Palm tree 911
Majestic plant’s three common problems
For the last 10 years, home decor magazines and TV shows have consistently been using the same type of plant in the background of all of their pictures and designs — the majesty palm. You can probably picture the one I mean. The majesty palm is known for its tall green fronds coming out of a stalk at the bottom. This is the ideal plant for decorating with because the size of the planter is relatively small and the arching fronds usually go over the height of a side table or a sofa. Unfortunately, this plant doesn’t love our homes as much as we love it. During the winter months, I get a lot of questions about why the palms are all looking a little haggard, with split, dry and brown leaves. Here are the three most common problems and what you can do about them. Brown leaves or brown tips at the end of the leaf: This is a common problem during the winter, especially if you have you plants near windows. Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the way you heat your home. If you have forced air or use a fireplace, your home is likely very dry. Palms need humidity, much like their homes in the south. When you have a palm in a dry home and place it near a light source (like a window), the plants dry themselves out through photosynthesis. Misting the plants helps a little, but you have to do it every day. Instead, invest in a little humidifier. Not only will it help your plants, it will probably help you, as well.
Yellowing leaves can signify a few different problems for your palm trees: Often leaves go
yellow due to a lack of sufficient sunlight. This happens in the win- ter because the sun’s intensity is less and there are fewer hours of actual light. Providing some artificial light for your plant is a simple solution. Another issue yellow leaves are a marker for is lack of nutrients in the soil. Even though we see palms growing in sand at the beach, they do need good soil to grow healthy. Consider adding some fertilizer rich in nitrogen and magnesium to your planter.
Another reason that your palm tree may not be looking
to good at this time of year is due to an infestation: I know this first hand because my own palm is covered in scale. Scale may sound like a disease but they are actually parasitic insects that feed on the sap of your plant. They also leave a sticky residue that some refer to as honeydew. This is not an easy problem to fix because scale, like turtles, travel around with a protective covering over the top of them. To get rid of a serious scale problem, start by removing the branches that are covered the worst. Next, get a soft sponge or cloth and wash the stems and branches with warm, clean water. Once this has dried, spray the whole plant, including the soil and the base, with insecticidal soap. You may have to repeat this process a few times to get rid of all of the bugs. Outdoor design and lifestyle expert Carson Arthur has become the voice of environmentally friendly landscape design and loves to help people maximize their outdoor spaces. Online at carsonarthur.com Twitter: @CarsonArthur