An indoor palm tree is turning yellow, what to do. Why do the leaves of an indoor palm tree turn yellow and how to deal with the problem? Leaves turn black: factors
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Why do the tips of the date palm leaves dry out? Why do spots appear? Date palm diseases may be related both with diseases and with illiterate care.
Fungal and viral diseases
Responsible for date palm diseases various pathogens:
- Fungi.
- Viruses.
- Bacteria.
The most common fungal disease is gray spot. Signs of the disease are gray spots on the leaves, more so on older ones. As the disease progresses, black spots appear - these are fungal spores.
For treatment It is necessary to remove all infected parts before the disease affects the entire plant. Next, the palm tree is treated with fungicides - special antifungal drugs. The same remedies are also applicable for another, no less common fungal disease - pink rot.
Bacteria lead to putrefactive processes. They are characterized by soft stems and leaves, which also become discolored and fall off. The appearance of bacteria is promoted by increased soil moisture and keeping them in a cold room.
If a mosaic-type pattern appears on the leaves, this signals a viral infection. Most often the plant insects infect, which must be destroyed indoors in a timely manner. They may be:
- flies;
- mosquitoes;
- moths.
And other insects that can enter the room. For protection, mosquito nets should be installed on windows.
Once every six months it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment of plants with special chemicals.
Reasons for the loss of decorative appearance
Soil oversaturated with moisture can lead to the appearance of brown spots. Watering with cold water also leads to the same result.
Softening the trunk, combined with a putrid odor, also signals excess moisture that threatens the life of the plant.
To check, you need to remove it from the pot and inspect it. If dead roots are found, you need to separate them from living ones and thoroughly clean them. Replant into another pot and into drier soil.
The leaves of the date palm are drying up, what should I do? If watering is insufficient, the leaves begin to wither and turn yellow. This may also be due to poor quality water - too hard or low in essential microelements.
But the same symptoms can also indicate too dense soil and associated moisture stagnation. The best solution in such a situation would be to replant into looser soil.
Brown coloration of leaf tips- the result of insufficient air humidity. The same symptom is characteristic of hypothermia.
Diseases and pests
Red spider mite is one of the main enemies not only of the date palm, but also of many other indoor plants.
The size of the insect is only half a millimeter. It is bred in rooms with extremely low humidity and high temperature. It starts first in the stem, gradually spreading to the leaves.
Symptoms include gray or yellow spots and cracks. If no measures are taken, the green pet will die, completely covered in cobwebs. Particular attention should be paid in the spring, this is the time of the most likely infection.
Shchitovka also feeds on plant sap and spreads very quickly. Insects gradually cover the entire palm tree, its surface becomes like tiny scales. As a result of loss of juice, the foliage withers and turns yellow, and the shoots may dry out.
Photo
Date palm diseases: photos show how your plant can suffer from improper care or pests.
- phosphamide;
- fitoverm;
- actellik;
- pyrethrum.
The proportion of the chemical solution is 2 g per 1 liter. water. It is advisable to spray once a week.
Traditional disinfection is also suitable: wipe the infected areas with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol and spray the rest of the plant.
For health and freshness
Upper branches can't be trimmed! This can lead to the death of the plant. Drying of the upper branch is an unnatural process and signals a disease.
Proper care is a panacea for many diseases
The most susceptible to diseases are weakened plants that lack proper care (what are they like at home?). Compliance with all rules:
- glaze;
- feeding;
- temperature;
- light mode;
can prevent many diseases.
It is necessary to regularly inspect the plant, and if pests are found, destroy them immediately.
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If suddenly the leaves of a palm tree growing in your house begin to turn yellow and dry out, there is no need to panic - you just have to think about how to revive the palm tree. This is quite easy to do. This symptom of “disease” can appear when there is a lack of moisture or in very dry air. Therefore, you need to trim the leaves, slightly above the dry part of the leaf, then wash each leaf with water (if it is winter) or spray it with water (if it is summer). And yet, do not forget about regular watering of the plant.
