Pygmy date palm ( Phoenix roebelinii ) are small palms that are used in container or extraneous landscapes . They grow slowly , reaching an average height of 6 to 8 foot . Pigmy date palm have dense , arc crowns and work out well as specimen or accent plant .
Leaf Spots and Blights
Pygmy date palms are susceptible to folio smirch and blight make by fungi and bacteria . Affected areas commence as small urine - soaked lesion , which sour brownish , reddish - brown , chickenhearted , hoar or black-market . The lesion may be surrounded by a ring or halo . Leaf spots refer to areas that remain separated , while leafage blights refer to areas that unite together . Leaf floater and blights affect leave of all ages . With optimum condition , they may finally affect entire leaves or leaflets , which dry out and cash in one’s chips .
take away and dispose of infected leaves . A fungicide approved for leaf spots and blights on Pigmy date palms applied at the maker ’s advocate pace may prevent the facing pages of the disease , but will not cure the infected foliage .
Petiole and Rachis Blight
A petiole is a shuck or stem that connects a leaf to a folio alkali on the bole of a plant . A spinal column is the part of a petiole that unfold into the folio blade of a palm . Petiole and rachis blights are because of a fungus on the petioles and/or rachises of the erstwhile ( low ) leaves of Pygmy Date Palms . The fungus does not taint the leaves .
Long brown or reddish - dark-brown lesions come along on infected petioles and backbone . The fungus destroys the TV channel that carry food and water system to the leaf , causing one side of the leaf to die out . A cross - section of an infected petiole or rachis will have discolored plant tissue paper .
Petiole and rachis blights weaken Pygmy Date Palms , but will not kill the tree . Prune and destroy septic plant parts . A fungicide sanction for leafstalk and rachis blights on Pygmy Date Palms used consort the manufacturer ’s steering may prevent the spread of the disease . The fungicide will not bring around the stirred plant part .
Bud Rot
Fungal and bacterial infection can induce bud rot at the top of the trunk of pygmy day of the month palm . The first sign is the discoloration and wilt of the spear leaf ( first leafage ) and the next youngest leaf . When the tree ’s canopy is above centre level , the first noticeable symptom may be the deficiency of novel leave of absence or an open crown .
As the disease develop , the fishgig leafage can be draw out of the bud easy . Its base will be rotten and have a regretful odor . Older folio may stay on the trunk for many calendar month before being affect .
A laboratory psychoanalysis can determine if the bud bunkum is cause by a fungus or bacterium . Fungal rot ordinarily occur during the rainy season , especially after a tropical tempest or hurricane . It is fateful , so remove and destroy the infected plant . If the plant is in a container , dispose of the potting mix also . A fungicide okay for bud buncombe on palms may be apply consort the manufacturer ’s instruction to nearby palms as a preventive measure .
Bacterial rot is get by cold equipment casualty and the tree may recover . The first farewell to appear after the infection will be abnormally short . Each sequent stage set of leaves will be slightly longer until the canopy is normal sizing . If the tree diagram does not appear to be recovering , bump off and ruin it .
Ganoderma Butt Rot
There are no preventative or curative bar for nates rot induce by ganoderma fungus . Butt Rot destruct the interior wood of the bole , which results in wilt , dim growth and off - color foliage .
A half - lunation - influence soft mass may spring a shelf - like structure on the lower 4 to 5 feet of the tree . This stack is called a conk and hardens with long time . It is the result of the fungus growing out of the trunk and does not come out on all infected tree diagram . The affected tree , its podium and complete root system should be removed . Another medal should not be planted where the affected tree diagram was situate , since the fungus can endure for years in the grease .
Preventtive Measures
right forethought of pygmy engagement laurel wreath can thin the incidence of diseases . They should be implant in partial shade to full sunshine with regular irrigation . Palms are not drought tolerant . They should be irrigated in the pre - dawn minute so the leaves can dry quick and overhead irrigation should not be used .
Palm fertilizer should be applied at the rate recommended by the manufacturer . The fertiliser should admit micro - nutrient needed by palms , specially atomic number 12 and atomic number 25 . Other micro - nutrient used by palms include boron , copper , atomic number 26 , sulphur and zinc .
