Windmill Palm fronds not grown and turning yellow

[Steve76]

Last September, we planted our palm into a pot, after transportation from our old home. We've ensured good drainage and the PH levels are correct. The soil is moist but not claggy however the fronds are just not pushing out, and the tips are yellowing. Any suggestions as to what might be wrong with Wilson? (Named after the football in the film Castaway).

[PalmsInBaltimore]

First of all, beautiful terraced garden!

So, September is not the optimal time to repot. It appears to be holding on but still in shock from being repotted. What did the roots look like when you repotted, in terms of color, thickness, spread? 
 

My guess is that it has been reestablishing its  roots. How much wobble does it have in that pot 10 months later? It will use nutrients from the fronds to grow roots when it is stressed and that can cause the yellowing and halt growth above grade while things catch up below the surface. Roots grow faster in warmer soil so that is why it is best to repot in spring or early summer. 
 

Don’t prune any leaves if they continue to yellow. These can be slow growers so it is probably still recuperating, as frustrating as that is almost a year later. The green leaves are a sign it’s still hanging in there. Don’t give up on Wilson yet!

[Steve76]

Hi Thanks for replying. Wilson had previously been moved from a position in the ground which proved to be too wet to a dryer one. Whe he came out of the wet patch, there were signs of root root. We cleaned the roots and replanted, again in the ground. He had to be moved again though, this time into the pot pictured. When we moved him, new root growth was evident, but not much and the root ball was small.  So as you say,  he maybe still in shock. 

[SeanK]

You may have to bring it indoors over the winter. 

[Steve76]

5 hours ago, SeanK said:

You may have to bring it indoors over the winter. 

Not an option I'm afraid, though we do fleece the trunk and protect the crown over winter

[PalmsInBaltimore]

On 7/25/2024 at 5:09 PM, Steve76 said:

Wilson had previously been moved from a position in the ground which proved to be too wet to a dryer one. Whe he came out of the wet patch, there were signs of root root. We cleaned the roots and replanted, again in the ground. He had to be moved again though, this time into the pot pictured. When we moved him, new root growth was evident, but not much and the root ball was small.  So as you say,  he maybe still in shock. 

OK, so Wilson has been through things that would've killed other palms. Was he transplanted three times in one year or did all this take place over a longer time period? That's a lot for a palm to go through, even (or especially) for a mature palm. 

This speaks to how tough windmills (Tracycarpus fortunei) are. In my personal opinion, they seem to be very well suited to the climate of the southeast UK, which neither gets too hot nor too cold nor too wet for them. Must be some fortunate combination of warm dry air coming from the continent and warm wet air from the Gulf Stream that keeps the polar air away. Their ideal temperature range is sort of exactly what Suffolk has to offer. In hotter climates, that thing probably would have shriveled up to a husk by now unless it was in shade most of the day. As for winter protection, I think what you have provided Wilson will continue to work unless there is a brutal, unusually cold winter coming.

On the flip side, the cooler environment means this will be a slow grower. Given its size, the root system should be something like two to three times the diameter of the stem and about that deep as well, or deeper. It's working to grow all that back. Without good roots, it's too soon to start dreaming about a big bushy canopy that the plant cannot support.

This has the potential to become a great specimen plant in your garden. It's obviously sentimental to you and your family as well. If your primary concern is saving Wilson, then you just need patience. It might not be until NEXT May and April, or June, before you start seeing noticeable growth again. 

If your main concern is having an eye-popping garden, you might want to consider buying a similar-sized windmill and using that one as the showstopper. Certainly a palm that hasn't experienced the traumas of repeated transplantings and root rot will grow faster and fuller than this one will in the next 12-24 months. No need to replace Wilson; you're just getting him a younger brother or sister 😋. 

