Licuala Grandis White/Yellowish area at leaf base (Fungus?)

[Elio]

Good morning everyone, and Happy Easter to all that celebrate 🎊

My Licuala Grandis hasn’t been doing very well but I’m not sure what is wrong with it. It looks like some kind of mold/fungus.

It has this white/yellowish area at the base of most leaves. I couldn’t identify any large changes when it started. Humidity is too low but I’m working on a solution, receives plenty of light but not too much direct sunlight. Soil could probably be improved upon.

Perhaps someone could identify what is wrong? (And ideally propose a solution haha) 

I like it a lot so hope to save it 😁

Thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it.

Cheers,

Elio

 

[PalmatierMeg]

Spider mites? Examine the leaves carefully. A spider mite infestation can kill a palm.

[Merlyn]

The newest leaves look better than the older ones, but even the new ones have some of those white-ish/clear-ish spots on them.  Sometimes that's a bug like spider mites, sometimes it's an iron deficiency from root rot.  I'd check for spider mites asap as Meg recommended.  It also *might* be getting some sunburn if it's in direct sun or has a very bright plant grow light.  Grandis prefer no direct sun and no bright lighting.

I'd also be a bit concerned about the pot you are using.  It looks like it's a closed-bottom pot with no saucer.  If that's the case then there is probably stagnant mucky water in the bottom of the pot, which can lead to root rot.  Licuala do like it very wet, but you never want stagnant muck in a pot.  The usual recommendation here is to use quick draining soil that retains some moisture, I use an equal parts mix of generic topsoil (shredded tree bark), perlite, Turface MVP (leca gravel) and Sakrete Paver Base (crushed limestone gravel).  This is about 1/4 organics and drains water out really fast...but the perlite and Turface retain water.  The dense mix and non-draining pot might cause a lot of problems.

There are some other threads here about Licuala Grandis and Sumawongii in pots.  I'd do a search for "licuala" and select the "This forum" option and you'll find a lot of Licuala info.  I see at least 3 or 4 similar threads in a quick search.

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/search/?q=licuala&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=45

[Elio]

Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve looked at the leaves carefully but I’m not fully sure either way. I’ll ask for some friends to give a second opinion 😅

 

I’ll check out any other threads as well.

[Hurricanepalms]

One way to check for spider mites is to gently squeeze the leaf between two fingers and drag them down the length of the leaf. Then look at the finger that was making contact with the bottom of the leaf. If you see a yellow or rust colored substance on your fingers, it is very likely you just crushed a bunch of spider mites.

Edited April 12, 2023 by Hurricanepalms

[PalmsandLiszt]

7 hours ago, Elio said:

I’ve looked at the leaves carefully but I’m not fully sure either way.

Best time to look is in the middle of the night when they are most active; shine a flashlight on the underside of the affected leaves and use through a magnifying glass or loupe if necessary.

If it is spider mite, thoroughly wiping the undersides of the leaves with a sponge soaked in soapy water will provide temporary respite.

[Elio]

Cheers, my friend is coming over with a magnifying glass and I’ll have a look. I’ve noticed spider mites in a different plant in my house so I think it may be them unfortunately