Palm Trees are brown at the edges
 

I have 3 Palms in my front yard. On each of them, the tips of all of the leaves are brown and hanging down. Now, I might expect this on a single frond as it dies but not on every frond.

Do I have a sick tree?

Any recommendations on who to call?

Need pics, too many factors attribute to this, type of palm, when planted, amount of brown, color of the rest of the fronds...

Take a frond and pictures (close up) of effected palms to Master Gardener plant clinic at the government annex on corner of 466 and Morse Blvd (sheriff's station) on Mondays 9 am to 3 pm. I don't think there is a clinic next Monday because of the holiday week.

I have been told that as long as the growth/fronds coming out of the middle section of the palm are green, then the palm is not endanger of dying.

You must not be fertilizing them with Lesco fertilizer.

They will give you the info, just go there, simple.

I had similar symptoms with my Sylvester. When I called the county agent's office their first question was "what fertilizer are you using". I had to go to the garage to check the numbers on the "palm fertilizer" I'd purchased at Ace. I had the wrong stuff. They gave me the info for the correct fertilizer and told me to buy it at the John Deere store, which used to be located on Rt. 301. I fertilized as they directed and the tree came back beautifully. The John Deere store has since relocated to Thomas Ave. in Leesburg.

You can now buy Lesco fertilizer at Fertilizer Direct, a TOTV sponsor. They deliver.

Yep. The research based answers come only from U F trained people. my first response to wilt is to water, as it has been dry recently...but please follow thru with seeking advice from Master Gardeners.

Pictures might be ok if the problem is a simple nutrient deficiency and the palm is otherwise healthy and established. But brown tips throughout the tree sounds more likely :

If recently planted, could be an air pocket under the root ball. Possible to have this effect the tree for the life of tree, or slowly kill it.

If recently planted, and the palm was B&B (dug from the ground and replanted) fertilizer can cause this problem (or even kill the palm) if applied before the roots have regrown. 6 months to a year on average.

The palm planted at the proper depth? Too deep or too shallow are both bad.

Did the landscaper 'mound' around the tree? Causes water to flow away from the root ball where it is needed. Add weedmat and stones around the tree 'mound' and it is almost impossible to get the tree enough water.

Nothing against UF, heck I bleed orange and blue, but a horticulture degree can be obtained from most any college in FL or the US, and the Master Gardener's program though fun and informative, is far from a degree in horticulture and very light in the palm information category.

My suggestion is find someone with extensive palm tree experience and a true higher education, and have them look at the tree. Not ask a person with a couple dozen hours learning about a wide variety of horticulture subjects and 40 hours of volunteer service.

Palm trees are expensive, the wrong diagnosis could cost you the tree.

I have only had palm trees for eight years. But, in the is I've been here they always look worse in the winter. May have nothing to do with the season but I'm just saying.

John Deere Landscapes on Thomas Ave in Leesburg sells Lesco 8-2-12 palm fertilizer only in 50 lb. bags. I only have two palms to fertilize and want to purchase a smaller amount. Does anyone know where I can find Lesco 8-2-12 in smaller amounts?

The brand is not important, what is in the bag is. There is nothing wrong with Lesco, but if you really break it down, different palm trees would have a different optimum mixture of nutrients, just like any other plant.
As long as there is a trace of boron, at least 2-3% Magnesium AND Manganese, a bit of iron and other micros, 10ish-2ish-10ish with the macros...your palm tree doesn't care who's label is on the bag, or how much you paid for it.