sick Madagascar palm

I have a Madagascar palm thats doing well its about 3 ft tall and planted in a 7 inch pot.
I water once a week it has three leaves last time I repotted it the roots looked dry but its not rotted the room gets real hot up to 90 degrees. I like to save this plant.

 

You know, mine was getting dry, brown/black leaves now and then, so I thought maybe it was from getting too much direct sun, so I moved it back some from a south window about two feet and that has really helped. In the winter months with less sun, the leaves always stayed nice and green without any problems, that is until mid summer rolled around, then oit started..... So moving yours to a little less sun could help.

You can just pull the dry ones off so it will look a lot better, giving space for nice new green ones to come in.

 

Help Madagascar palm not looking any better its down to no leaves there is no black spots yet I am not sure about the watering I do not wont to cause root rot.

 

A clay pot is porous and would be better to use then plastic or ceramic. I use a pot that's an inch bigger around than the root-ball. Less soil, less soil that stays wet for too long.
Water when the soil is completely dry, then soak it. The pot should have a drain hole and the soil should be well draining cactus soil. Something like perlite, or crushed lava rock mixed in with the cactus soil makes for faster, better drainage.

You should take a peek at the roots to see if they have dried out or have rotted. The stem would feel soft and mushy and you may need to cut off the roots up into healthy tissue and re-root it, not giving any water while in the pot for a few weeks because there are no roots to take up water, and the root-less stem would rot.

 

Thank you you are right the pot is to big i will get a smaller pot. what about using root hormone?

 

Are you cutting the roots off? If any have rotted or dried out, you should be able to get away with getting rid of the bad ones and leaving the rest if they're healthy.
Someone might disagree, but personally, I don't think rooting hormone is all that necessary.

 

Lets say that they have all dried up then what?

 

Dried up roots can't take up any water and will need to be re-rooted.

 

How often do i water it when i repot it?

 

Make sure the roots are really dried out and dead before cutting onto the plant. It will need to callus over which can take a few days to to a few weeks.
After it has callused over, place the plant in a clay pot out of direct sun but don't water for a few weeks. After a few weeks, rock or tug the plant gently, if you feel some resistants, it's put out some little roots.
Water lightly at this point and not again until dry. Be careful about over-watering!

This is a cactus cutting I'm rooting now.

Good luck!

 

Thank you the plant is about 3 ft tall how big should the pot be?

 

Use a pot that's an inch bigger around than the root-ball.

 

Thank you you have been very helpful.

 

Your welcome, let us know how things are going...

 

If the roots are dry and i thank they are how much do I CUT OFF THE BOTTEM?

 

If all the roots are "dead" dry, they are no longer functioning and won't take up water.

 

I took it out of the pot some of the big roots are not dry but for most part the roots like they are gone.

 

On that last shot, the roots don't look all that bad to me, they don't appear sunk in, flat or wrinkled.
If you cut into some of the roots halfway up, do you see any live tissue? Do they all feel brittle and easily fall apart?
I'm asking because if there are any that are still good with live tissue, potting it up into a smaller pot and watering it until water comes out the drain hole might be all it needs.
If things continue to go down hill after a couple of weeks, then you'll need to cut all the roots off like I mentioned, up into the live healthy tissue on the trunk, making a cut straight across, then letting the it callus over for a couple of weeks or more, before re-rooting it.

 

The bigger roots at the end feel like they are not dry but they are few of them will that do? The base looks good no soft spots will give them a better look later.

 

Cut off anything that IS definitely dry and obviously dead. Try potting it up, watering it in real good and see what happens in the next couple of weeks. You may not need to go any further.

Good luck!

 

this is the Madagascar palm with the dry root cut off what do you thank?

 

Looks pretty good! roots look more solid now that the dried ones are gone. Better get it potted up, fingers crossed for success!

 

Its potted up and fingers are crossed do I water now or later?

 

Give it a good drink until water comes out the bottom, empty out any excess in the saucer.

 

How often do I water it?