Is my queen palm dying?

Discussion in 'Outdoor Tropicals' started by mouschi, Oct 3, 2007.

  1. mouschi

    mouschi Member

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    Location:
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    I am in Houston, Texas and I hired a company to install 3 queen palms in my front and back yard about 40 days ago. Since then, I have noticed the leaves wilting and the edges of many of them browning. I religiously water them 5 minutes a day for the first month and am now doing it every other day (for the past 3 days) for this month as the installer recommended. Are they dying?? Help!

    Thanks
     
  2. photopro

    photopro Well-Known Member

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    Location:
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    Can you post a photo?
     
  3. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Quite often palms of certain genus exibit planting shock. It could be a period of adjustment before it picks up again.

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  4. mouschi

    mouschi Member

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    interesting - how long generally does it take for them to get over it? I'll try to post a pic later thanks!
     
  5. edleigh7

    edleigh7 Well-Known Member

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    If the palms are large, it may take up to month or 2. You see it quite a lot with new lanscaping in motels, shopping centres etc....hopefully after a while it will adjust...

    Ed
     
  6. mouschi

    mouschi Member

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    the palms are 14-16ft i think.
     
  7. kv466

    kv466 Member

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    yeah, it's true...new biggies tend to look kinda sick after planting but get better cause more than likely, they've been grown true...i saw your pics tho and they look pretty darned good...i'm curious what made you go with the queenies, tho...i know there are queen palm lovers out there and was just wondering if it was a variety you've liked or just went to the place and chose...anyway, it's nice you're making these additions to your nice home
     
  8. mouschi

    mouschi Member

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    thanks for the kind words! As for why I picked queens - it was either those or mexican fans ... I may have put a mexican fan there on the right if i had to do it again, but the queens were just the recommendation of the installer. I love the front & center one the most. I always wanted a palm tree and when my wife went overseas to bring back our newly adopted daughter, i figured what the heck ... so i got three! Now ... I am a palm tree freak and my wife is afraid for her yard (hahah!)
     
  9. allen

    allen Member

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    without being able to view a photo showing the base, i would like to add that planting the base of a Syagrus Romanzoffiana, (queen) lower then it was in its original home, has been the death and a common error in the replanting of many palms of that species. as others have noted, basic shock always sets in to one degree or another on a replanted tree. remember, soil drainage can be an important factor in a healthy replant.
     
  10. mouschi

    mouschi Member

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    thanks! they seem to be doing good now ... one thing though ... i noticed at the base of one of them there were a bunch of ants. could this be a problem?
     
  11. damonblank

    damonblank Member

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    I live the Houston Area also. We planted 2 queens about a year ago, one of them seems to be thriving and the other is browning like was mentioned earlier in this thread. I also noticed ants at the base of that tree. I originally thought it was the soil so at the reccomendation of a local garden expert, we treated the soil to make it ideal but didn't seem to help. Could it be the ants killing the tree? What type of killer should I use to control them?

    Thanks, Damon
     
  12. LPN

    LPN Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    If they're carpenter ants I'd be concerned otherwise most others are usually harmless.

    Cheers, LPN.
     
  13. learning

    learning Member

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    but in Florida we have fire ants, and those will put a hurting on your queens.
     
  14. robburnsefc

    robburnsefc Member

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    Location:
    Ventura, CA USA
    My queen palm has just started to appear to be dying after years in our yard. THere is new growth at the moment but all of the existing leaves seem to have gone brown and dry. There is still some green on the trunk where the flowers normally appear.

    I have put fertilizer spikes in and I am trying to keep the areas where they are wet so they move quicker.

    The only thing different is that the house was remodelled to add a second storey but since that was completed around 18 months ago the palm has been growing towards the top of the house. I reseeded the lawn in November and added flowers to the garden. Is it possible it just became too big too fast? Could it have run out of room for its roots?

    Help - I dont want to lose a palm that is around 20 feet tall and has always been beautiful!

    Thanks
     

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