Bismarckia palm, struggling

[Elijahww]

Hello everyone, I’m new to the forum. 
 

I got this bismarckia palm just a few months ago. It is not doing very well. It grew a new frond, but it is losing all of it’s older fronds. I was hoping I could get some help troubleshooting the problem. 
 

soil: palm/cactus mix 80%, horticultural sand 10%, peat moss 10%.

sun: indoors, south and west corner windows

watering: once every 2 weeks. 
temp: 72°F

What do you think is the matter with it?

[PalmatierMeg]

Be aware of the following:

1. Bismarckias despise pots and make poor houseplants. Anyone selling a Bizzy as a houseplant in MA should be charged with palm abuse. Any pot you put them in must be very deep to hold their extensive root systems.

2. They are notoriously root sensitive. Repot/transplant them with great care and figure on breaking/cutting old pots from the rootball. Do not cut, break, mangle or untangle Bizzy roots.

3. They demand high heat - day temps in 85-95+F and blazing sun. Days of 72F in a dark, chilly house will not cut it.

4. Your Bizzy appears to have a bad case of spider mites and nutrient deficiencies. Palms need a time release fertilizer with all minor elements, i.e., Osmocote. Do not use blue granular house plant fertilizer, which may burn those sensitive roots. Treat mites with insecticidal soap. 

5. Pot your Bizzy in a well draining, loose garden soil. Never use cheap black $ store bagged mix. If possible, avoid Miracle Gro

6. Do not overwater. Bizzies are not rainforest palms and have some drought tolerance. Soggy potting medium can lead to root rot. Never let it sit in a tray of water. 

Welcome to PalmTalk

 

[Elijahww]

Thank you for the help. After seeing the palm at the Longwood Gardens in PA and its architectural magnificence, I just had to have it. I ended up getting it from a California grower via Etsy. 

 

Right now it is in a 10x14 tall container. I will try finding a deeper pot, if such exists. For spider mites, I will try another application of Neem. The plant pretty much came with them from the beginning. Ditto fertilizer - will get that straight away. 

 

Thank you again!!!

[NorCalWill]

PalmatierMeg is 100% correct on all of her points.

Sure, you see them in nursery containers when they're for sale, but they are not indoor potted plants for the long term, or they will eventually look they way yours does now.

I've given up even trying to grow one outside where I am because it's not hot enough. They love heat and sun!

I have a friend who went on vacation and forgot to open the vents in his greenhouse while he was away during the summer, and when he got back, other plants looked stressed, but his Bismarkia looked stronger than ever.

 

[PalmatierMeg]

2 hours ago, Elijahww said:

Thank you for the help. After seeing the palm at the Longwood Gardens in PA and its architectural magnificence, I just had to have it. I ended up getting it from a California grower via Etsy. 

 

Right now it is in a 10x14 tall container. I will try finding a deeper pot, if such exists. For spider mites, I will try another application of Neem. The plant pretty much came with them from the beginning. Ditto fertilizer - will get that straight away. 

 

Thank you again!!!

Not sure about neem oil but insecticides in general are not effective against mites. Targeted miticides are toxic and expensive. Insecticidal soap suffocates rather than poisons them. You may want to let your Bizzy go outdoors to benefit from what little remains of summer in Boston. If you want it to survive the coming winter you should ponder providing supplemental heat and light. We have some intrepid Canadian PTers who have posted about what they do to ensure their palms make it through winters indoors.

[Elijahww]

I ordered up a few insecticides to try out, so hopefully it will clear that up. I wasn’t sure what the critters look like. Mealybug, mites, aphids, they are all too small for me to see with the naked eye. 
 

Here’s the pic of a Bizzy (what a cool and affectionate name, btw) from Longwood Gardens. It is just bonkers how beautiful they are at 5-6’ in height.