Nutrient Deficiency in NE FL Queens?

[Surfrider14]

Hello, I have a lot of queen palms on my property near Jacksonville (zone 9a), and recently noticed some look like they are being “eaten” by something. I’m pretty sure it’s some sort of nutrient deficiency, but not entirely certain and don’t want to treat until I’m certain what is affecting them. Any ideas? They receive ample water from sprinklers, and one is in partial shade.
 

In the 2nd pic, you can see how the frond has been degraded down to the spine area of the frond. 

[Johnny Palmseed]

Looks like frizzle top aka Manganese deficiency.

[Merlyn]

If it's mostly the new spear it could be cold damage and deficiencies in Manganese and/or Boron.  Here's the "frizzle top" that Johnny mentioned:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP267

And the Boron symptoms here:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ep264

 

[NickJames]

What are you fertilizing with?

[NickJames]

Also, to @Merlyn’s point, what part of Jacksonville ? The queen palms I’m familiar with in Jacksonville did not suffer damage from cold but specimens on the westside may have. 

[Surfrider14]

1 hour ago, Johnny Palmseed said:

Looks like frizzle top aka Manganese deficiency.

I’ll look into it! Thanks 

[Surfrider14]

48 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

If it's mostly the new spear it could be cold damage and deficiencies in Manganese and/or Boron.  Here's the "frizzle top" that Johnny mentioned:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP267

And the Boron symptoms here:

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ep264

 

Looks like it could be manganese!

[Surfrider14]

13 minutes ago, NickJames said:

Also, to @Merlyn’s point, what part of Jacksonville ? The queen palms I’m familiar with in Jacksonville did not suffer damage from cold but specimens on the westside may have. 

I had been fertilizing with Palmgain, though I haven’t since early Fall.
 

I’m in Northern St Johns County right near the Duval line (Durbin area), there are a ton of queens in the neighborhood and I haven’t seen one that looks cold damaged, so I’m not sure that’s the issue? My home weather station recorded a low of 26, though even my Pygmy dates only took light damage. 

[The7thLegend]

14 hours ago, Surfrider14 said:

I had been fertilizing with Palmgain, though I haven’t since early Fall.
 

I’m in Northern St Johns County right near the Duval line (Durbin area), there are a ton of queens in the neighborhood and I haven’t seen one that looks cold damaged, so I’m not sure that’s the issue? My home weather station recorded a low of 26, though even my Pygmy dates only took light damage. 

 

It looks like cold damage to me.  Oddly "some" Queens in my neck of the woods in St.  Augustine had the same exact thing.  They're all growing out of it fast right now.  I'd wait and see what the next healthy spear looks like before treating.

[Surfrider14]

10 hours ago, The7thLegend said:

 

It looks like cold damage to me.  Oddly "some" Queens in my neck of the woods in St.  Augustine had the same exact thing.  They're all growing out of it fast right now.  I'd wait and see what the next healthy spear looks like before treating.

I’ll wait it out. Cold damage really is so strange, in my neighborhood, some palms (mainly Pygmy dates) took damage and others breezed through it. Seemed to have a lot to do w/ maturity, proximity to houses, etc. Microclimates really are strange! 

[JLM]

This is likely cold damage. My Queens will exhibit this after a mild winter here. It gets cold enough to cause some rot issues in the crown but not cold enough to damage the fronds (as low as 23F). Its strange but it happens. Similar cold damage happened to my largest Queen following the 2021-2022 winter, this picture was taken toward the end of the 2022 growing season. As you can see, the damage is almost identical.

[NickJames]

I’m REALLY skeptical that a queen palm in Durbin experienced cold damage. 
If you haven’t fertilized since fall, I would immediately apply your PalmGain. It would be time for fertilizer anyways. 

[Surfrider14]

14 hours ago, NickJames said:

I’m REALLY skeptical that a queen palm in Durbin experienced cold damage. 
If you haven’t fertilized since fall, I would immediately apply your PalmGain. It would be time for fertilizer anyways. 

I think that’s my best bet, going to fertilize and wait it out. Thanks! 

[Surfrider14]

So upon further inspection, there seems to be a lesion on at least 1 of them, leaching down the trunk of the palm. Hard to tell in pic, it is a burgundy color and about quarter sized. Any ideas? 

[Merlyn]

Hard to say...it could be a random hole made by a bug or woodpecker.  Or it might be the start of a "weeping" spot that's a sign of Thielaviopsis trunk rot.  I'd check to see if the trunk is soft in that area or anywhere else.

[Surfrider14]

12 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Hard to say...it could be a random hole made by a bug or woodpecker.  Or it might be the start of a "weeping" spot that's a sign of Thielaviopsis trunk rot.  I'd check to see if the trunk is soft in that area or anywhere else.

Just checked, it is soft. Sort of matches the descriptions from the UF IFAS page….