My Chinese Fan Palm is struggling! Please help!

[easylee]

Can someone help me diagnose what my Chinese Fan palm needs?

I live in zone 10B and had it planted in February (almost 5 months ago).  For the first month I watered it every day, for the second month I watered it every 2-3 days, and since then I've watered it once every 5-10 days.  (These were the instructions given to me from the nursery).

It gets some direct sun, but is mostly shaded by taller queen palms and arecas to the sides.

Just last week I cut off 4 fronds which were entirely dead.  I watched all 4 of them die, one by one, slowly being taken over in the same way that the ones in the picture are.  It took about a month for the 4 fronds to completely die.  Now, two more of the fronds are headed down the same route, and it looks like the center frond is already starting to have brown frays.  6 of 8 fronds look perfectly healthy, but it seems to be losing them much faster than its growing them. 

A few weeks ago I sprinkled two solo cups full of 6-1-8 palm fertilizer around the tree. Also, a solo cup of Magnesium. I'm not sure if that's maybe too much, or if it would even have started to take effect yet? Maybe there's some other nutrient it needs?

I recently had a baby so I am overwhelmed trying to keep so many things alive. Myself included. Thanks for any help!

[easylee]

Rather than start another thread, I suppose I'll ask for help with my Arecas as well.   I had them planted 2 years ago, and since then they have not grown any taller! They're growing new shoots, but it seems like the tall ones are dying at the same rate. I've had to thin out all of the dead shoots a few times a year.  I asked the nursery about it and they said the first year they will set their roots, and the next year they will grow a few feet in a year.  Well, needless to say they haven't grown at all.  Most of the large fronds are yellowish and look like the below.  Is this a similar problem which I'm experiencing with the Chinese Fan?  I think I sprinkled 2 solo cups of 6-1-8 fertilizer and another cup of magnesium around the base of each bunch.  (they're roughly 7ft tall bunches).  The fertilizer is just mixed within the lava rocks, I read that's not super ideal, but it's really the only option I have at the moment.

These get pretty much full sun.  Watered once, sometimes twice a week.

Thanks again!!

[kinzyjr]

@easylee 

Welcome to PalmTalk!

Given the information about both of these palm, try moving the fertilizer and magnesium away from the palms.  If your water is municipal water and you're getting regular rain, you can safely back off of the watering as well.  May was very hot and dry in Central FL, and having fertilizer sprinkled around in hot and dry weather can cause salts to build up in the soil.  This would cause the symptoms you're reporting.  I might be wrong and would love to see other takes on this problem.

[DoomsDave]

@easylee welcome! I concur with @kinzyjr in all respects.

And, congratulations on the new baby! Maybe show us pictures if so inclined.

[Harry’s Palms]

It can take a while for palms to adapt to full sun when they are young. Usually nursery palms are grown under ideal conditions with just the right amount of shade , humidity , etc. for maximum growth rate . When you free them to the wild they will sometimes appear to shrink because any new growth will be closely held. Full sun is ok but the C. Lutescens prefers a bit of shade especially in the afternoon. Mine took quite a while to adapt before gaining any significant height. Harry