Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozzello
So many reasons fronds turn yellow. Could be natural aging of lower limbs. Poor handling prior to/during installation is VERY common. Poor watering practices. Overwatering if in a clay 'bowl' underground. under-watering if very sandy and a water loving palm (Massey was turning off bubblers on newly planted palms in Osceola a few years ago, I hope I put a stop to that). Fla soil is alkaline, so if you are not acidifying your soil , your tree is not picking up those badly needed micro-nutrients it needs, EVEN IF you are using even the best of fertilizers out there. There are bud beetles, Decline syndrome, physical storm damage.. There are volumes out there on disease and insects, but the most common things, are either not a problem or caused by the install. And again EVERYONE, should be adjusting the pH. Why the rest of the 'pros' out there don't address pH is beyond me.
In the end, there are only a handful of experts out there, and even fewer who will tell you the truth if it isn't putting money in their pocket. If you are N of HWY 44, PM me and I will look at it, and let you know what I think.
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I believe you are right on target! Unless you are growing a native sabal palm most of the palms in our landscape need a lower PH than is seen in most of The Villages. (Have you soil tested for your soil PH) For some reason most Villagers use rocks and landscape fabric and mummify their palms and plants in cement brick stacked, hacienda walls. This practice contributes to raising soil PH. Many soils in the Villages have a PH around 8. This is too high for many palm species and the nutrients from fertilizers are locked up and unavailable to the palm tree. As Ozzello says soils need to be acidified. Whether you use pine bark mulches or soil acidifiers, the key is to get that soil more neutral or slightly acidic. If you use chemicals it is best to hire a knowledgeable expert rather than do it yourself. Spreading mulches can be done by the the homeowner. It is not easy to lower our alkaline soils, but at least you can try to moderate it and that will help your palms get the nutrients they need from the soil.