Question

macro photo  

leaf   Hello Will,
Thx for helping me, first of all :)
I have this palm tree ( i think is a kenthia, that was growing very well, but last year it got white spots and the leafs became very light green to yellow.
I gave some fertilizer and became better but now again is getting sick.
I reppoted 2 years ago when the plant arrived here. No changes in plant environment.
The plant has a lot of natural light, 2 hours direct sunlight early morning (filtered by window glass)
The plastic pot is inside a ceramic one with no exit for water (could this be the cause?) , although i try no to have remaining water at the bottom of the ceramic one.
I can send you more photos.
As you see she started growing new leafs but after the spots came back she stopped growing, like is frozen and getting sicker very slowly.
I live in Telaviv- Israel, nice weather for plants.
Don't use a lot AC mostly natural weather.
That's all
I'll be glad if you can help us :)
Thx again
David

Answer
Hi David,

The mottled appearance on the leaves is caused by tiny spider mites on the fronds. The mites look like tiny particles of dust when you look closely. They also spin very fine, tiny webs between the leaflets. Once you know what to look for, their appearance is pretty obvious despite their small size.

It's hard to know where the spider mites came from, but there is a good chance they were there when you purchased it but remained dormant for a while. They tend to multiply on plants that are under stress due to improper light or watering.

A cannot see enough of your Palm to confirm that it is a Kentia, but Kentias are generally fairly resistant to spider mites. Majesty Palms, on the other hand, are not.

The spider mites can be treated with a solution of soapy water, using liquid dish soap mixed as you would to wash dishes. The key is to thoroughly spray ever frond and stem until they are dripping wet. If you miss even a few mites in between droplets of spray, they will reproduce and return to re-infest the plant. This is a messy process, but essential to success.

The mottled appearance on the leaves will not go away. However, new fronds should be a healthy green color.

Without knowing specifically which Palm you have, I cannot advise you on its light and water requirements.

I have written articles on treating indoor plant pests and on Palm care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com