Question
Hi i bought 2 healthy bangalow palms 1 mth ago and one isnt looking too happy now. Many of the branches have gone browny-green, and are curling up. The ones that look green still have small dry areas also.

The plant is inside. i live in Melbourne, Australia so its cold outside at the moment (about 2-14C).

Its about 7 foot tall and the pots about 30cms in diameter. When it started looking sick last week i repoted it to this pot from the one we bought it in (the guy at the shop told us to do this).

Maybe the pots still not big enough or its slow to recover? is there a trick when re potting? the plant had fertiliser and fresh soil.

Thansk for your help. i will also email photos. I also posted this on the main area but couldnt see anywhere to send photos.

thanks,Lisa


Answer
Hi Lisa,

Thanks for emailing the photos. There are a couple of possibilities here. One is that it may not be getting enough light. These palms really prefer lots of direct sunlight all day long when they are inside. In addition, your days are short right now.

The other possibility is improper watering. This palm does not tolerate dry soil. Before you repotted, you may have let it get a bit too dry once or twice. That is enough to precipitate the dying of many fronds.

The damaged fronds will never recover, so you may as well cut them off. If you provide adequate light and water, then further leaf dying should cease and new growth should be healthy. However, recovery will take a long time.

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

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