is my butia capitata dying

Well I'm not saying its wrong, but most palms are deep rooting, and I'm sure it will get through the membrane when it wants to, so it probably wont be a problem.

 

Thanks for that Pete, i am still learning as you can tell. As for the scale insects i will have another good look tomorrow and if there, will remove the mean looking critters !
thanks Sarah

 

We are all learning Sarah, thats why we are here.

 

Hi Pete

I have made a thorough inspection of Butia to check for insects and this is what i found, one strange looking spider with green back pack intact, although he doesn't seem to be going on his hols, as i moved the leaf around to take a better photo and he barely flinched, i have left him there as i wasn't sure weather he was a baddie or not, i have been told some spiders are mean't to be good for the garden?

i also took some close ups of the underside of the leafs which show some sort of deposit, using my nail i detached some but it feels like very fine parchmant and broke up between my fingers? i also attached a couple of close ups of the dicouloured and closed fronds.

any more thoughts??? - don't worry i go back to work tomorrow and you can have a rest!! :D

Sarah

 

It is a slow growing palm compared to CIDPs and Washys so improvement may take some time. The state of it may be a combination of cold and wet (with a membrane I shouldn't think it got too dry!)
The spider looks like a small Crab spider and only eats very small insects.
I can't really see any scale insects, if there were there would be sooty mould on the sticky residue they leave, mind you I haven't been to Specsavers recently.:D
The branches are the fronds and a new frond emerging is known as a spear. Tugging at this to see if it is dead or not is known as spear pulling.
Some name shortcuts (you may know them):flag:
Trachy... Trachycarpus Fortunei
Waggy... trachycarpus Wagnerianus
Washy... Washingtonia
Chamy... Chamaerops
CIDP...... Canary Island Date Palm
I hope you see some improvement over the summer, they are a very graceful palm.

 

Evening stongylodon

I am so glad you did not suggest i remove the spider i was feeling queasy just thinking about it,

There is no sticky residue on the fronds so i feel reasured that there are no scale insects .

I will just need to be patient, pray we don't get another harsh winter, at least get some sunshine this summer and hopefully in the distant future butia will return to its former glory.

Thanks for the shortcuts, they are all new to me, i have only been a member for a few days and already i feel more informed. Thankyou :gnthb:
Sarah

 

I'd grown a Washingtonia Filifera from seed in fact it was my first ever foray into palms, back in 2003. I'd kept it well and wintered it in my garage once established. However it died this winter due to the cold weather.

Seven years and it was still only about 2' tall, although the trunk was solid and about 2" diameter. I was gutted when it died.

It just goes to show that it's a precarious business cultivating palms and cycads in the UK.

Good luck.

 

palms, I guess we have all found the cold tolerance of palms here in the UK this winter and Washingtonia are prone to cold and wet winters, Phoenix have suffered nationwide too with many dying completely. Nothing looks worse than a 10ft dead Phoenix.
My Washy is outside in a large tub and although defoliating a bit it is now pushing up new spears.
I don't have any palms planted in the ground only in pots but have found Brahea and Butia to be more cold hardy albeit slower growing than Washys or Phoenix. Chamaerops have come through unscathed too.
The temperatures here this last winter were not as bad as other areas so that obviously makes a difference to survival, I hope as an 'exotic' gardener that we don't have another one but who knows?