Palm trees are plants that are often seen in gardens or yards. They are tall, tropical plants that are commonly grown outdoors, and there is a large variety of palm tree species to choose from.
When palm trees grow indoors or in greenhouses, it can be difficult to keep diseases at bay because tree diseases (and palm tree pests) can find their way into the indoor environment easier than outdoor environments. There for tree disease diagnosis is necessary to keep your garden healthy and green.
The following list gives 15 palm tree diseases you should watch out for:
1) Fusarium Wilt - Fusarium wilt (also known as disease and mal N´ga) is an extremely widespread palm tree disease that causes root rot in palm trees. It thrives in soil areas where the tree fungus mycelium are present, which can easily travel from one tree to another through water or tools used for pruning and transporting palm.
2) Black Rot - This disease will cause leaves to turn brown and fall off early. Leaves will be deformed and show sunburn (lesions). Fruit may drop prematurely and stems will darken and rot at the base of the palm. Roots become blackened and rotted as well, causing palm to die quickly after becoming infected with this diseases.
3) Lethal Yellowing - The leaves of a lethal yellowing palm tree will turn yellow. As the disease progresses, palm veins remain green while the leaf blade turns yellow. Eventually the entire tree can be infested by this diseases which causes death.
4) Phoenix Wilt - Phoenix wilt is a palm diseases that is often contracted through insects or tools used for pruning or caring for palm. Though some trees are resistant to phoenix wilt, all are vulnerable when they are young. Leaves may show spotting on blades and have brown tips.
5) Phytophthora Root Rot - This disease causes leaves on younger palm to turn yellow or brown before falling off, causing new fronds to not replace old palm. The tree trunk will show signs of rot. Phytophthora palm are more vulnerable when grown in poorly drained soils, watered too often or not enough, or where cold soil conditions happen frequently.
6) Web Blight - If you spot webs on the leaves of your palm trees, it could be web blight disease, which attacks tree with weak immune systems due to stress factors like lack of water and poor drainage. This diseases causes brown lesions on fronds and is fatal if left untreated.
7) Scale - Palm scales are insects that attach themselves. They can cause yellowing or curling leaves as well as leaf drop early. Heavily infested tree can become stunted.
8) Cycad Aulacaspis Scale - This diseases causes yellowing fronds, red stems and premature leaf drop. There are many scales; this disease is characterized by its yellowing leaves.
9) Foliar Nematode - If your trees start to develop rolling or curling leaves , it could be due to foliar nematodes palm diseases. These diseased affect young tree most often and can cause leaf drop in severe cases of infestation.
10) Rhizome Rot - Poor drainage causes this tree disease that causes dark brown lesions on lower trunk area under soil line. Leaves turn yellow and tree will begin to rot from base.
11) Pests - Rotating palm with non-salt tolerant can cause diseases. The salts that accumulate in the soil when a palm is grown next to a palm tree not suited for coastal conditions causes tree to be weakened and rot from the inside out when they are rotated back into salt conditions after being grown in non-salt conditions.
12) Leaf Spots - Leaf spots on trees range from black, gray or purple colored lesions on leaves which can affect new or old fronds. This type of disease thrives in warm moist climates and wet types of soils. Symptoms of leaf spot diseases include browning and death of palm tree.
13) Rhizoctonia Root Rot - This disease causes leaves on the palm trees to yellow, fall off or become deformed with spots or lesions. The tree will also wilt and show no signs of growth. Roots become discolored and brown while tree sitting above ground die quickly.
14) Palm Scab - If your trees have large dark brown marks blighting their leaves, it could be scab palm diseases. This diseases travels through water and soil into the tree roots where it then develops into a brown crusty patch on leaf blades. Young palms are most susceptible to this type of this diseases.
15) Crown Gall - This disease causes palms to wilt and die quickly. Roots turn dark gray or black with areas of decay. Symptoms include cankers on trunks, thickening of stems, abnormal growth and deformed.
If you have a palm tree and want to know the 15 diseases that can kill your trees, read on. With this information in hand, you'll be able to better manage their care and protect them from these fatal conditions. Tree Doctor is available for any additional questions or concerns about how to keep your palms healthy. Let us know if we can help!
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