The spear leaf shoots right up from the middle of the tree.

Do you have a palm tree predicament?

Take a look outside. Do your palms have more brown and yellow fronds than green ones? Don’t worry, your tree may be perfectly fine, and if it’s not, we can help.

Look at the leaves

First off, a few brown fronds aren’t always a bad thing. Don’t rush out and grab the saw every time that you see one. New growth feeds off the nutrients from dying brown ones. We see too many palms that are over-pruned. Here’s a tip, if your palm looks like the tail of a rooster, you’ve cut too much.

Now, if your tree is just about all brown, there may be a more significant issue. Look for the spear leaf. It’s the newest frond that grows right out of the bud of the tree.  You’ll know why it’s called a spear leaf when you see it. All new growth comes from the spear leaf; if it’s rotted or damaged, your palm tree is dying.

Water worries

There’s an easy way to figure out if water is your issue. Trees getting too much of it will drop fronds before they dry out.  If you see the tips of leaves turning brown, the tree isn’t getting enough water. Keep in mind this is growing season for palms.

Fertilizer fail 

You should feed your palms, but as with everything else, in moderation. Yellow spots indicate that your tree isn’t getting enough fertilizer, but if the tips of the new growth look burned, it’s getting too much.

We haven’t even gotten into all the pests and diseases that are out to pick apart your palms; we’ll save that for another time.

Keep this in mind, just beca

use your tree is in trouble doesn’t mean it can’t be saved. We would love to take a look at your palms to help determine what’s wrong and hopefully rescue these local icons.