Two palms frozen in time

[eacdmd86]

I have a Chambeyronia macrocarpa (in ground at least a year) and a Coccothrinax miraguama (in ground 6 months).  Both were planted by my wife and I.  It's been raining plenty here for months, so the watering has to be enough.  I have fertilized a few times already.

Pictures are attached of each.  The flamethrower is growing at a serious snails pace. I've marked the spear and it's grown maybe 3mm in a month. It's losing fronds more than it's growing them. I'm afraid it'll have nothing left to continue growing before it opens a new one.

The miraguama is just frozen and doesn't seem to be growing at all.  What you see in the picture is exactly how it looked when planted.

They are both seemingly frozen in time.  I have planted other palms and they are doing great.  What am I doing wrong?

[flplantguy]

My guess would be the heat this summer slowed down and stressed the flamethrower, and the other may be growing roots to establish still.  Is the flamethrower in sun or shade?  The soil may be part of it also, but I'm not an expert on chambeyronia establishment.  This year has been very rainy there like you said but also very hot, and New Caledonia is closer to subtropical temps.  I bet there are a few people local on here that can help too once they see it.

[Patrick]

Do the sharpie spear mark trick to see if you're getting any growth at all or if they truly are stalled...

[Looking Glass]

The nice thing, for C. Macrocarpa is that we are headed into winter, so you’ll get less sun toasting and heat, but it will still be warm enough for it to continue growing though spring without stress.   I find mine to be slow growing overall.  Maybe just keep pushing that one with TLC.  

I literally just got home from curtin shopping with my wife and drove by a miniature private grove of big roadside macrocarpas in the ground.  I would have swung a u-turn and stopped to take a pic, if she wasn’t in the car…. They looked pretty impressive and unusual for this area in a grouping like that.   

The miriguama are slow.   I’ve got 4 in the ground and 4 in pots.  The ones in the ground are still pretty slow, so I wouldn’t panic or get too impatient, as long as they are growing a little and looking decent.   Give it time.   

I also do the unthinkable sometimes with a troubled palm….   I’ll mix up a tablespoon of miracle grow garden crystals and a teaspoon of EDDHA iron in a watering can and give them a shot of that….  But no one else on here would probably advise that.   Works like a steroid shot sometimes though.    

Edited September 28, 2023 by Looking Glass

[Merlyn]

I am not sure about your area, but it has been very irregularly rainy here in the Orlando area.  We typically get a hot drought in May and October, but that didn't happen this year.  It was more like a random full week in Ju e, another in July, etc.  I could see a flamethrower not liking that without supplemental irrigation, aven in a partly shaded area.  For reference, my flamethrower triple in a shaded area i  the back yard has opened up 2 fronds per trunk this year, and all are likely to open another one in October.  An inch per week seems normal for mine.  If I had to guess, I'd think it wants more water.

I'd agree with others on the Miraguama.  I have a couple of Coccothrinax (but not Miraguama) and they are really, rreally slow.  2 or 3 fronds per year in full sun was really good for mine.

[kinzyjr]

@eacdmd86 Get some shade cloth or landscape fabric and give it a temporary break from full sun while it recovers.  The cold isn't a concern that far south, so it can probably recover just as well over the winter.  The suggestions above to give it a shot of dilute fertilizer and mark the spear to monitor growth are great as well.

[eacdmd86]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I have been out of town for a bit.

I marked the spear months ago on the flamethrower and it has only grown 3mm.  It only has one frond left and the tip of that is starting to brown. I'm afraid it'll be done if it loses that.

The miraguama I didn't mark because the newest spear actually is kinda open while still without a petiole.

It has been incredibly hot this summer and it has rained so much. I can't imagine these are lacking water, if anything maybe too much? The miraguama is in full sun. The flamethrower gets partial sun only in the morning and then by afternoon it is in shade by a large CIDP and guava tree.

I have a borhidiana in the ground across the walk in full sun, which was planted around the same time as the flamethrower and that thing is incredibly happy.  For a very slow growing palm that has pushed out an incredible 3 or 4 fronds in a year.

 

[Looking Glass]

3 hours ago, eacdmd86 said:

Thanks everyone for the advice! I have been out of town for a bit.

I marked the spear months ago on the flamethrower and it has only grown 3mm.  It only has one frond left and the tip of that is starting to brown. I'm afraid it'll be done if it loses that.

The miraguama I didn't mark because the newest spear actually is kinda open while still without a petiole.

It has been incredibly hot this summer and it has rained so much. I can't imagine these are lacking water, if anything maybe too much? The miraguama is in full sun. The flamethrower gets partial sun only in the morning and then by afternoon it is in shade by a large CIDP and guava tree.

I have a borhidiana in the ground across the walk in full sun, which was planted around the same time as the flamethrower and that thing is incredibly happy.  For a very slow growing palm that has pushed out an incredible 3 or 4 fronds in a year.

 

That Chambey doesn’t look long for this world.  I assume that’s the one you had out front that got toasted and then moved.   Maybe it was all too much trauma.   They need a lot of sun protection here.  

The borhidiana looks great!  The miriguama looks great too.   They are just slow.  I bet once it settles in it will be happy.   Even in the ground, mine are kind of slugs.  A shot of EDDHA iron with some fertilizer really greens them up in our soil.   They don’t mind plenty of water in the summer heat.  And we’ve had plenty.  

I’ve got a bunch of various coccothrinax babies, and they are all pretty slow but easy growers.   Occasional potassium deficiency that is easy to correct.  Manganese deficiency on a couple that is a PIA to correct.   Great family of palms for this area.  

[eacdmd86]

Good looking palms you have.  The cocos seem to love it here and can't get enough sun. They all do well for me too.

 

Yeah that is the flamethrower that burned a little where the borhidiana now is.  I think I moved it within a week or two. I did well and grew a solid 6-8 inches on that spear in its current spot as measured from one of the 2 other marks on there and then just stopped.  Is there anything I can do for it?  I have some Peters 20-20-20 I can dissolve and pour on there. Or Miracle Grow.  What is EDDHA and where do I get it?

[Looking Glass]

I don’t know for the flamethrower.  I don’t think you have much to lose trying anything you want.  EDDHA is a chelating agent.  EDDHA iron is the most effective iron delivery for plants in alkaline soil.  You can get a small container of it on Amazon for $18 that will last for years.  Iron stains the crap out of stone, so be careful with drips and splashes. 

[eacdmd86]

Ok just bought some. Based on the pic on Amazon, the label of the back has dosages for trees. How much do you use on palms?

Edit: looks like you answered that in your first post...teaspoon. im assuming that's in about a gallon of water?

Edited October 7, 2023 by eacdmd86

[Looking Glass]

44 minutes ago, eacdmd86 said:

Ok just bought some. Based on the pic on Amazon, the label of the back has dosages for trees. How much do you use on palms?

Edit: looks like you answered that in your first post...teaspoon. im assuming that's in about a gallon of water?

I use this stuff.   Free double sided scoop from the local nursery.  I’ll put a teaspoon in a full sized watering can and a tablespoon of Miracle Grow Tomato or AllPurpose Garden crystals and give smaller palms a drip-line drench sometimes.   Worked pretty well for some plants I had struggling with iron issues.  Doesn’t save a rotting palm, but gives a quick boost to struggling and pale plants, while you get the soil and regular fertilization straight.  

[eacdmd86]

That's exactly what I got. Will try it this week