Palm trees are green and healthy most of the time. Generally, palm trees have very few fixable problems. That’s why people love to have palm trees in their surroundings. Moreover, palm trees are easy to grow and fast-growing trees.
Old palm trees become brown over time. So, you can see some brown or yellow leaves on outdoor palm trees.
But sometimes, many of the leaves become brown. So, you might be confused about why your outdoor palm tree leaves are turning brown. Well, if you get to know the problem, you might solve it quickly.
What causes brown leaves on a palm tree?
One of the main reasons for palm tree leaves turning brown is water problems. If the water supply is not sufficient or there is too much water at the root, the leaves can turn brown. Moreover, nutrient deficiency, sunburn, insect problems, etc., can also be responsible for the problem.
However, the browning of the palm tree leaves can have various reasons. If you want to solve the problems, you have to know them in detail. So, let’s see what can cause brown leaves on palm trees.
Natural process:
The turning brown of the palm tree leaves is a natural process. Some of the leaves might be yellow and brown sometimes. This doesn’t always mean that the palm tree has a problem.
Every plant’s leaves become old and brown. So, the palm tree leaves can also go through natural browning. But if you see a lot of yellow or brown leaves on the palm tree, there might be some problems.
Under-watering:
Under-watering is one of the main reasons the palm tree leaves are turning brown. For this reason, you will see the tips of the leaves turning brown first. Moreover, you will see the dryness of the leaves because they are not getting enough water.
This problem is severe during the dry season. But the problem can be solved with proper watering.
Over-watering:
Over-watering can also cause the browning of the leaves of palm trees. Generally, when the palm tree goes through over-watering, the water gets stuck at the root. So, different types of problems might be created, including the browning of leaves.
Over-watering can occur when you have the wrong watering schedule. Moreover, it can also happen during the rainy season.
Nutrient deficiency:
Every plant needs nutrients to grow well. If one or more nutrients are deficient, the palm tree leaves can turn brown. In particular, manganese deficiency can cause the browning of palm tree leaves.
Sunburn:
Sunburn can cause the palm tree’s leaves to brown. This can be severe during the summer. The outdoor palm trees will face sunburn more because of excessive sun exposure. You will see the yellowing of the leaves first. Then the leaves will gradually turn brown.
Insect problem:
Insects can make the palm tree leaves brown. Generally, some insects can create many problems in palm tree leaves. Though the problems can be solved, sometimes the browning can be severe.
Should I cut off Brown palm leaves?
Yes, you should cut off the brown palm leaves. Sometimes, the browning of palm tree leaves is a natural process. Old leaves will turn brown and fall off. So, you don’t need to cut off the brown leaves.
But if there is another problem, you can cut off the brown palm leaves. For example, if the brown leaves indicate an insect problem, you should immediately cut off the leaves. Moreover, palm leaves can go through under-watering or over-watering.
Then you want to treat the problems. So, you can cut off the affected leaves and treat the palm tree. Sometimes, sunburnt leaves are better to cut off. This will lead to new growth of leaves. Moreover, the appearance of the tree will be good.
But it’s not compulsory to cut off the palm leaves for browning. You have to know the reason behind it. Then you can decide whether you should cut off the leaves or not.
Can brown palm leaves turn green again?
Generally, brown palm leaves can’t turn green again. Because brown palm tree leaves are already lost its life. So, these leaves will not turn green again. So, you can cut off these brown leaves.
But some discolored leaves can turn green again. For example, sometimes the leaves can turn yellow because of a problem. The leaves can turn green again after the problem has been solved.
Sometimes, the palm tree might have yellow or brown spots. These problems can be solved with proper treatment. Moreover, the watering problem can also be solved with an appropriate watering schedule.
So, for some specific problems, the brown or yellow leaves can be turned green again. But if the leaves are already affected by decomposing or old leaves, they will not turn green again.
How do I save my drying palm tree?
Now that you know the reasons for palm tree leaves turning brown, you might want to know the solutions. So, you have to save your browning or drying palm tree. Let’s see how you can save your drying palm tree.
Water regularly:
Watering is pretty important to save your drying palm tree. You have to fix a schedule for watering regularly. You have to ensure that the palm tree is not going through under-watering or over-watering.
Moreover, you have to fix the schedule according to the season. You can water the palm trees once or twice a week. Moreover, watering is frequently required during the summer. But in the rainy season, you can water the palm trees once a week.
Provide nutrients:
Then you have to provide enough nutrients. First, you have to identify which nutrients the tree is drying out. Then you can provide those nutrients to keep the plant healthy.
Limit exposure to direct sunlight
Excessive sunlight can cause palm trees to dry out. If your palm tree is very tall, you might not restrict the sunlight. But if the tree is pretty small, you can cover the tree for a specific period during excessive sunlight.
Prevent insects:
You can also use treatments to prevent insects. Some insects can cause the palm tree to dry out, especially the leaves. So, you can use insect-preventing treatments on the tree.
Use fertilizers:
You can use fertilizers that are good to keep the palm tree healthy. Moreover, the fertilizers can also help solve the drying problem.
How often should palm trees be watered?
You should water the palm trees often. Because palm trees like moist soil. You have to water the palm trees every week. When the trees are young, you can water them every day. Gradually, you have to reduce the watering. Otherwise, the trees might face over-watering.
After the trees are grown, you can water them twice a week. Make sure that the trees are not dry. You have to consider the season also. For example, you can skip watering frequently during the rainy season.
But if the season is dry, you have to water frequently. For example, if you see the palm trees are facing dryness, you have to water them every day. Moreover, palm tree leaves will dry out sometimes. So, you can ensure whether the trees are drying out or not.
You can fix a watering schedule according to the age of the palm tree and the season. Because palm trees have different water requirements according to the season.
Should I mist my palm plant which is turning brown?
You can mist your palm plant, which is turning brown. But it’s not mandatory. Sometimes the palm plant leaves are brown because of a natural process. So, misting your palm plant will not stop the natural process.
But sometimes, misting your palm plant can help. For example, during the summer and dry seasons, palm trees require more water. They can face dryness because of under-watering. So, if you can mist your palm plant, it will get some moisture.
Moreover, palm plants like moist soil. So, you can also mist around the soil of your palm trees. It can save the palm plants from drying out. But it’s not certain that misting your palm tree will make the brown leaves green again. Because the leaves are already affected.
So, whether you should mist your palm tree or not depends on the condition of the tree. Moreover, the season plays an important role in watering palm trees.
Final Thoughts
Under-watering or over-watering can cause the browning of palm tree leaves. Moreover, the leaves can turn brown from a natural aging process. Besides, nutrient deficiency and sun exposure can cause the browning of the leaves. But the problems can be solved with proper treatment.