We could loose many Queen Palms

[MnGirl]

As a landscaper I have noticed some of our Queen palms dying.
It starts with the end of the Queen palm frond, it looks like the end has been chewed off. Instead of having nice leaves hanging down, the frond looks like it was in a shredder.
My neighbors tree got this last summer, and it was dead in 6 months, and it spread to her other tree. I noticed my tree had it a month ago, so I cut the frond in half. I'm hoping I stopped my tree from dying. I'll keep you informed.
Please be on the look out for this on your trees.

[Becky]

What do you think is killing them?

Becky

[graciegirl]

Don't they have an agricultural extension program here that you can ask? I think I saw something in the Sun this morning about a speaker from extension who was talking about Crape Myrtle. (I wondered at the time if that was a mispelling, I had imaged it as Crepe Myrtle)

Edited. I just reread the article. It is HORTICULTURAL , not agricultural. She was from University of Florida IFAS Extension Services and they periodically give seminars around the community. This was in Oxford, off campus.

[MnGirl]

I don't think anyone knows what's killing them.:shrug: Miami was hit in 07 & 08, and they think it's the birds that transfer the disease.
Also, there is a landscaper advertising he will remove your dead palms, The brown ones are not dead, wait until April, and see what comes back.

[Jeff Bieberfeld]

from what i have read it is called 'yellowing disease'; and it is incurable. the suggestion is to plant resistant species.
but i could be wrong.

[Barefoot]

I don't think anyone knows what's killing them.:shrug: Miami was hit in 07 & 08, and they think it's the birds that transfer the disease.
Also, there is a landscaper advertising he will remove your dead palms, The brown ones are not dead, wait until April, and see what comes back.

That is good information to know MnGirl. I've been noticing that all the palms in our area look sick. I thought it was from the hard frost this winter.

Will cutting the palm fronds in half prevent the "disease" from spreading?

Please keep us informed!

[lasvegas]

I have a site you can go to and read about the only problem I know that it could be but have not seen to much of it in this area at all. I know that a lot of queens look bad now because of the weather so it is hard to tell.

http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/palm_prod/pdfs/New-Disease-Queen-Palms-Mexican-Fan-Palms-July.pdf

[Barefoot]

I have a site you can go to and read about the only problem I know that it could be but have not seen to much of it in this area at all. I know that a lot of queens look bad now because of the weather so it is hard to tell.

http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/palm_prod/pdfs/New-Disease-Queen-Palms-Mexican-Fan-Palms-July.pdf

Interesting site LV.

They make the point that a new queen palm should NOT be replanted into the site from which a diseased palm has been removed.

[lasvegas]

Yes I would imagine it would be just like the Sago's once the area has the scale you cannot replant with the same it is still in the soil.

[MnGirl]

The palms do look bad right now (from the cold)), so don't go cutting just because they're brown.
What I am talking about may be my own observation.
At the end of the Queen frond it will appear as though it was beat against a house, or like a rodent chewed on about 1 foot at the end. These ends can be green, and the tree will look healthy, except for one or two fronds.
I have no idea whether cutting the frond in half will save the tree, that's what I did with mine in hopes to save it.
Just look around and see if any of your trees are affected.

[graciegirl]

That is bad news for our street in Hadley. All of the homes close to us on Havana Trail were purchased last summer and fall and now people are upgrading their landscaping. It is like the "parade of palms" here every day. You see big trucks carrying queen palms and planting them daily. From my front door I can count at least 20 new queen palms.

If these are subject to a fatal disease it will be a big financial loss for the home owners. When we priced them to be planted they averaged about $200 each.

I certainly hope that this ailment is not always fatal. These are so new that you see a little yellowing on all of them, probably from transplantation shock.

I guess we will hold off on getting queen palms until more is known.

[lasvegas]

If the queen has what is talked about in the article from UF then there is no saving them, they will not live. However, I have not seen it a big problem I had some people from Spruce Creek call to look at a queen that was dead to replace it ( I did not do the initial install of the tree) and I told them it would not be a good idea. I have not had anyone in TV call about queens I plant probably on average 10 per week for the past 8 years and have not seen any problems. I am going to talk to some other people that grow queens and see there thoughts on the subject.

[thegreenerside]

The yellowing and dead fronds is from the hard freeze we had in January and again in early February. Leave the Palms alone and just wait and you will see new growth. It will take up to one year for the palms to fully recover. There is no disease or any other issues. It is called Freeze Burn and they will recover.

[SUNSCAPELAWN]

Thank you Greener Side. I have told everyone that has called us to wait and see. Don't sacrifice the tree yet. Give them some time, trim them back and enjoy.

[lasvegas]

The question was originally asked was about disease in queen palms no one was talking about palms that got burnt by the freeze. If you read the site I sent them to that will answer the question they were asking about the disease in the queens.

[Village2/09]

Buyer's just Beware if you do need anything replaced DO NOT CALL LWV Landscaping they have taken money from me and in doing more research with Senior vs Crime have had many complaints. Do not let them take your money to, I have also been told if the do show up to do the job they will not ever come back if there is a problem. Give no one Deposits.