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caliroebelenii

Please help my Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix Roebelenii)

caliroebelenii
12 years ago

Hello,

I have a Phoenix Roebelenii palm that I had just planted in my backyard about 3 weeks ago. It was absolutely beautiful when I first got it (the leaves were a healthy green, it was blooming with flowering clusters). The following week the tips of the leaves turned yellow and the fronds began to droop. This week the leaves are brown!

I've been watering it with a sprinkler system which turns on every morning and runs for 15 minutes. On 2 occasions I also gave it some SuperThrive (recommended by someone at the nursery).

This is in Southern California and the weather this week has been extremely hot (It's currently 105 degrees). Should I be giving it more water? I thought they didn't need much water but maybe it's too hot? After the sprinklers water it in the morning, it looks like the dirt is still damp in the afternoon...

Also, I noticed that on the younger fronds, there's a lot of white powder on their base near the crown (see picture 2 below). I sprayed it off the smaller tree when I first noticed it, however I think that might have made it worse because that tree is now looking much worse than the bigger one. Although looking around on some other websites, it sounds like the white powder may be scurf - which is supposed to be harmless (hopefully).

A few people I've spoken to says the palm is probably in shock because it was just planted. But it's been 3 weeks now and it looks like it's getting worse every week. I'm going into shock too. Any help would be really appreciated.

Current Pictures:

Comments (3)

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    12 years ago

    Looks like too much heat and not enough water. If it had been grown in less then full sun,then its also adapting to that with old fronds burning. Water more,and see if the new flush of fronds is greener. If so-home free!

    Also,If your in a Sunset desert zone or a hot inland soucal valley-it will always need some shade to look best.

  • david_
    12 years ago

    I planted a date palm in the beginning of spring when it was in the 80s. It did the same as yours is doing but it recovered after losing most of its fronds.

  • caliroebelenii
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you very much stanofh! I've adjusted the sprinkler system so that it now runs for 30 mins every 12 hours (so it gets watered in the morning and in the evening every day). Hopefully that will help!

    David, thank you also for your reply - that gives me a lot of hope!