Hi, My lovely 15' tall windmill palm, is ailing. The lower quarter of new leaves turn dark brown, but not beyond that. The progress of brown up each frond leaf is uniform and remains confined to the lower extremity; the outer edge of the browned area mimics the shape of the entire frond. Not sure if this is a sunburn issue as apparently can occur (reduced transpiration and heat build-up in the lower part of the leaf), or a water issue (too much? too little?). I haven't tested the soil. I am on a bedrock area and not sure how far down there is good drainage. Victoria BC can be a wet place, but this palm is at least 25 years old, and this is a newish issue. Ideas?
Sometimes if there is debris and/or a repeated freeze/thaw situation there can be fungal issues that develop at the crown of the palm where the new fronds emerge. It's possible that the fronds didn't push much in the winter and you're seeing some kind of fungal issue. If it's that, come a month or so the new fronds pushing should look better. Just a thought? Take a picture if you can.
