Sick Palm

19 years ago

Hi all,

I have a sick Palm and was looking for some help. I do not know what kind it is. It was given to me by a friend who grew it from a seed. It grows 40 ft in about 40 years. It does not grow coconuts. I've had it potted in a sand and potting soil mixture in the house for 3 years with no problems. It is growing it's 5th leaf now (talk about a slow grower!). It is in a NW window and I keep it on the dry side. One of the leaves is turning yellow all the sudden and I'm afraid it might be the beginning of the end if I can't figure out what is wrong. It has no mites or other pests that I can see. Can someone give me some troubleshooting ideas to narrow down the problem?

Thanks for any help.

Lori

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Comments (5)

hornetwife
Original Author
19 years ago
PS: An ID would be great. Here is a pic of how it looks now.
THANKS!

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galveston1602
19 years ago
That is a washigtonia palm. hard to know which one at that age but the green tone would seem to indicate robusta. around here those palms will get 4 leaves in a month once they get a little larger than that. when they are that size they should probably get 4-5 leaves in a year. as to your problem, im guessing that youve got it overwatered, they seem to like to be rootbound. When they are in the ground you cannot overwater them but in pots expecially in cooler weather they are somewhat easy to overwater... for the record, ive seen trees 3-4' tall in 3-5 gal pots.
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oppalm
19 years ago
it appears that is one of its juvenile fronds/leaves that is yellowing. I agree with galveston1602, that is a washingtonia robusta. they love sun and heat. Being three years old that palm should be much bigger. Can you get it to a window with more sun (gradually)? Typically the older fronds will yellow and die off. Does the soil drain quickly and do you have a saucer underneath it. Don't let it set in water, especially in winter.
hornetwife
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for the ID and the tips. I will move this to a SE window that may get more light than where it is now. If I indeed overwatered what should I do? Let it dry out completely before watering again? Or should I repot it? I am hoping the leaf is turning yellow because it is old and not because it is dying. The palm seemed to be perfectly happy until a few days ago and it has been yellowing ever since! OH, and it has never sat in water.
Lori
oppalm
19 years ago
If you have overwatered, don't worry. I would not repot it. Let the plant dry out and before you water next time, stick your finger down in the soil a couple of inches, if its dry, water sparingly. your palm will enjoy a few hours of outdoor sunshine when temps are above 50F if you can provide it.