[PalmsInBaltimore]

I understated just how large an established Tracy root system can be. Look at this one:

 

[Luis Arroyo]

On 7/26/2024 at 3:12 AM, Steve76 said:

Not an option I'm afraid, though we do fleece the trunk and protect the crown over winter

Do what I do in Newark,NJ with my 5 galpón Windmills. They really exploded and grow last year and can no longer fit inside my room. So here's what I did, get a 30 to 50 gallon garbage bag. Fill the bag halfway with fall leaves. The same bags you used to collect the leaves in the fall all you got to do is drop the Potted Palm inside the bag with the leaves. Placed at least two 2 L bottles of hot water. They will not freeze at all overnight but if you're below Zone 7A, you may want to check that 2 L bottle of deli and make sure it is not freezing and replace it with more hot water in the bottle. It will keep the root ball and the pot in and everything inside that bag warm overnight. Once you have the Palm inside the bag with the 2 L soda bottles full of water up against the pot, move the leaves and make sure everything is covered in leaves so that the pot is no longer visible but just leaves inside the bag. The effect will be a bag full of leaves with fronds sticking out the top. 

Now, take a few layers of burlap and wrap the crown and the leaves together inside the burlap. This will only be necessary if there's an Arctic blast forecast to last a couple of days. Make sure to remove it everyday is going to be above 28 f. You don't have to cover them at night unless the temp is about to drop down to the teens with winds. Finally put a plastic bag over the crown but only at night. Otherwise the sun will bake the fronds in the daytime.

[RFun]

My guess is that it does not like that pot.  I'd plant it in a nice, moist area immediately.

[Steve76]

On 7/27/2024 at 2:45 PM, PalmsInBaltimore said:

OK, so Wilson has been through things that would've killed other palms. Was he transplanted three times in one year or did all this take place over a longer time period? That's a lot for a palm to go through, even (or especially) for a mature palm. 

This speaks to how tough windmills (Tracycarpus fortunei) are. In my personal opinion, they seem to be very well suited to the climate of the southeast UK, which neither gets too hot nor too cold nor too wet for them. Must be some fortunate combination of warm dry air coming from the continent and warm wet air from the Gulf Stream that keeps the polar air away. Their ideal temperature range is sort of exactly what Suffolk has to offer. In hotter climates, that thing probably would have shriveled up to a husk by now unless it was in shade most of the day. As for winter protection, I think what you have provided Wilson will continue to work unless there is a brutal, unusually cold winter coming.

On the flip side, the cooler environment means this will be a slow grower. Given its size, the root system should be something like two to three times the diameter of the stem and about that deep as well, or deeper. It's working to grow all that back. Without good roots, it's too soon to start dreaming about a big bushy canopy that the plant cannot support.

This has the potential to become a great specimen plant in your garden. It's obviously sentimental to you and your family as well. If your primary concern is saving Wilson, then you just need patience. It might not be until NEXT May and April, or June, before you start seeing noticeable growth again. 

If your main concern is having an eye-popping garden, you might want to consider buying a similar-sized windmill and using that one as the showstopper. Certainly a palm that hasn't experienced the traumas of repeated transplantings and root rot will grow faster and fuller than this one will in the next 12-24 months. No need to replace Wilson; you're just getting him a younger brother or sister 😋. 

Thanks very much for replying. I think you're right and we're expecting too much too soon after what Wilson has been through. The root system is still much smaller than it should be for it's size and I guess it will continue to prioritise this over new fronds.  Wilson is actually Wilson II, Wilson 1, in our old house is now well over 10 meters tall!, in the ground of course.  We'll continure to care for Wilson II and wait for its eventual recovery. In the meantime, Willson III is a distinct possibility 🙂

[Steve76]

15 hours ago, RFun said:

My guess is that it does not like that pot.  I'd plant it in a nice, moist area immediately.

Thanks for replying. Unfortunately, a pot is the only option right now. It is well drained, the soil PH is spot on, the watering regime correct (I believe) and there's plenty of organic matter in the soil. I know these plants do better in the ground, and that's where it will go as soon as circumstances permit.