Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Tropical Gardens and Plants 108, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
LF, another small problem, easy to fix, is the rock mulch around the trees! First, rock mulch does not cool and insulate the soil the way an organic mulch does. The rocks heat up and bake the soil over the roots of the tree even after the sun goes away. Then the cooked roots will rot when they get rained on. Second, minerals of the wrong type can leach from the rock - especially if they are coral rock, marble or limestone they will leach a lot of calcium and make the soil pH too high. (alkaline)

If you can find a few cups of fertilizer specifically formulated for palms - a MUST - that will help immediately. Palm fertilizer has the trace elements to cure the Frizzle Top disease your little palms are suffering with. Maybe a neighbor will 'loan' you some?

Moving those rocks away from the trees, and putting some compost, humus-y soil, leaves, pine needles, or bark mulch over the root areas (within about 18" of the trunk) will also help. Your county may have free compost and mulch available. I know ours does.

But the fertilizer with those trace elements will immediately help those that still have green leaves. Long-term, though, you do need to change that mulch situation.

One more thing - check the growing tips before you cut down the others - if they have a green growing tip at the top, they may still recover. Cut off the dead fronds, and give them the fertilizer/mulch treatment. Then wait and hope. If a green 'spear' appears, you have succeeded!