What is happening to my palm?
 

I have a palm that has turned gray and looks like it is dying. The part of the limbs on the underside are still green, but the top and sides are gray. The trunk is about 18 inches in diameter and it is about 10 feet tall overall.
It has been watered regularly, and is about 6 years old. I have attached pictures.
Does anyone have an idea of what is wrong or who I could call to get an analysis?
Thanks

Welcome to being a Palm Tree Owner.

Call the Sumter County Extension Office
Main Office Address

UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension
7620 State Road 471, Suite 2
Bushnell, FL 33513-8716

Phone FAX

(352) 793-2728 (352) 793-6376

E-mail the Office

sumter@ifas.ufl.edu



The Villages Annex Office Address

8033 CR 466

Lady Lake, FL 32162

Phone

(352) 689-4668

Oh my, I have a European Fan Palm that is having similar issues and is also starting to
fall over about 1/3 down the trunk from the top. Breaks my heart.

My guess is the soil bed is way too small it should be as large as the tips of the fronds.

So the lawn fertilizer (which is not good for palms) is hitting the roots.

If the bed was larger and fertilized with Lesco palm fertilizer I think it would not have happened.

Just my opinion.

But call the Ext folks ASAP

I agree with Bogie Shooter......call the IFIS branch at The Villages.
Jim or one of the others will come to your home and diagnose,
at no cost to you.

Cut off a palm frond and take it to the county extension office, It looks like a mineral deficiency which can be corrected with some magnesium and mangenese simply spread on the ground around the tree. The magnesium part is very cheap -- epsom salts from the drug store. The mangenese may be available at the garden shop at Home Depot or Lowes.

BUT, don't do that right now. Take a frond to the Extension Service office. You might take a cup of soil from under the tree too for a soil analysis.

The tree should recover.

Magnesium Defeciency in Palms
 

The University of Florida has a download that you can look at for yourself and compare with your palm.

I would take a frond to the extension office and ask for the advise from an expert as Carl advised.

Hopefully it isn't butt rot.

Below is the link to the website.

ENH 1014/EP266: Magnesium Deficiency in Palms

Called UF/IFAS around 6pm and left a message. Will let you know if I hear back.

Looks like Butt Rot!!!!! But I would take sample to Count Extension as suggested!

if the central bud at the top is dead, you will have to remove the tree. palms only grow from this one bud.

Did not hear back yesterday, called again, had to leave a message again. Will continue to keep you posted.

or you can just go to their office.

Thanks
 

Thanks

Still no call back - this just burns me up. What the hell has happened in this country that people don't return calls??? Hello - are we paying your salary?