Canary Island Date Palm white mold?

[tton]

Had this palm about 3 months or so.  Starting to get white growth on the trunk?  I believe I was underwatering the palm which is cause for the brown and dying fronds but I have increased watering and the fronds definitely are responding better.  Any idea what the white is and how to correct it?  Thanks.

 

 

[Merlyn]

It might not be a problem, as the old "boots" typically decompose and fall off eventually.  A new growth of white mold might be from excess water, like sprinklers hitting the trunk.  I'd check your sprinklers.  Direct hits from sprinklers can cause trunk rot over time.

[tton]

Thanks for the info.  Should the mold be sprayed or anything or just left as is?  Will look at the sprinklers to see how they are spraying in the morning

[tton]

Any other feedback on this?

[Merlyn]

My personal opinion is that white mold is a non-issue...except if it's caused by a sprinkler hitting the trunk.  If you'd like to clean it off of there, a good squirt of household 3% hydrogen peroxide is an excellent mold killer and totally safe for palms.  It basically attacks dead tissue and fungi, but doesn't affect live plant tissue.  It's also great to squirt into the crown of palms that might have a crown or bud infection.

At 3 months in the ground it's a good idea to give it a good dose of fertilizer.  The recommended dose is 1.5lb of 8-2-12 per 100sqft of canopy.  For a recent planting 1-2lb would be more than enough...less is more on recent plantings to avoid burning new roots.  PalmGain and Florikan are the top fertilizers for Florida soil, but I'm not sure if your soil is different.  Sunniland, Lesco and Vigoro are not nearly as good (not polymer coated slow release) but are reasonable if you are on a budget.

[tton]

Much appreciated Merlyn!