Q.My Christmas Palm Tree Is In Less Than Ideal Shape, And I Don’t Know How To Improve It.
The fronds of the tree are drooping badly, and tearing apart primarily at the base. An number of the fronds also have extensive yellow/brown/black spotting. The tree also had an issue with palm aphids and sooty mold, but I think I’ve mostly been able to resolve that. I can make some educated guesses as to what the other issues are, but I’d rather ask someone with a clue than accidentaly kill my tree trying to diagnose it myself from the internet. Thanks, -David Kostecka
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
I can see the sooty mold from the insects (aphids and/or scale), so keep treating for those. They or other insects also can be causing the splitting at the bases. Christmas fern is usually disease free, but they are susceptible to lethal yellowing and ganoderma butt rot. They also can suffer from boron deficiency if you are not fertilizing. One of the symptoms of boron deficiency is translucent streaking, which I think I can see in your photos. Check your growing conditions with these tips below to make sure you don't have an issue there. If you are getting brown fronds, they should drop off on their own.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/christmas-palm/growing-christmas-palm-trees.htm