Even children know what a date palm looks like. This is the best among ornamental plants due to the evergreen spreading crown at the top. Under natural conditions, it reaches a height of 10 to 30 m. Its straight trunk is distinguished by its “shaggy” appearance. However, at home, the height of the palm tree is 2-2.5 m. Do not forget that the palm tree is a southern plant, which means it loves warmth, light and moisture. Providing all this at home is troublesome, but possible (although, of course, a greenhouse would be the ideal place for a palm tree).
If you don't know how to prune a palm tree, you can destroy it. The fact is that a “domestic” palm tree cannot be trimmed with its beautiful spreading leaves. Then it will lose its luxurious decorative appearance, and in the places where the cut is made the plant may begin to “hurt.” The only thing that can be trimmed is the roots of the plant at the time of replanting, which must be done annually until the palm tree reaches its fifth year of age. When the palm tree is older than five years, all its roots need is space, so the tub should be quite voluminous.
If you wish, you can plant a date palm at home. How to grow a date palm at home? Remembering that the palm tree is a large plant, you need to take care of a tall pot in advance. When replanting a palm tree, it is advisable to lay a layer of drainage on the bottom of the pot to gradually replenish it with moisture. The roots themselves must be planted exactly at the depth at which they were planted before transplanting, otherwise the roots will rot. Although the date palm loves warmth, it is not picky at home, and a temperature from +18 to +220C is enough for it.
Lovers of exotic plants should remember that, for example, the mixed palm tree is very capricious - how you care for it is how it will grow. It needs to be watered abundantly, but rarely, in both spring and summer. In winter, the “golden mean” must be observed, that is, not often, but also do not forget about watering. As with other types of palm trees, you need to remember that the leaves cannot be trimmed, since this is where the growth point of the palm tree is located. By growing a palm tree at home, you can receive positive emotions not only yourself, but also make your friends and loved ones happy.
A previously lush, beautiful palm tree may begin to turn yellow and crumble. This is due to inappropriate growing conditions, incorrect or the presence of a pest. Let's take a closer look at why indoor palm leaves turn yellow and how to deal with the problem.
This reason is one of the main ones that lead to yellowing and drying of the leaves of the plant. The driest air is observed in mid-summer and winter, after turning on the central heating.
When trying to moisten a palm tree, you should never flood it - wet soil has nothing to do with humidity. This will lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant.
The simplest and most effective way to moisten a plant is to spray it with a spray bottle. The leaves of the plant will receive the necessary moisture and their cells will begin to work at full capacity, performing the process of photosynthesis. Other methods of humidifying indoor air include:
A hygrometer is used to determine the degree of humidity. The digital version will also show the air temperature and current time.
Temperature
The reason for yellowing of foliage can be too low indoor air temperature in winter. Do not forget that the palm tree is a tropical plant, which in its homeland is constantly located in a warm climate. , brought from tropical latitudes, need a temperature of 16 to 24 degrees. Palm trees growing in the subtropics are able to withstand lower temperatures, not lower than 8 degrees.
Regardless of the type, this plant does not like drafts, and its roots do not like cold. A pot with a palm tree should not be placed on a windowsill or concrete floor during the cold season. Pots will help protect against hypothermia in winter and excessive overheating of roots in summer - the air gap between the walls will act as a thermostat.
Watering
Sometimes, trying to figure out what to do when the tips of a palm tree’s leaves dry out, they find the answer in reducing the amount of watering. The plant is considered moisture-loving, but only if there is good drainage in the pot. Otherwise, moisture is retained in the ground and the roots begin to rot. And since some of the roots do not supply moisture to the crown, the leaves begin to dry out.
Watering should be done when the top third of the pot begins to dry out and the bottom third is still slightly damp. Also, the amount of water used varies depending on the air temperature - in fairly cold rooms (5-7 degrees), watering is carried out once every 1-2 months, or is completely replaced by spraying the crown. After moistening the soil, it should be loosened to open air access to the roots and ensure the evaporation of excess moisture.
Frequent transplantation
The palm tree does not like frequent transplantation, but since this cannot be avoided at home, the procedure must be kept to a minimum. A young plant up to 3 years old, since during this period it already manages to outgrow the allotted pot. An adult palm tree is moved to a larger container every 3-5 years. At the same time, they look at the direction in which the roots grow: accumulation at the edges requires an increase in the diameter of the pot, and at the bottom - the height.
