Turning a New Leaf

Palms add an exotic touch to the home landscape but may need extra love to recover from the winter’s cold temperatures. Even those native to the area can exhibit damage.

Stepping outside this spring, you may see brown and yellow overpowering the green on your fronds. While it may be tempting to remove this multicolored foliage and “clean up” this tree’s appearance, resist the urge — never cut away brown fronds until the threat of cold weather is completely gone. The layers of dead vegetation suspended around the trunk offer some insulation for the palm’s single bud.

Even a little green on the fronds produces chlorophyll, a critical component of photosynthesis. Palms, and plants in general, convert sunlight into usable energy, which supports growth, health and reproduction.

Sometimes, palm frond discoloration occurs due to a micronutrient deficiency brought on by cool soil temperatures. But don’t worry; this condition usually corrects itself as the soil warms and the growing season progresses.

Make the first fertilizer application in early April with a slow-release palm fertilizer. Distribute the fertilizer evenly over the root zone, not in holes that concentrate the nutrients to a small area.

Choosing the Right Site

There are several factors to consider when choosing the proper installation site for a new plant, the first being sun exposure.

Certain ornamentals and all Tallahassee turf types require a minimum of six hours of sunlight, whereas other plants require filtered light, heavy shade or only morning sun exposure. This need varies by species and should be on the information label when purchasing the shrub.

Keep in mind that the sun’s daily track gradually shifts north in the summer and south in the winter. This seasonal oscillation may render a suitable site in January completely inappropriate in July.

Another consideration for the ideal site is easy water availability. A few weeks without rain can wither any hope of successful development if supplemental irrigation is unavailable.

Lastly, the soil type in the growing area should meet the plant’s needs. Organically rich and well-drained soil, which is slightly acidic, is ideal for many, but not all, locally popular landscape ornamentals.

Satisfy the plant’s needs, and it will likely meet your expectations.

Asian Citrus Psyllid

Adult Asian citrus psyllid. Photo by iStock / Getty Images Plus: Lam Van Linh

Not even ¼ of an inch in length, the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is a destructive citrus pest, both commercially and dooryard, and a disease vector for citrus greening.

These psyllids are most active in the spring — a time of tender new growth on citrus trees. Adult psyllids have a mottled brown body with a light brown head.

Their forewing is broad, and a brown band extends around the edge of the outer half of the wing with a slight interruption near the top.

You can usually find them in large numbers on the lower sides of the leaves, with their heads almost touching the surface and the body elevated at a shallow angle. They leap when disturbed and might fly a short distance.

The pest’s antennae have black tips with two small, light brown spots on the middle segments. Under magnification, a living Asian citrus psyllid is covered with whitish, waxy secretion, giving it a dusty appearance. Symptoms of citrus trees infected are stunted growth, sparsely foliated branches, leaf and fruit drop and twig dieback.

Young leaves are yellow to white, with green banding along the major veins.

Fruits are small, lopsided, unevenly colored, hard and useless for consumption.  There is no cure once a tree is infected, so beware!

Les Harrison is a retired University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Wakulla County extension director.