Help with my palm

[Latency]

I was wondering if anyone could identify my palm by picture and tell me why one trunk of the palm has no new growth but the other looks healthy. We fertilized it about 2 weeks ago with sunniland palm fertilizer and we are hoping the left side isn't dead 

[96720]

Phoenix roebelenii it looks like one side is dead is this palm new to you?

[Latency]

We have been getting into plants in general this past year and this was a palm the last owners of our house planted. We thought it needed fertilizer but were still worried after not seeing any signs of life still. Is there anything we can do to try and see if it is completely dead or will we have to cut that side off? 

[SeanK]

Just cut the one trunk down.

[Latency]

I was hoping it wouldn't be that way but thank you. 

[Merlyn]

Yup, the left side probably caught a bud rot and died.  You could try pouring hydrogen peroxide into the crown (top center of the trunk) and see if it bubbles up.  If it smells like a McDonalds dumpster on a hot summer day it's probably Phytophthora.  At the state it's in, it is unlikely to have a chance.  If there is a green spear coming out of the center of the crown, then it *might* recover with H2O2, Mancozeb, or a copper-based fungicide in the crown.  If there is no new spear it's probably dead.

[Latency]

17 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Yup, the left side probably caught a bud rot and died.  You could try pouring hydrogen peroxide into the crown (top center of the trunk) and see if it bubbles up.  If it smells like a McDonalds dumpster on a hot summer day it's probably Phytophthora.  At the state it's in, it is unlikely to have a chance.  If there is a green spear coming out of the center of the crown, then it *might* recover with H2O2, Mancozeb, or a copper-based fungicide in the crown.  If there is no new spear it's probably dead.

If we can't save it and have to cut it would we be able to propagate the other easily so we could have a pair again? 

[Merlyn]

6 hours ago, Latency said:

If we can't save it and have to cut it would we be able to propagate the other easily so we could have a pair again? 

I'd guess the palms are 10-20 years old, just based on the height.  If you want a pair you could cut off the existing one and buy a replacent solo and plant it nearby.  But making it a pair at the same spot and height might be next to impossible.  I'm not sure that finding a duplicate is feasible, and digging out the old dead one to plant pa solo might damage too many of the roots of the live one.  Of course, planting a newly purchased solo one a few feet away would be pretty easy.  The other option is to remove both and replace them with a new planting.

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

Of course, planting a newly purchased solo one a few feet away would be pretty easy...

I like this idea, or even going with a smaller pair (placed close to the big one... or not). Here's a quick & dirty demo...

STEP 1: SINGLE PALM
I agree it looks a bit sad without its buddy, but assuming you can nurse the larger one back to health you can certainly keep it (as the "grandfather" of your yard).

STEP 2: ADD MORE PYGMY DATES (or a different palm)
The new one(s) don't need to be right next to "grandpa".

STEP 3: ADD TROPICAL PLANTS
Being from California, I can't recommend specific plants (there are some local experts here that CAN though!). This is just a very rough approximation of what it might look like after adding more tropical plants. Note that the fact the other pygmy dates are not next to "grandpa" doesn't matter at all. And yes, you don't have to go this far... I just tricked it out to get you thinking of possible long-term options for this area.

Hope that helps you feel less attached to the (likely dying) side of your Pygmy palm pair. 😢

[SeanK]

I would replace it with something palmate and blueish, like Serenoa or one of the Chamaerops cultivars.

[Latency]

We cut it down today. We already had a plan to take the bromeliads up and replace them with different types of sempervivum. For now we will focus on keeping grandpa palm healthy 

[Merlyn]

Keep in mind that a Roebellini loves water...and so do bromeliads.  I think Sempervivum generally hate water?  I really don't know much about Sempervivum, but it's something to keep in mind when planning things out. 

[Latency]

Oh really? I read bromeliads don't like to be watered too often. But since my girl and i have been learning about plsnts, weve seen a lot of statements that counter eachother. I assumed the last owners planted them together so the palms would drink up all the florida rain and the bromeliads wouldn't be sitting in it too long. We've never once watered anything in that area, just let the rain water them naturally

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Keep in mind that a Roebellini loves water...and so do bromeliads.  I think Sempervivum generally hate water?  I really don't know much about Sempervivum, but it's something to keep in mind when planning things out. 

 

[Merlyn]

If I recall correctly, bromeliads generally hate wet soil (root rot) but also like to have the "cup" filled at the top.  The "landscape" type bromeliads I've always seen growing (in Florida) in part shade areas with lots of water.  The few that I have are in areas with daily overhead watering and seem to thrive like that.  If I had to guess, the planting on a mound probably keeps the bromeliad roots fairly dry, and the water-hungry Pygmy Date sucks up whatever's available.  So I'd agree with you.  I suppose Sempervivum could work in the same arrangement, assuming that they also don't stay wet at the roots.

[96720]

@Merlynwhat are landscape type bromeliads l would like to add some color to my jungle and I like bromeliads just don’t know what kind grow best outside!!

[Latency]

On 7/20/2023 at 8:49 PM, Merlyn said:

Yup, the left side probably caught a bud rot and died.  You could try pouring hydrogen peroxide into the crown (top center of the trunk) and see if it bubbles up.  If it smells like a McDonalds dumpster on a hot summer day it's probably Phytophthora.  At the state it's in, it is unlikely to have a chance.  If there is a green spear coming out of the center of the crown, then it *might* recover with H2O2, Mancozeb, or a copper-based fungicide in the crown.  If there is no new spear it's probably dead.

So I've applied bonide jacks copper fungicide the past couple weeks to the remaining palm and his leaves are starting to turn brown very rapidly? 

[Latency]

We have also taken up all the bromeliads it is just the palm remaining there for now. Trying to see if he survives before planting anything new there 

[Merlyn]

42 minutes ago, Latency said:

So I've applied bonide jacks copper fungicide the past couple weeks to the remaining palm and his leaves are starting to turn brown very rapidly? 

Any updated photos with detail near the crown?  Did you ever try the hydrogen peroxide trick into the crown?  This is a common recommendation on here because it is a very effective and safe fungicide.  Copper-based ones are good too, but can be phytotoxic, i.e. if the dose is too strong or done too often it can kill a palm. 

It's also possible that the palms caught a different disease, such as Thielaviopsis (trunk rot), Ganoderma (butt rott of the bottom end) or Lethal Bronzing (bacterial infection that cuts off water flow inside the palm).  Any of those are easy to transmit from adjacent palms.  When you cut down the dead one, was the trunk color clean and mostly white-ish?  If it was discolored in the middle of the cut trunk then it probably had a disease.

[Latency]

Yes it was white and very tough to cut through. I can't reach the top of the palm we don't have ladder. I was thinking of some way to see if there is a way to try and promote new growth. So we can at least see some new green on him. I want to buy a polesaw and cut older fronds off but I'm not sure on that investment if he dies anyway. He's the only tall plant we have. I'm not going to spray him with the fungicide at least just incase it did cause damage to him then give him some time. 

[Palmtreedude69]

I know it's been a while but what did you end up doing with that area very interested to see!