What Is Wrong With My Manambe Palm?

Are there any yellow and wilting leaves, brown streaks appear on a lower surface of leaves, the growth is stunted?

Is the plant yellow and stunted, with roots that have swollen galls?

Are the leaves covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery?

Do the leaves and stems have white, cottony clusters on them?

Are the leaves yellow and the plant looks weakened?

Are the leaves yellow, branches, and leaves are covered with small bumps?

Are the leaves and twigs covered with small, armored insects?

Are the leaves distorted and yellow?

Are the leaves stippled with yellow and the foliage is webbed?

Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that causes these symptoms. High soil temperatures favor the disease emergence. Use only disease-free seed. Treat seeds with hot water to kill fungi before planting. Destroy affected plants at the first sign of fusarium. Rotate crops to non-susceptible species.

Yellow, stunted plants and roots that have swollen galls indicate root-knot nematodes. Other symptoms are plants wilting during bright, hot days. Prevent root-knot nematodes by applying chitin or introducing parasitic nematodes to the soil before planting. Solarizing the soil also helps in preventing root-knot nematodes.

These symptoms indicate thrips. Thrips are tiny, yellow to black flying insects. They hide under leaves and inside flowers. Severely infested plant parts should be pruned off and destroyed. Control thrips by introducing lady beetles or lacewings, their natural predators. Insecticidal soap helps in severe infestations.

White, cottony clusters on leaves and stems are caused by mealybugs. These tiny insects are covered with a fluffy white coating. They feed by sucking plants sap. They produce the sticky substance honeydew which makes leaves sticky. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Insecticidal soap should be used with severe infestations.

Yellow leaves and stunted look are caused by whiteflies. These tiny, mothlike flies and their larvae feed by sucking plant juices. Whiteflies secrete honeydew, a sugary substance that makes leaves sticky to the touch. Control whiteflies by eliminating garden weeds and by introducing green lacewings in the garden. Spray infested plants with insecticidal soap every 3 days for 2 weeks.

Soft scales are known to attack palms. Scrape off minor infestations with your fingernail. Prune out badly infested growth, or use a soft brush and soapy water to gently scrub the scales off the stems. Control scales by spraying insecticidal oil during the growing season.

Small, armored insects on leaves and twigs are armored scales. These tiny, shelled insects often feed on the undersides of the leaves, causing an unhealthy appearance with yellowish blotches on the upper leaf surfaces. Scrape off minor infestations with your fingernail. Prune out badly infested growth, or use a soft brush and soapy water to gently scrub the scales off the stems. Control scales by spraying insecticidal oil during the growing season.

Distorted, yellow leaves are caused by aphids. These tiny insects cluster under leaves and on growing tips where they feed on plant sap. Leaves, stems, and buds get distorted, and later leaves and flowers drop from the plant. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Insecticidal soap should be used with severe infestations.

Leaves stippled with yellow and webbed foliage is caused by spider mites. These tiny, spider-like pests feed by sucking sap from the underside of the plant's leaves causing yellow flecking on the upper leaf surfaces. You can control spider mites by spraying plants thoroughly with water 2-3 times a day for several days. For severe infestations, spray plants with insecticidal soap, or pyrethrin as a last resort.

Palms occasionally attract mites, particularly an eriophyid mite. Identifying these bugs is very difficult until galls start forming on your plant. Galls are small, lumpy growths caused when the mite injects plant tissue with a chemical while feeding. Prune off and destroy the affected plant tissue to prevent spreading the mite to other plants.