Question
QUESTION: I hope it is not too late.  i don't know if I underwatered, overwatered, not enough nutrients, etc.   It is on a nice sunny porch, and our weather in Dallas has been perfectly tropical..humid, warm, rain, sun.  All the palms branches have turned brown and died.  the trunk (about 4 feet tall and 12" daimeter at the base) is looking dried up on the tips of the little bark sections. i recently added more potting soil (pot is large and ample) and some epsom salts:  no change.  there are new palms coming out but they are not staying green, more white with brown tips.
do you have any suggestions?  i have tried to think of everything to describe the situation.

ANSWER: Bonnie,

Palms generally grow naturally in tropical areas with sandy soil that drains well when it rains so the roots are never wet long. When we buy them they are in standard peat based potting soil that holds a lot of water with no sand. It sounds like you may have repotted it into a larger pot and put it deeper in the pot covering the growth point. You should never move a plant to a pot more than 2 inches larger than the pot it came out of. If you put it in too large a pot when you water it you give it enough water to get all the soil wet but the plant can't use up that much water within a few days and here you come with more water. Roots need a breating spell between waterings so they can breath in carbon dioxide through the soil, if it is constantly wet they do not get that. If the pot is too large they are generally constantly wet. Also it sounds like you may have buried it deeper than it was originally. The growing point is right there at the surface of the soil. The plant grows up from there and the roots gorw down from there, when you repot you should always keep that at the same level, never bury it deeper. The roots will groww deeper on there own. It doesn't sound like there is much hope for this plant but if you want to try again keep it in a smaller pot and move it up to a larger one 2inches at a time. Also use a sandy cactus type soil when repotting or buy a bag of builders sand and mix with the potting soil 50/50. Good luck.

Darlene

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

QUESTION: Dear Darlene!
Thank you so much for getting back with me so quickly.  I did not repot the plant, but this is great advise for next time.  I did discover bugs yesterday!  3/4 of an inch, black with red bottom tips, sucking and spitting liquid.  FULL Of them.  i think i found the problem.  Have any suggestions based on this discovery?  
Thanks so much for your time.

Answer
Bonnie,

Yes, head for your nearest garden center that has a person you can talk to.  Describe the insects and ask what insecticide they reccommend. I am in northern Indiana so I am not familiar with what insects you have attacking palms in Texas but local advice would be best. Get what he reccommends and use it immediately according to the instructions on the bottle. Good luck.

Darlene