February 24, 2001
Question: There are many brown, drying and dying leaves on a couple of mature coconuts palms in our yard. Only the youngest leaf appears to be spared the damage. Could this be Lethal Yellowing?
- Sherman W., e-mail
Answer: This is probably a case of confusing one symptom for another. Lethal Yellowing (LY) is a worldwide disease of coconut and other susceptible palms. Since 1955, LY has destroyed hundreds of thousands of coconut and other palms in southern Florida. With LY, the older leaves usually turn yellow and the symptom advance upwards to the youngest leaves. Your palms, however, are probably suffering from cold damage. Surrounded by larger, older leave, younger leaves remained protected from freezing temperatures and so escaped dessication. It will take several long months for the palms to fully recover from the damage of this cold winter. In the meantime, metered applications of water and a slow-release palm fertilizer will assist the recovery of the palms. Dead leaves can be removed since they provide no value to the health of the palms.
- Stephen Brown is a horticulture agent with the Lee County Extension. To submit questions call the horticulture desk at 461- 7504 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or via e-mail at shb@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu. Listen to the ‘Garden Show’ at 8 a.m. on 1200-AM WINK/WNOG.