cornish palm tree

Last post 06-06-2013 7:47 AM by SteveR. 3 replies.

• 07/05/2012 02:25 PM

  Lisa100 Location: Cannock Joined on: 07 May 2012 Posts: 2

  Reply | Contact Hi I bought a cornish palm approx 11 years ago. For the first 8-9 years the palm lived inside the house, and the pot size was changed to support growth. Since the palm has been outside, during the winter i have tied up the leaves and have placed the palm inside my greenhouse. Last year however the palms leaves increasingly looked unhealthy and I had been removing the dead leaves. I bought a new pot with the intention of repotting the palm and changing the soil. However, the leaves continued to go brown until eventually there are now no leaves left. The top half of the branch approx 15 - 20 cm in length looks dead. I left the palm in the garden hoping beyond hope that new leaves would grow. Unfortunately no leaves have grown from the top of the palm, however new shoots of leaves have started to grow from the base of the palm. I am unsure how to proceed next with the palm , I have considered still repotting, and possibly cutting the top of the palm where it appears dead and was hoping someone may be able to give me some advice.   Cheers, Lisa

• 07/05/2012 09:02 PM

  In reply to

  AlexS Location: Reading Joined on: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 521

  Reply | Contact Hi Lisa100. It seems to me the roots of these plants are very frost-hardy, but the trunks are not. In cold winters they often die back and look completely dead until hey presto, new sprouts appear at the base. Eventually a new trunk (or trunks) will grow, and in another 11 years it will be full size again. "The top half looks dead", you say.  Very likely it is dead, and the best thing to do is to saw it off as low as you can. The rest will regrow. I wouldn't bother repotting, that won't make a difference.  For the future, keep it on the dry side - this wet weather won't help it, make sure it's free-draining and only water it when the compost is dry. Feed occasionally and only in spring and summer. In winter make sure you keep it somewhere dry, because it will stand much more cold if it's dry than if it's wet. Hope this helps. Cheers, Alex Alex

• 08/05/2012 10:45 PM	In reply to
  Lisa100 Location: Cannock Joined on: 07 May 2012 Posts: 2	Reply | Contact Thanks for your help.

• 06/06/2013 07:47 AM	In reply to
  SteveR Location: Joined on: 06 Jun 2013 Posts: 1	Reply | Contact this happen to mine and is now regrowing but i'd like to move it somewhere drier can you re-plant somewhere else if so what time of the year ?????? Cheers Steve