Palm tree owners know that it can be difficult to determine when a tree is really dying. Aside from that, what can you do if your tree starts to die? Is there any recourse?
There are, in fact, ways to determine what the state of a palm is, and what can be done when your tree starts to die.
Decaying fronds, for example, can be an indication of different types of problems, and there are also other symptoms that might be indications of serious issues. Therefore, you should know how to inspect your tree carefully and determine the likely causes of problems before you do anything.
Why does my palm tree look dead?
If your palm tree starts to change its appearance, it may or may not be an indication of a serious problem. It could mean that you are simply taking care of it the wrong way. Let’s take a look at some of the factors involved in palm damage and see which ones are man-made and which are the result of environmental factors.
How do you know if a palm tree is dying, what are the signs?
If you’ve got a healthy palm, it will be green and have new fronds forming at the crown. Fronds are the types of leaves that are unique to palms, and their continued growth indicates that the tree is probably still in good condition.
However, there are a number of things that could cause your tree to decay. Problems can arise that are out of your control, so it’s a good idea to monitor your tree on a regular basis to make sure it stays in good shape.
Potential problems with your palm could include the following:
- Infestations. If you’ve got a few bugs on your tree, it is probably not a big deal. If, however, there seem to be infestations of different kinds of bugs, this could be a sign that your tree is dying. Some of the more common insects that could infest your tree include palm aphids, caterpillars, spider mites, and mealybugs.
While you don’t want to overreact at the sight of the occasional caterpillar, you do want to be able to catch infestations when they occur as once these problems reach a certain point, they can cause permanent damage to your tree.
- Greater than average frond shedding. Like other trees, palms go through the natural process of shedding leaves over time. However, healthy trees do this within a reasonable amount. There are several factors that could contribute to excessive frond shedding and cause problems for your tree:
- Extremely dry weather. Although palms often exist in dry weather climates, they do require some water to remain healthy. If the air is excessively dry for too long a period of time, front tips can start to become brown, which will eventually affect entire fronds. Note that too much water can also be problematic; if your palm’s fronds begin to become yellow, it could be an indication that they’ve been over-watered.
- When the weather suddenly becomes cold or windy. Cold and windy air is also potentially dangerous to the health of your palms. Cold or icy air can cause fronds to become brown, and large amounts of wind can turn them anywhere from yellow to brown.
- Poor quality soil. If the quality of the soil surrounding your tree becomes bad, this will surely have a negative effect on the tree itself.
- Different types of diseases. Just like humans and animals, trees can also become diseased. This can be particularly dangerous not only to your own tree, but to surrounding trees as trees can spread disease through their roots. If fronds either start to wilt or if they develop spots or rotting buds, this could be an indication of disease.
If you’re not sure whether or not your tree might be diseased or decaying, you can call a certified arborist to come in and inspect it for you.
Can you save a dead palm tree?
If your palm appears to be dead, you probably wonder if there is any way to salvage it. Well, the answer to this question is maybe. As mentioned above, there are certain problems that, once they reach a critical point, cannot be reversed. However, more minor issues can be effectively managed simply by changing the way that you care for your tree.
If you are over-watering or under-watering your tree, for example, and causing your leaves to change colour, this is something that you can adjust. You can also change the quality of the fertiliser that you use as it could be that your tree is not getting enough nutrients to grow healthily. And beyond the quality of your fertiliser, you want to ensure that you are applying it in the correct way. It should be about half a metre away from the tree’s roots. Putting it too close could actually cause the tree’s roots to burn.
As mentioned above, infestations can be a cause of serious problems, as well, so you should inspect your tree carefully to make sure this isn’t happening.
In addition, you should be sure to prune at appropriate times, when your fronds have become mostly brown. If you do it prematurely, this could be bad for your tree.
You can always get outside help
If you’re unsure about any of these processes, it’s always a good idea to get the opinion of a professional. Specialists can easily assess the health of your tree and give you good advice on how to take care of it. If you are conscientious about the maintenance of your palm, you should continue to have a healthy tree for a long time.
