Question
A friend of mine asked me to take care of his 6 foot indoor palm tree while he is out of the country for the next year. As far as I know he has only had the tree for a year and I haven't been doing anything different as for caring for the tree itself. I water it every 10 days like I was told and it is in front of a window that receives a fair amount of sunlight but recently I've noticed it hasn't been looking all that well. The leaves are brown and breaking at the ends. The I noticed the bark on the tree starting to change - its starting to look like a normal out door tree bark. A week ago I noticed a big hole form on the tree and then I noticed a white stone like substance attached to the bottom of the tree near the soil. Today I noticed three more little holes that formed and it looked like sap was being discharged from the holes.

I've only had this tree in my care for a month and I don't want it to die. Can someone help me with what the problem could be and some suggestions to help me save my friends palm tree?

Thank you!!!
Laura

Answer
Hi Laura, without seeing it makes it difficult for me to really diagnose what is going on with this palm, but the stone like substance at the base could be "Ganoderma Butt Rot", it is a fatal disease in palms (incurable), the other symptoms could be a result of it. Ganoderma manifests itself by forming a mushroom type growth at the soil line, it grows out from the inside of the palm and eventually kills it. Research this in your computer and let me know if this sounds like what is afflicting your friends palm, and if it is, it was nothing you did wrong:)