How to save wilting palm tree? (Archontophoenix Bangalow palm)

[CarlL]

I bought this palm tree at Bunnings last week. It has become sickly over the week. Black spots on appear on fronds and they start wilting/curling and are turning yellow and dry. 

Havent watered it as there were some showers in the past week.

Whats wrong with this lovely palm?

Fronds are wiltingFronds are wiltingFronds are curlingBlack spots

[JacobZ]

Hi @CarlL,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

It's very likely that the issue is related to watering, whether is it over watering from the downpours, or under watering when compared to what it was experiencing in store.

As the tree is in a pot, isolated from the rest of the soil and the ground water it contains, it may have got some water during the downpours, but it is likely not enough to sustain it for a week in isolation.

I'd suggest you stick your finger into the soil around 10cm deep to check how damp it is. If it is dry, then the tree requires a good drink, if it's wet then it can wait a few days. You'll probably find that below the surface it is quite dry. 

Allow a couple of days for the tree to return to health before transferring from the pot into the soil where it will have access to ground water so it will benefit more from the rain.

I'll tag some of our helpful garden gurus to see if they have any thoughts, @Noelle, @mich1972, @ChloeThomson.

You might also like to have a read through How to Grow And Care For Palm Trees for some additional advice.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Noelle]

Hi @CarlL 

Looks very like the soil in the pot is very dry, which would account for the tips of the fronds turning brown. Wilting, yellowing and browning off are all typical signs the plant is way too dry. If the soil becomes really dry then it may be hard to re-wet too, with any water added running down the sides of the root ball and straight out the bottom of the pot.

Take the black pot out of whatever it is currently sitting in, fill a bucket with water and place the pot into the bucket. You may have to hold it under if it wants to float. Leave it to soak for about 30 minutes or until all air bubbles stop rising from the potting mix, then remove the pot and allow it to drain.

If (when) the palm revives, repot it into a larger pot with fresh potting mix - to me the existing black pot is too small and there is not enough mix around the roots to keep the plant healthy. The existing mix also looks old.  Given the size of the pot and potting mix condition, the palm might also like a little shade while it recovers.

Palms like moisture but also the potting mix or soil must be free draining so it doesn't stay excessively wet for long periods. This type of palm comes from tropical areas, so keep in mind how often it rains in the tropics, and take that as a guide as to how often you need to water yours.

[CarlL]

Hi @Noelle, thanks a lot for your advise. I moved the plants to ground a couple of days ago and added some slow-release fertilisers, have been keeping them moist. Will keep an eye on them. Hopefully they will revive soon.