Question

Sick Palms :(   I have a some questions:
I've been buying palms for several years and seem to have the same problem. They never do great. They get this sticky, shiny disease on them, they seem to loose all color in the leaves.
They continue to shoot up new fawns but the plants seem to be fighting a loosing battle. This can go on for years. 4 questions.
1. What is this disease?
2. Could it be the potting soil?
3. Do I need special fertilizer?
4. They make these little seed sprouts (how do I propagate?)

Answer
Hi Ginni,

The Palm in the photo you provided is a Parlor Palm or Chamaedorea elegans. Like most Palm species, it is highly attractive to insect pests called spider mites. It is not a disease. If you look carefully you will see tiny little white or reddish specks moving along the very fine webs they have spun. These tiny spiders suck the chlorophyll from the fronds and leave a silvery mottled appearance to the fronds. If not treated promptly and properly, they will eventually destroy a plant.

Spider mites feed only on live plant material. They do not live in soil or on pets or people.

Fertilizer certainly will not treat spider mites and should only be used on healthy, vigorously growing plants.

To properly treat spider mites, mix a squirt of liquid dish soap in a spray bottle filled with water. Then, thoroughly spray all leaf and stem surfaces until they are dripping wet. This is messy, but thoroughness of coverage is critical to successful treatment. If you are thorough, one treatment is usually sufficient. This will smother and kill the tiny mites, but it will not restore their natural green color to the previously damaged fronds. New growth, however, will emerge in a healthy condition once the mites have been treated.

Propagating Palms from seeds is difficult because they are often sterile. You can try placing them a half-inch deep in damp sphagnum moss and keeping them warm. Although the odds are against you, the seeds may germinate for you. There is no other way (cuttings, division) to propagate Palms.

I have written articles on treating indoor plant pests and on caring for Palms 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.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to PlantCareExperts.com