During transplantation, the plant is moved along with a lump of earth in which the roots are located, this will protect them from damage.
Lighting
Sometimes the answer to the question of what to do if the leaves of a palm tree turn yellow is to change the location of the pot with the plant. It is best to place the palm tree a meter from the window; this will provide a sufficient amount of light, but will not allow direct sunlight to burn the leaves during the particularly hot summer months.
A plant located in the shade should be immediately moved closer to a source of natural light, since not a single palm tree can survive its absence.
Diseases and pests
Pests can settle on the palm tree and suck out the sap, which leads to yellowing of the leaves. These include:
The palm diseases shown in the photo at home are divided into fungal and bacterial. While the former can still be dealt with, the latter leave virtually no chance - it is better to get rid of the plant right away to avoid infecting other flowers. Diseases appear in the form of various spots on the leaves. The fight consists in the use of preparations based on fungicides. Also, all damaged areas must be removed from the plant and removed from the premises.
There are a huge number of types of palm trees. There are reed palms, fan palms, pinnate palms, sago palms, etc. They vary in size, not all of them can grow indoors, but the vast majority of these plants are united by the shape of their leaves.
As a rule, these are long and narrow “feathers”. It is the tips of these “feathers” that cause flower growers a lot of trouble. They turn yellow, followed by the whole leaf turning yellow, and then the whole branch. We cut it off, but the troubles don’t end there, as the next leaf begins to turn yellow, followed by another... What are we doing wrong? Why, while seemingly saving the plant, do we only make it worse, and why does the palm tree turn yellow in the first place?
Palms are light-loving plants, but many indoor palms need soft shading, and species such as Howea and Livistona do not tolerate direct sunlight. Hamedorene species are undemanding to light. Even the most “sun-loving” ones (canary date, palmate date) are best placed at some distance from a sunny southern window, since directly near the window, with frequent spraying and washing, burns from direct sunlight can form on the leaves.
Palm trees are among the few plants that can grow in the back of the room (if not on the north side). In summer, the pot with the palm tree is turned towards the sun so that the “arrow” of the new leaf is directed into the room. Then the palm tree grows spreadingly.
If the tips of the leaves begin to turn yellow, do not rush to take emergency measures; perhaps the reason is that you have chosen the wrong place for the palm tree. Leaves may turn yellow if the plant is uncomfortable, and uncomfortable conditions for a palm tree include placing it in a draft.
Often the cause of yellowing leaves is improper watering of the plant. The palm tree is native to the tropics, and therefore this tree loves moisture. In summer it needs to be watered more often, in winter, of course, less often. And if during the cold season you move the plant to a cool room, then it is not watered, but sprayed. If the leaves of a palm tree turn yellow, this means that you are doing something wrong.
In particular, it is very important that the entire soil ball is moistened evenly. If the soil is watered often, but little by little, the roots of the plant may remain dry. In addition, palm trees may not tolerate dry air well. Therefore, it is better to place a humidifier in the room.
However, it is very important to observe the measure here, since otherwise you can flood the plant. This will make the soil unsuitable for growing palm trees, and the tree itself may rot.
Yellowing can be a completely natural process. Usually, with age, the lower leaves of a palm tree die off, and the trunk itself becomes stronger and taller. Of course, such leaves need to be removed, but only after they are completely dry. Determining the cause of drying out on your own can be quite difficult. But even if the leaves have turned yellow due to damage to the roots or drying out of the plant, you should not cut off only the dried part. You must definitely wait for the entire leaf to die off.
Palm leaves can also die due to pests. Most often, this plant is affected by spider mites or scale insects. Determining their presence is quite simple - colonies of pests are visible to the naked eye. Scale insects, for example, look like brown plaques. To get rid of pests, you need to use an insecticide.
Yellow leaves may be a sign of disease
Main Factors
Palm tree is a tropical plant. To keep it in an apartment, the owner needs to make an effort and create conditions in which it will be comfortable. Otherwise, the foliage turns yellow, turns brown or dries out, and the plant itself may even die.
Palm leaves may fall off due to natural reasons. During the process of natural falling, plants usually shed the lower part of their foliage. However, the leaves turn yellow due to other reasons that gardeners should be aware of.
