Question
Dying Fond
We were given an indoor Palm tree as a gift in Sept. 2008 and it continues to have brown fonds at the tips. The woman that gave us the plant does not know what kind it is and said to cut off the tips. Well, the more i cut off the browner the tips became and eventually the entire branch turned brown. The center of the tree is still growing new branches but all of the ones that have matured are quickly browning. I water it twice a week and make sure the soil is moist, it also gets morning sunlight through open blinds. This plant is at our office and it is my job to keep it up. Some one mentioned mites, but i examined it and didn't see any. There were, however dot size dark brown bugs that run quickly over and through the soil. They look like a dot with a brown shell and you cant see any legs. I've looked online and can't find any images of my palm or of the bugs.
AnswerHi Ashley, ok, first of all, you are watering it too much, second, it is tropical by nature and needs high humidity, this can be duplicated with misting, keeping the fronds moist but the soil relatively dry; mites can be a problem in a dry environment, but you would see web like structures in the fronds. The insects you see in the soil are a mystery to me, but I would recommend that you change out the soil (completely..) and follow these instructions, line the bottom of the container with about 2 inches of gravel or pebbles, use a quality potting soil, mist the fronds daily and only water when the container is dry halfway down. Fertilize with a palm fertilizer (granular) 3 times a year, and as the palm outgrows the container, change it out with new soil (probably once a year...). that is a good start for you Ashley, and I think you will see a pronounced improvement once the roots take hold, but be patient after these adjustments are put in place. Nick
