Hello to all of our majesty palm owners out there, your majestic palm may be suffering from browning fronds. You might be making sure that your plant is receiving plenty of light, you might have perfectly moist soil. Get tips for saving your Majesty palms tips from this article!
You might have the perfect humid environment, and you might have the right slow-release fertilizer. Yet, your palm fronds are still suffering from this unsightly blight.
So, why is the Majesty Palm reacting like this? Well, in this article we are going to answer these questions so that you can better understand why this is happening. Without further ado, let us begin.
Related: Golden Leaves? 5 Reasons Why Your Majesty Palm Is Changing Color
Natural Browning
When it is the growing season, palms replace their leaves. As this leaf reaches the end of its life it starts to turn brown, this process begins at the tip of each leaf.
But this process will continue until the whole leaf has turned brown, and it falls off the main plant. In this case, browning tips are not a reason to worry about the plant’s health.
What you might want to know is how you trim a Majesty Palm’s leaves when this process begins.
How To Trim The Brown Tips Of A Majesty Palm
We have here a simple step-by-step process so that you know how to trim your palm’s leaves when they start to naturally brown.
So, let us begin!
Step 1
The first thing you will need to do is gather your supplies. You will need rubbing alcohol, a paper towel, and a pair of sharp scissors. You can use pruning shears or even alcohol wipes if you have them.
Step 2
Next you should wipe the blades of your scissors with rubbing alcohol, this is so that the blade is sterile before you start. Just remember to clean the blade with rubbing alcohol between each snip.
But, if you are only cutting off leaves that are brown from aging, sunburn spots, or lack of water you can wet the blade with water before each snip. This is so that the healthy tissue of the palm is not damaged.
Step 3
Finally you can start removing the leaves that are going yellow or brown. Make sure to cut them off at the stem or at the soil and be careful not to pull on the leaves as you do this.
Pulling on the leaves can damage the healthy plant tissue which is what we are trying to avoid. If you happen to have leaves that are only partially brown or yellow you should remove only the parts that are affected.
While you are doing this, make sure that you do not take off more than twenty percent of the plant’s leaves. To avoid taking off too much you should prune in stages to allow the plant to recover.
But, what other reasons could there be for the Majesty Palm’s leaves going brown?
Let’s take a look.
Water Quality
Chemicals in water can be detrimental to indoor palms. If you have a problem with this, try using distilled or deionized water as opposed to tap water. This will help prevent any chemicals from getting into your palm and causing damage.
You can also get rid of chlorine and fluoride by boiling your water or leaving a pitcher uncovered where these chemicals can evaporate.
Water Frequency
Many plants are sensitive to damage. Too much or too little, and you can end up with a palm that has yellow leaves, brown leaves, root rot, and in extreme cases it can result in the untimely death of a Majesty Palm.
What you should do is check that the surface of the plant is dry before you give a Majesty Palm more water. You can do this by using your finger to feel how wet the soil is.
Insert your finger two to three inches into the soil and if it feels dry you can water your palm.
It is recommended that you soak your palm every two to three weeks in a bathtub, sink, or even outside if the weather is good.
When you do this you should get the soil completely wet, to the point that the water is flowing out of the bottom of the pot. After you have soaked the Majesty Palm, make sure to get rid of the excess water that has collected in the drip tray.
This is so that your palm is not sitting in water for prolonged periods of time. Long exposure to water can lead to more serious issues like root rot, so be careful.
Cold Injury
Palms require warm temperatures to stay healthy and happy. The warmer temperatures inside are usually enough to keep them happy but even inside cold damage can happen.
Cold injury happens when your palm gets exposed to low temperatures. It is important to protect your palm during the winter months.
As mentioned earlier you can use a heat mat to warm your palm. Another option would be to put your palm on top of a radiator or heater. Just remember to turn off the heat when you leave home.
Sunlight Damage
The sun does not only shine on our skin; it shines on all living things. Majesty Palms are no exception. Sunlight damages a Majesty Palm just like it does anything else.
The most common damage caused by sunlight is leaf burn. Other than that there are other types of damage that can occur such as discoloration of the leaves, growth problems, and even death.
To avoid this type of damage you need to cover your palm with something. A shade cloth is one way to do this. Covering your palm with a shade cloth prevents direct sunlight from hitting your palm.
You can also place your palm under an umbrella. Remember to remove the umbrella once you go indoors.
Too Much Fertilization
Too much fertilizer can cause the Majesty Palm’s leaves to turn brown. You should only fertilize your palm in the summer and spring months when they are actively growing.
When it is winter and autumn they enter a kind of dormant state and do not grow as much. Because of this, they do not need fertilizer.
On top of that, you will need to use a fertilizer that has been specially made for palms, and it should be administered to the plant as and when the packaging dictates.
More fertilizer is not always better, sometimes less is more. So hold it on the fertilizer and use it when it is necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
You might have a few questions left that you would like answered. We have a selection of some commonly asked questions about majesty palms that we will answer for you here.
So, let us take a look at them.
Should I Cut Off Brown Palm Leaves?
If your palm has brown tips there could be several reasons for this happening. Palms usually replace their leaves every growing season, so you can trim the brown leaves in stages, being careful not to take more than twenty percent of the leaves off at a time.
How Often Do You Water A Majesty Palm?
A majesty palm should be watered every one to two weeks. This allows time for the soil to completely dry out between watering. But this time frame is not entirely accurate.
You should pay attention to when the soil is dry and water when you notice that the soil is dry even when you stick your finger into the soil an inch or two.
Should I Mist My Majesty Palm?
This type of palm does best when it is in a setting with high humidity. They are able to thrive in the normal humidity of your average household but if you want to give the Majesty Palm that bit of extra moisture you can mist the leaves once a week.
Can Majesty Palms be in Full Sun?
Like most plants, the majesty palm needs light to thrive. But this particular plant likes a mixture of sunlight and shade.
In fact, if you leave your palm in the sun for too long the leaves will start to turn yellow. You should ideally have your palm in a place that offers partial sunlight through the course of the day.
How Cold Can Majesty Palms Tolerate?
These plants can grow quite well in most zones. But, it has a tolerance of about 40 degrees Fahrenheit before it starts to suffer.
So, when the temperature starts to drop this low you should bring your plant indoors. When the temperature reaches about 50 degrees Fahrenheit again you can bring your palm outdoors again.
Final Thoughts
That is for this article, we hope that we have been able to help you understand why the Majesty Palm has brown tips.
Just remember to pay attention to the time of year because your palm will naturally lose all its leaves as it replaces them. But, also be aware that there are other reasons that your palm could have browning tips.
With all of that in mind, we wish you luck in caring for a Majesty Palm. Goodbye and good luck.
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The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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