Dry air
Many people who have indoor plants may wonder why palm leaves turn yellow. Intensive heating in apartments in winter causes dry air. They feel uncomfortable in such conditions. The optimal temperature during cold periods should not exceed 15-20 °C.
To optimize living conditions, the air is humidified. Flower growers also spray their plants with a spray bottle and moisten the top layer of the earthen clod in which the palm tree is planted. It is worth remembering that frequent watering is not required.
Drafts
The statement that at home a palm tree should be kept in the south is incorrect.
Direct sunlight does not bring him any benefit, they have a detrimental effect. The best solution would be to place the container with the plant at a short distance from the window opening.
Drafts are a phenomenon that is contraindicated for palm trees. Winter drafts are especially harmful. Cold air causes damage, due to which the leaves change their color (turn yellow, turn brown or turn black) or even fall off, and the plant itself withers and dries.
It is worth remembering what to do with the plant while the room is being ventilated. Experienced gardeners recommend covering the palm tree with a cloth or taking it out of the room. Do not block the flow of fresh air flow, otherwise the growth process will slow down.
Frequent and incorrect transplantation
Another common reason why palm leaves turn yellow is improper replanting. Many gardeners may make the mistake of replacing the pot in which an indoor palm tree grows too often.
Moving from one pot to another is necessary when the root system grows so much that the old container becomes small. For young plants, this frequency is no more than once a year. Older trees are usually replanted once every three years.
Sometimes replacing the top layer of the earthen coma will be a sufficient measure to prevent problems and save the plant from withering and death. It is also worth remembering that the new pot in which the indoor palm tree will be planted must be taller and wider than the previous one.
Malicious organisms
The reason why palm leaves turn yellow does not always lie in the conditions under which the plant is kept. The answer to a question that worries many gardeners may be somewhat unexpected, but natural.
Shchitovka
Scale insects are the most common insects, due to which the palm tree dries out and the foliage changes its color or falls off altogether. Scale insects are homoptera brown insects with a rounded body. Females have a so-called scute. Pests attach themselves to the young shoots of the plant, sucking out the juices.
Among the many options for combating scale insects, a grower can choose the one he considers most effective. If the choice falls on insecticides, it is recommended to use Actellik. This drug has proven to be the most effective.
Spider mites
These insects are difficult to see and notice. The peculiarity of their activity is not only that the leaves on the palm tree turn yellow, but also that they begin to become covered with cobwebs.
Mealybug
The insect known as mealybug is the most dangerous to trees and can also be the reason why palm trees turn yellow. This louse is white in color and large in size. When attacked by this pest, the foliage turns yellow, the plant becomes as if sprinkled with flour, and all parts of the tree are covered with mucus.
Olive oil helps in the fight against mealybugs
Blackening of foliage
The tips of the leaves may turn black. The causes of this problem most often lie in the conditions in which the indoor palm tree is kept.
Today, the following factors are known that cause blackening of foliage in palm plants:
- Dry air predominates in the room.
- The palm tree is not watered properly.
- The influence of cold air currents.
- A compacted earthen lump.
To help the plant, you don’t need to do anything special, just eliminate the cause of the problem. Flower growers recommend fertilizing with fertilizers.
If you had to think about the question of why the leaves of a palm tree dry out, or other unhealthy metamorphoses are observed, then you should think about whether the basic recommendations for the maintenance of the plant have been violated. Knowing how to properly care for a palm tree, you can avoid the need to save it from problems with leaves and from possible death.
In order not to rack your brains over why the palm tree dries out, you should not lose sight of the following points:
- Maintain optimal air humidity.
- Ventilate the room in which the palm tree is kept.
- Ensure the natural process of moisture evaporation.
Not forgetting that palm leaves turn yellow mostly due to violations of optimal conditions, many problems can be avoided. By adhering to basic rules, a florist can enjoy the fact that a healthy and beautiful palm tree grows in his home for a long time.
Conclusion
The answer to the question of why a palm tree dries out lies in how the grower cares for his plant.
By reviewing the conditions under which the tree is kept and taking fairly simple measures, you can eliminate all existing problems and prevent their occurrence for a long time.