coconut project]

In view of the low temperatures and lower absorption rates via roots maybe you might want to consider some foliar micronutrient fertiliser 

[GottmitAlex]

21 minutes ago, BigWaveDav3 said:

Besides the soil pH, consider the pH of the water you in your area used to irrigate. I have used both Boric acid mixed in water as a supplement and also Borax (detergent) powder. Finding a source of boron in an ant/roach insecticide and a common laundry and cleaning product seems a bit strange to use in a drench for your palms but mine have survived and it helped while more organic material was being added to the soil through mulch and compost decomposing to increase boron through increasing organic matter. You can read a bit more about it here and some suggestions under the management section: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP264

 

I just came out of an accident to my hands(wrists) . I would like to check out the underlying issue. I would hate it to be the beetle.

[GottmitAlex]

I know what this is.

A rodent tried to burrow in my palm.

Need to cover up the hole. It did not get the heart of the palm.

Any pointers?

[GottmitAlex]

Now I know it's not boron deficiency.