Palm looking ill :-(

Hello. Uploading three photos of a palm in my garden (came with the house, not sure of the exact species). It's not looking as good as it did, to say the least in some parts. Odd though: while some leaf fronds look 100% healthy, others are brown/dead - which makes me think that perhaps this is normal (?). Other parts aren't brown, but look distinctly unwell: yellowing, with brown tips (3rd photo).

The palm, as you see, is in a large wooden container, whose base presumably rotted away a long time ago - so I assume the roots are firmaly established in the soil, rather than 'pot-bound'.

Any suggestions as to how I should treat the plant, if indeed I need to? Thanks!

 

It is a dwarf fan palm, chaemerops humilis. It looks perfectly healthy to me; while its individual leaves are evergreen they don't last for ever and will yellow at the tips as they begin to die off. You can just cut those dead ones out, the stems are quite tough so secaeteurs may be needed. The RHS page I linked to talks about keeping them indoors, but actually they seem tough as old boots - mine has survived several winters living outside in an urn. If that pot's falling apart I would investigate what's happening with the roots and consider replanting it in a bigger container/ in the ground.

 

It looks more like a Trachycarpus to to me, best way of checking is are the leaf stems lethal, if not its a Trachy.

Yes older fronds/leaves die off as they get older and need cutting off close to the stem.

It would be best planted in the ground it has no long term life span in a container whatever palm it turns out to be.

 

"It is a dwarf fan palm, chaemerops humilis..."

That's certainly what Google 'Lens' app thought it was too. I'll trim the dead parts back.. not sure how 'lethal' the leaf stems are (?). Thank you for the link.

"It would be best planted in the ground..."

As I mentioned, I am sure the base of the wooden container will have rotted away years ago, so the palm is in practice growing in the ground. I'll dig around a bit and check, but it weighs a ton: moving it would be beyond me or my family.

Thank you!

 

If the lower part of the fronds has thorns @martinlest, it’s a Chaemerops. I can’t see any thorns in the close up of the stems. If that’s the case, it’s a Trachycarpus. Young plants of both species are similar, apart from the presence or absence of thorns. I would remove all the yellowing and brown fronds as close to the main trunk as possible. You’ll definitely need secateurs to get a clean cut. Then remove the weeds on the soil surface and about 2 inches of the soil if you can, replacing it with fresh soil based compost like John Innes No 3. In spring, add a few handfuls of blood fish and bone to the surface and blend them in. Keep the compost moist during the growing season, but not saturated. If there any shrubs or other plants close by shading the palm, give them a prune or relocate them if you cannot move your palm.

 

Thank you