The Grass Doctor

Yellow and Brown spots on tips of my Windmill Palm- HELP!?

I have a windmill palm tree in a 5 gallon pot (it's fairly new and it's not very tall, maybe two feet). I have left it outside and watered it almost daily. I have got one of those spray fertilizers that you put with water and spray all over, and I have gotten it those vitamin drops (it's supposed to be award winning) and I have gotten it some plant nitrogen food stuff that isn't supposed to burn it. The tips of the palm on some branches are brown-ish yellow-ish and I think have a hole in one of them. The plant is growing, and it's looking bigger than when I bought it. It's in the same soil and all, but it looks almost like weeds or something is also growing in the pot as well. Am I watering it too much? is that possible? Have I fertilized it too much? I'm only keeping it in the pot until our yard is repaired (we're building a pool and the yard is all gravel and crap now) PLEASE HELP!!

Public Comments

1. Windmill palms, Trachycarpus fortunei, are some of the toughest palms around. They are very and cold drought tolerant and slow-growing. Keep it in the sun or partial shade until you are ready to plant it. While in the container, water it thoroughly until the water runs out the bottom and not again until the soil is fairly dry when you push your finger into the pot. Too much water is not a good thing for this palm. If you have recently brought it from the nursery, there is no reason to fertilize it. Young palms need very light amounts of fertilizer about 4 times a year. Most nurseries use slow-release fertilizer which will supply the palm with nutrients for several months. The yellow tips of the leaves indicate something going on in the roots. I suspect it is the abundance of water. Correct your watering and the palm should be fine. However, it is unlikely the yellow tips will green up but the new leaves should be fine when they emerge. Here is a plant profile about windmill palms - http://learn2grow.com/plants/trachycarpus-fortunei/