So, it's too late to save it? Even if I add a lot of water and 10-10-10 fertilizer maybe? I really don't want to give up on it since I have a lot of time and resources into this. I am a novice so I've only ever had other people to ask for advice. I killed one with root rot in the past by overwatering it. Thanks though, I will keep your advice in mind.

If you tend to overwater, my tips would be to....

1.) Use much smaller containers. The pot in the picture is enormous. Large pots take a long time to dry and are not necessary for palms...which actually PREFER to be slightly pot bound.

2.) Use a soil that will absorb moisture, but then drain.

Fertilizing at this point will only hurt. You should only fertilize a healthy plant.

Earlier around midday, I repotted it into a smaller pot. I was sure to be careful of the root system and I repotted it with fresh "Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix" that I had. I then dumped 16.9 oz (a full plastic water bottle) into it. I've been told you need to water a lot when you first plant. Was this okay for it? Was it too much water? Too little? I thought maybe if I replant it in a smaller pot (like you said) and water it, it may improve. It seemed to saturate the pot pretty well to me. But, should I give it one of those Miracle-Gro plant spikes to try to help it?

I hope this may help.

I'm sorry to say that I think this palm is a goner. I suspect it may have been over watered and there is root decay (this is VERY easy to do). Did you see lots of limp dark roots when you bare rooted it? My experiance is that you shouldn't try and over winter Trachycarpus indoors in pots at room temperature. The air is too dry. The plants sulk, don't grow, and then get root rot becasue they aren't taking up the water in the pot. You are better to keep them in a cool well lit area indoors. I have a basement with a window for this. They may not grow much during winter, but they stay healthy.

I didn't pay much attention to the roots when I transferred it to the smaller pot. But, I don't think they were all that much limp or dark. The roots were covered in dirt so they probably were bound to be a little dark.

It still looks pretty green yet. It's just the leaves that are shriveled up. How will I know if or when it's finally dead? Should I just throw it away and buy another one to start over? I potted it shortly after Christmas of 2013. All that time up until a week or so ago, it thrived!

Its hard to know exactly when it started downhill since I only noticed a few days ago. It was doing really well though! Some people suggested maybe I actually under-watered it rather than over-watered.

I always feared root-rot, so I would not water it much at all. But, in the last month or so I do seem to remember that I might have watered it more often. I don't know exactly though.

By the way, in April I will be moving to California (Hanford). Will a Trachycarpus Fortunei grow in this climate indoors? What about outdoors? I know they have a plethora of Washingtonia Robusta out there.

I think those palms like the extreme heat though, that's why they thrive. I believe I've read the Trachycarpus doesn't like extreme heat (no humidity) like where I'm moving to. Would it even be wise to attempt to restart on another Trachy?

I would keep it in the house until it gets large enough to plant outside in the yard. But, even in the house it'll probably get 90-100F since we probably won't use the AC too much.

They get between 8-12 inches of precipitation a year there, and temps reach 60s-80s in Winter/90s-120s in Summer. I don't really want to waste my time and effort on another Trachy if it's not going to make it out there where I'll be moving.

When I had the idea to grow a Trachy I had thought I'd never leave the cold north (Northwest Ohio). But now, I think I'll be living there or possibly Florida for the long-term. I doubt I'll ever move back here to stay.

Would another palm be better suited for me out there? Such as Washingtonia Robusta, Washingtonia Filifera, or something else?

You have a lot of questions. I don't know if I have time to do them all justice.

You will know your palm is dead when the spear pulls out. A palm in the ground with a pulled spear may grow another but not in a pot. December is a bad month for transplanting and may have contributed to the problem (low light levels). The spring is better.

For Hanford, you can do much better than T. fortunei. Both in suitability and appearance. One of my favorite palms should grow there: Bizmarkia nobilis. You could also try Brahea armata, and any of the Phoenix. You can even grow a date palm from seed (a date). Both Washingtonia species will be as common in Hanford as evergreens in Ohio. The W. filifera has a thicker trunk and is hardier than robusta, but both will do well. Both Phoenix and Washingtonia are very fast growing. If you actually have property in Hanford, I would just go out and buy a palm. A small palm will be very cheap.

In hanford, you could create an environment for T. fortunei by using shade and watering lots, but what's the point? Watering is very expensive and labor intensive. If you move to the south half of Florida your choice of palms will grow even more, including many that are tropical and look fabulous.

Jeff
Victoria, Canada

Thank you very much, that was very helpful information. I might go with Washingtonia Robusta but I'll start it in a pot and plant it years later in the yard (when I eventually get my own house). Or, like you said, I could buy a small specimen already started.

If you have plans to move down south, I don't know if it's worth it for you to start a palm like a washy or phoenix from a small plant because they become dirt cheap (sometimes cheaper than dirt actually!) in warm climates. If I were in your situation I would just grow whatever you wanna watch grow and probably something that won't give you a hard time indoors during the winter.

My first trachy was about the size of yours but only in a 1 gallon sized pot. It made a really cool potted plant for a solid 5 years and didn't have to be repotted until last spring when I decided it was time to put it in the ground. On it's first winter now (with protection because of the ridiculousness going on here in NYC and the rest of the eastern US right now!).

Good luck with what you choose!