Queen Palm Yellowing

[mxcolin]

I've had the following Queen Palm in a pot for 3 years or so and it's starting to look pretty yellow. Do you think this is normal? The new growth does come in green and I feed it 3 times per year. Could it be drainage issue? I can't plant it in the ground, that's not an option here. Might need more drainage.

 

[enigma99]

It doesn’t look too bad considering the pot size, and the yellow leaves look like older leafs. Try packing it with mulch and get it some nice fertilizer, like palm gain. Maybe it will green up

[Johnny Palmseed]

I think it’s begging for a bigger pot. Queens do not make great potted palms.

[mxcolin]

11 minutes ago, Johnny Palmseed said:

I think it’s begging for a bigger pot. Queens do not make great potted palms.

I hear you but there’s just no way logistically I can put it in the ground. 

[Jim in Los Altos]

All those young yellowed leaves should be deep green. Queen palms like wet soil so don’t worry about overwatering as long as it drains reasonably well. You want the soil to retain lots of moisture too. It’s clearly malnourished. What do you feed it and how much? Queen palms are very hungry for nutrients. A bigger pot with high quality potting mix would do the palm a lot of good too. Queen palms aren’t the best palms for keeping potted but a bigger pot at least would help. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Jim in Los Altos

[mxcolin]

It’s going to be tricky to get it into a bigger pot. It’s a 28x28 pot. I feed it with Miracle Grow Shake and Feed for Palms. 

[mxcolin]

Feed it 3 times a year. Shake it around the edge then cover it with soil. 

[JohnAndSancho]

2 hours ago, mxcolin said:

I hear you but there’s just no way logistically I can put it in the ground. 

I'm in the same boat. I live in an apartment and my queen is like 8 feet tall now in a 7g pot. Still nowhere near as big as yours lol. I'm gonna have to sell it or give it away. 

[Little Tex]

24 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I'm in the same boat. I live in an apartment and my queen is like 8 feet tall now in a 7g pot. Still nowhere near as big as yours lol. I'm gonna have to sell it or give it away. 

Is she taken?😏

[JohnAndSancho]

4 minutes ago, Little Tex said:

Is she taken?😏

Sitting on my patio as we speak. Hoping we don't have another 2021 winter, and I can just bring her titanic ass in for a few nights this winter. I wanna see how tall she can get after another summer. She clears the gutters now, I wanna see if I can get her to clear the roof lol. I'd have to offer her up to my bosses in Sugar Land and Katy as brownie points first. Haven't taken a pic in a while but she's in my Patio Squad under Palms In Pots. She's a unit. 2 years ago she was a strap leaf one foot above the soil and now she's just like daaaaamn. 

[enigma99]

If you can keep it out of the 90+ degree sun in the summer, how about a kentia in a pot? I live close to you and my kentias have been in the ground for 7 years without problems, in the shade. 
 

Also they are slower growing than a robust palm like a queen, which can’t get enough resources (space, water, nutrients). Eventually all palms will outgrow the pot, but it should look good for a little while. Or how about a dypsis (Chrysalidocarpus) ambrositrae? I have a big one in a pot that was planted as a 1gal
 

Others here probably have some suggestions on palms that do well in pots

Edited November 27, 2022 by enigma99

[mxcolin]

There's no way it's coming out of there. Just have to make the best of it. I'll increase the feeding and see how we go.

[Patrick]

Try the powdered liquid soluable  miracle grow for right now, and perhaps Osmokote, the pink and white bag, for more long term. They are food hogs. They need food. The liquid soluble has a bit of salt,  but you'll be ok. 

Edited November 29, 2022 by Patrick

[Jim in Los Altos]

On 11/26/2022 at 5:41 PM, mxcolin said:

It’s going to be tricky to get it into a bigger pot. It’s a 28x28 pot. I feed it with Miracle Grow Shake and Feed for Palms. 

Try PalmGain and make sure you don’t skimp. Queen palms need lots of fertilizer especially when potted. Just follow the instructions on the bag. Amazon has it. It’s about the best palm fertilizer out there. Miracle Grow is okay but far from the best. 

[mxcolin]

Awesome, thanks, just bought some!!!