Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I hope you can help me.   For absolutely years, I have had a palm tree, very slow growing.   It has only ever had one good leaf growing at the top and as the new leaf grows the second one down from it starts dying and the third one dies. I am left with a stem about 15 inches with old leaf stubs and a new leaf on the top.   What am I doing wrong.   I repot it occasionally with peat based compost.   It doesn't matter where we live, whether sunny or shady, cool or warm.   This is how it grows.   The compost bin would be an idea, but I have had this palm for so long that I would like to give it another chance. I would appreciate your help.
God bless you and your family,
Philomena

ANSWER: Philomena,

I have a couple of questions for you that I think will get you on the right track. Palms grow on sunny sandy beaches. When you repot yours are you mixing the potting soil half and half with sand? If not you need to be. Also when you repot it is the soil soggy at the bottom of the pot? I suspect you are keeping it constantly wet and it should not be. It needs to dry out well between waterings. It must be in a pot with a drain hole and a drain tray and an hour after you water it you need to empty the drain tray so it is not sitting in a tray full of water. Then do not water the plant again for a week so the soil is nearly dry and the plant is a lot lighter than it was. If it takes 2 weeks for it to dry out let it go 2 weeks. You can insert a bamboo skewer into the soil and pull that out to tell if it is dry. Only water it when the skewer is dry down to the bottom 2 inches. also the pot should be no bigger around than the top of the plant would be if it had palm leaves all the way around. If it is larger than that it is over-potted. Give it as much sun as possible. If you have more questions write again. Good luck.

Darlene

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Good morning Darlene,

Thank you for your reply.   I have had this palm for so long that I have forgotten it's original name.   I have never put sand in the compost and have watered it 'well'.   I will follow your advice and see what happens.   You know, I never thought of relating it to natural growing palms.   How silly of me. What about plant food???  Thank you so much for your reply and your advice.

God bless you and your family,
Yours in Peace
Philomena

Answer
Philomena,

You can feed it every 2 months but not during the winter months with an acidic water soluable fertilizer such as Miracid.  Or you can use any dry fertilizer that says it is for palms but only during the spring, summer and fall months and follow the directions on the box.

You may be able to go to this website: http://palm-trees.org/  and look at pictures there to identify what type of palm you have. Good luck.

Darlene