Please Help: Pygmy Palm In ICU

[mlm101]

(SoCal, Zone 9-10) We have many of these palms over 15 yrs old and doing well. This one was a 4 footer, planted on the south wall over a year ago and

was doing fine. It is now shrinking and shriveling. The wall is 6 foot high, and in winter months and direct sunlight does not penetrate... Thanks in advance!

 

[Marck]

Your Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii), native to southeastern Asia and southern China, will want bright, indirect light to part sun and will do best in regularly irrigated but well-drained soil. It is also frost tender and can suffer damage with even light frosts if planted in an exposed location.

I'm not certain what the problem is here.
First check the soil and drainage, make certain that the soil is not staying either too dry or too wet.

Some nutrient deficiencies can look like this. Begin to fertilize the palm with a complete fertilizer.

Does the palm receive more light in other seasons, Spring to Fall? Too little light will slow growth and eventually weaken the palm.

 

[DrCase]

I sure see a lot of roots

 

[Marck]

Many palms including Date Palms (Phoenix spp.) will naturally have exposed roots on the lower part of the trunk. These should not be buried.

 

[mlm101]

Your Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii), native to southeastern Asia and southern China, will want bright, indirect light to part sun and will do best in regularly irrigated but well-drained soil. It is also frost tender and can suffer damage with even light frosts if planted in an exposed location.

I'm not certain what the problem is here.
First check the soil and drainage, make certain that the soil is not staying either too dry or too wet.

Some nutrient deficiencies can look like this. Begin to fertilize the palm with a complete fertilizer.

Does the palm receive more light in other seasons, Spring to Fall? Too little light will slow growth and eventually weaken the palm.

Thx. During late Spring & Summer (after planting), it got direct sunlight from directly above for at least 6 hrs/day. I have to mention that it is planted adjacent to a drain grate...

 

[Marck]

Is the drain grate backing up and flooding the soil around it? What does the wetness and condition of the soil look like?

One possibility is to dig up the palm, inspect the rootball and then re-pot it for awhile in fast-draining potting soil. After it recovers, if it recovers, you could consider replanting it, but not in the same location.

The plant might improve in Spring with more warmth and light, either in a pot or in the ground, but if it suffered this Winter in that location, there is a good chance it might do so again.

 

[mlm101]

My wife is convinced it's got Covid, the new plant variant...

Nevertheless, this was the palm's first "winter," whatever that means in SoCal, LOL...

The soil appears to be fine and thankfully, Spring is just around the corner.

 

[cpp gardener]

How often does it get watered? How is the water applied (sprinklers, hose, watering can)? Roughly how much water does it get? By South wall, do you mean on the south side of the property (therefore a north-facing wall) or south-facing on the north side of the property? Can you be more specific about "southern California"?

 

[Marck]

There is no direct sunlight in Winter. The wall is either mostly North-facing or shaded by another structure in Winter.

The possibilities of nutrient deficiencies and disease must be addressed.

Fertilizing will usually address nutrient deficiencies, though it will still be many months before the plant puts out enough new growth to look good.

If it is a disease, it needs to be diagnosed. Some diseases are incurable, and even if there is a potential treatment, often disposal and replacement remains the best option.

Fertilize and see if the plant begins to recovers with more light and warmth in Spring. Yes, even in southern California, there are seasons.

 

[mlm101]

How often does it get watered? How is the water applied (sprinklers, hose, watering can)? Roughly how much water does it get? By South wall, do you mean on the south side of the property (therefore a north-facing wall) or south-facing on the north side of the property? Can you be more specific about "southern California"?

3 days per week via drip irrigation--10 min each time using TWO 1 gal/hr nozzles each placed 1 ft from trunk (3:00 & 6:00). It is on a NORTH FACING wall, in Inland SoCal (Chino HIlls). Thx!

 

[cpp gardener]

That watering schedule should be fine for winter, but from Spring through Fall it needs MUCH more water than you are giving it. At the current rate you are giving it 3 quarts of water a week. Normally a drip system is run for an hour or more once or twice a week.