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anelmy_gw

Alexandra palm - saveable?

anelmy
10 years ago

Hi, I purchased an Alexandra Palm for the first time a couple of months ago. I had the palm outside but unfortunately had some very windy weather and it was knocked over several times.

It has since been moved into a bigger pot to stop any further tipping but some leaves have been bent and have continued to brown since then, including the new frond which was growing. It doesn't seem like there has been any growth since. I'm unsure if I can cut the damaged fronds off as they are obviously attached to a thick trunk and because the palm is still young and hasn't got many of them.

The palm is now positioned in the least windy area & watered once a week with a palm fertiliser.

I have uploaded a photo. I am a new gardener so if anyone has any idea if this palm is saveable, I would very much appreciate it!

Comments (11)

  • tropicalzone7
    10 years ago

    It definitely looks like it will be okay. As long as the center frond remains green it will grow back without any problems. It should make a full recovery now that it's out of the wind.
    Good luck!
    -Alex

  • anelmy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Alex, I was concerned as the new frond has browned and I don't think it has been opening up but I guess it's hard to tell. A full recovery would be great though!
    - Amy

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    The palm doesn't look too bad from the photo. Quite often a frond will still keep producing for the plant after it has been bent (it's the fronds that produce the food for the plant). They may look a bit 'ratty' as a result of accidents but are still mostly viable. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'd leave any old bent fronds that still have some green. You're coming into the warmer growing season so it should begin to get new fronds soon anyway. Which area exactly are you in?

  • anelmy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the reply tropicbreezent, some very handy information there as I didn't know weather to remove the bent fronds or not, I will now leave them as they all have some green.

    I'm from South Australia and you're right, spring is around the corner. I will be keeping a close eye to see if new fronds appear!

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    In SA I'd make sure it keeps warm. And there's some wild and woolly weather just around the corner from you now. Soil in pots can chill quicker than the ground does.

  • anelmy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Any suggestions of how to keep my palm warm other than moving it inside. It is mostly sheltered. I've heard of covering it with a light blanket? I also have some pine bark laying around, would layering some over the top of the soil help keep in the warmth?

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    Any layer like that would help. But heat can escape through the sides as well. Depends on how long any cold temps persist. They come from north of Brisbane so that's a good clue to best temps. Personally I'd keep it indoors when it gets too cold. Your other issue would be your hot dry winds in summer. So a humid little nook at those times would also be best. It is a bit of a balancing act, but not really difficult.

  • tropicalzone7
    10 years ago

    I agree, I think bringing it indoors during cold nights are the easiest and best way to keep it warm at that size. Blankets are a great way to protect things from a frost, blankets only help a little to keep plants from getting cold since blankets only keep people warm by trapping in our own body heat (and plants don't produce any heat). If you have a heat source under the blanket like christmas lights, that will warm it up a lot, but that could be a fire hazard unless you know for sure the lights won't get too warm and the blanket is not flammable.
    Good luck!
    -Alex

  • anelmy
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The problem besides the weight with bringing the palm indoors during the cold would be limited space in my apartment, everything is carpeted as well besides a small kitchen and the bathroom. The weather is warming up so i'm hoping this along with the pine bark and keeping the palm in the most sheltered space on the balcony will help. I might stay away from the lights/blanket idea for now, just in case!

    Thank you both for your advice, Amy.

  • david_
    10 years ago

    If the area where you live gets below freezing your palm could die in a pot. You could build a structure around it and insulate it, but freezing temps in a pot without protection is deadly for marginal palms for sure. I would put some peroxide in the top of the trunk to try and stop any disease forming in the crown. When it fell over it could of hurt the crown or could even kill it.The not growing is probably because it sustained an injury.

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    You're probably right about not having to worry about cold for a while. And when it does get cold again, it'll only be of concern overnight. Generally they're only grown outdoors as far south as about Sydney. But they do grow tall. Long term you'll have to consider a replacement.