[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Laurie2

I have been using Howard Palm Fertilizer. The bag says boron in kind of big letters on the front. What's the boron for? (My queen palms still look happy.)

Our palms do not have any yellow on them now. But before I started fertilizing regularly, the queens had a couple of yellow fronds, always at the bottom. I had them cut off because I knew they would not turn green again.

Would you please explain what yellow fronds indicate and what to do about them? Did I do the right thing by cutting them off and now fertilizing on a regular schedule? The trees look fine so I guess I did OK. But I would like to know more about yellow fronds.

Thank you.

A boron deficiency is not uncommon in Queen palms and if left untreated, the palm will die. Symptoms can take on a look of a number of different things. The fronds that show symptoms can never be corrected, but new fronds will grow properly, when the palm is treated. A couple of the common indications are the bending of the top of the tree, crinkled fronds, fronds that do not open, fruit that drops prematurely, etc.

The reason for yellow fronds can be because of a few different reasons. The older fronds will yellow naturally, before dropping. If you have yellow fronds which are higher up than the lowest fronds, it is a deficiency or the tree is dying.

Never trim the fronds of a Queen palm higher than the level comparable to holding your arms straight out at your side or what would be 3:45 on a clock. Trimming higher than that compromises the integrity of the tree and makes the tree vulnerable in high winds.

I guess you see that growing healthy palms is a job in itself! Good luck.