Question
QUESTION: I have a silver queen withh three very healthy fronds, but the spike in the middle is bent over and the bottom of it is green, but the foliage that would have come out is dead.  The top of the spike still is green, but I doubt it will make it.  Should I prune the spike and hope another comes out, or is it doomed.  I put fungicide in it yesterday.  My other three silver queens have strong spikes and are doing well.
Roger

ANSWER: Hi Roger, it sounds like it has "crown rot", and if so, it is in fact doomed (there is no correcting it); wait and see however, but if the spear can be pulled out with very little effort, then it is gone, Queens only send out the one emerging spear at a time, but it must begin unraveling before another will form. Nick

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QUESTION: How do I protect from this happening again?

Answer
..usually crown rot can be blamed on either too much moisture in the root system, or the palm being planted too deep, keep mulch or any other ground cover away from the trunk of the palm, at least 2 feet from contacting it, and make sure the roots of the palm can be seen, about 2 inches or so above the soil level is perfect. Nick