Question
QUESTION: Hi,
My smallish potted palm is dying and I don't know what to do. The top leaves are just all dried out and the stalks are yellow. At the base there is some whitish growth with black spots. Please save my plant!

Many thanks,
Becky

ANSWER: Hi Becky, ok lets see if we can turn this little guy around, first I need more info, how long in that container, how big is the container, does it have proper drainage medium lining the bottom to prevent moisture build up at the roots, is the planting medium (soil) hard/compact, if so it certainly needs to be changed out, because the water you give it could just be running down the sides of the container and not getting to the roots. You need to pop this little guy out of the container so we can see whats happening behind the scenes, waiting to hear from you.....Nick

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

QUESTION: Hi Nick, great to hear from you!
Pot is pretty big, cause when I bought the palm (about 2 months ago, that's how long it has been in the container) it was at least 3 ft tall but now I've had to cut it back a lot due to the dead leaves. I'd say the pot is 10 or so inches both in diameter and depth, it's terracotta. The dirt here is more like sand, so I think that's what's on the bottom below the roots, but it's not hard or compact as you say. I don't know if I can manage taking it out of the pot, there are three sections/bases of the palm.

Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi again! hmmm, it still sounds like the problem is definitely in the root ball, the drying crown leans me in that direction, I'm also wondering about possible cold stress, albeit you didn't mention if it was outside during a cold spell or not. I hate to make you do this, but I still suspect the root ball may not be getting enough moisture, because terracotta dries out pretty fast, the proper way to water a potted plant is to give it a good soaking so that the water runs out the drainage holes, and then let it dry to touch before watering again, this allows the root ball to get completely contacted, therefore utilizing the irrigation for growth, until the next time its watered again, many people make the mistake of just watering enough to form a surface drench, and the water never really gets to the roots. Now the whitish growth and black spots are an indication of a possible fungal problem, so I would eliminate that possibility by spraying the entire  palm with a copper fungicide, this will do no harm even if its not a fungal problem, but it will stem the tide if this is indeed the problem. I'm a little disconcerted at the crown being dried up, this is bad, and could mean its too far gone, but lets assume theres a chance, so address these issues I have discussed and let me know...Nick:)

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

QUESTION: Hi Nick, I've given it a really thorough watering. It's quite possible it didn't have enough water because I was told to only water it twice a week, and then I didn't give it so much each time. There don't seem to be holes on the bottom, the water doesn't run out. As for the copper fungicide, is there any alternative that I could make myself? I can't imagine how to find that here in Jaipur.

Answer
Ok, we got to change it out of that pot, especially if there isn't any drainage holes! often those terra cottas are made so that a container is to be inserted into it that has drainage holes. Place it in a new container that can be somewhat smaller then the terra cotta and then inserted into the terra cotta, making sure that the terra cotta has a  couple of inches of gravel on the bottom for the water to run off into (then make sure to periodically empty any residual water out of the terra cotta). Now, the copper fungicide isn't that important, now that we are pretty sure the problem is in lack of water getting to the root ball, so any type of fungicide you can find will due, and it should be sprayed periodically as a preventative anyway....Nick:)