Indoor Queen Palms Dying

[Justsabura]

Hello! I am a first time queen palm haver and they are not doing too well. I live in TN and keep these two queen palms indoors. When we got them, the root balls were like rocks and I had to use a saw to get them loose. They have been inside for maybe 3 months now and they are browning at the tips. I also trimmed a couple of their wings. I water once a week (not really sure how to explain how much I water them. Please help!

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, Justsabura said:

Hello! I am a first time queen palm haver and they are not doing too well. I live in TN and keep these two queen palms indoors. When we got them, the root balls were like rocks and I had to use a saw to get them loose. They have been inside for maybe 3 months now and they are browning at the tips. I also trimmed a couple of their wings. I water once a week (not really sure how to explain how much I water them. Please help!

Not surprising as they aren't a good choice for an indoor palm.  Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) need a lot of sun and water which is difficult to provide indoors - especially if you are running the air conditioner and you don't have a good full-spectrum grow light.  You might be able to keep it alive if you keep it outdoors and only bring it indoors during the winter.  Your palm actually looks decent considering it is indoors 24/7.  The withered fronds tips look to be from low humidity.  Better choices for indoor palms are Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana), Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) and Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) which are more tolerant of low light and low humidity.  I kept a Pigmy Date palm (Phoenix roebelenii) alive in a pot for 5 years by keeping it outdoors except for freezing nights when I lived in Knoxville.  

[Justsabura]

This makes sense. If I move them outside, would they be better off in pots or in the ground?

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, Justsabura said:

This makes sense. If I move them outside, would they be better off in pots or in the ground?

You'll have to keep them in pots.  In the ground they'll die when the temperature goes below 20°F.  Unfortunately it looks like yours are already close to the ceiling so they'll outgrow your indoor space soon anyway.  In the ground they grow really fast but in pots they won't grow as much.  

[Harry’s Palms]

As was said , not a good choice for indoors. Maybe outside in a pot , but winter with indoor protection will be hard. The home environment is dry and the palm will not get enough light and humidity unless you go to great lengths to provide it. Harry

[SeanK]

17 hours ago, Fusca said:

You'll have to keep them in pots.  In the ground they'll die when the temperature goes below 20°F.  Unfortunately it looks like yours are already close to the ceiling so they'll outgrow your indoor space soon anyway.  In the ground they grow really fast but in pots they won't grow as much.  

If you move them outdoors, be sure they only get sun until noon. They're not acclimated to full sun in 90° afternoons.

[Fusca]

15 minutes ago, SeanK said:

If you move them outdoors, be sure they only get sun until noon. They're not acclimated to full sun in 90° afternoons.

@Justsabura

[Jegs]

I’m no expert, but you might need to get some manganese fertilizer if it’s starting to get the frizzle top. It affects the youngest leaves (the tallest fronds at the very top of the palm).

Queen palms are notorious for getting frizzle top. 
 

I’ve had good luck using this fertilizer on my Queen palm specifically for manganese deficiency. 
 

[Justsabura]

11 hours ago, Jegs said:

I’m no expert, but you might need to get some manganese fertilizer if it’s starting to get the frizzle top. It affects the youngest leaves (the tallest fronds at the very top of the palm).

Queen palms are notorious for getting frizzle top. 
 

I’ve had good luck using this fertilizer on my Queen palm specifically for manganese deficiency. 
 

I will give it a try, thank you for the suggestion!