Hello, I'm new to plants, but 2 weeks ago, I purchased a majesty palm (5') and an areca palm (3'). Both have done well thus far. I water about once a week, being sure to keep the soil fairly moist, I spray each one down every morning with a soapy water mixture to combat pests and help keep them healthy, and I have them each about 2' away from a south-facing window. When I woke up this morning, my majesty palm was looking kind of bad. Many of the fonds on one side of the plant had turned a a dark yellow or even brown (see pics). The weird thing is that the yellowing/browning side was the side closest to the window; I rotated the plant around this morning when I noticed the issues. I've read somewhere that yellow fonds likely means you've over-watered, whereas brown fonds means that you've under-watered. However, since this is my first plant, I'm unsure which it is and how to approach this problem. Please help--I love these plants and want to save them! Thanks! PS, my areca palm, within another room, surprisingly has no issues...
The sudden yellowing your seeing could be from the sudden light change, low humidity. Unfortunately, you have picked a hard palm to deal with as one of your first indoor plants, Ravenea Rivularis (Majesty palm) Dypsis lutescens (Areca) is a good indoor palm to own, as long as it receives the right care, good indirect light and the soil on the moist (not wet) side. Having a majesty indoors and doing ok CAN be done, but not everyone can make it happen. I won't even try this one. Too many other less fussy palms to be had. Majesty palms like lots of water and good light and some fertilizer now and then, but, even with those things addressed, they can still go on the decline. In the long run, not a good palm to be sold to the general public as an indoor specimen. http://www.plant-care.com/majesty-palm.html
