Pygmy Date Palm White Fungus: Common Causes and Solutions

Pygmy date palm white fungus is a worrying matter, as many gardeners will tell you. It can completely decimate your trees if left untreated and is a reason for significant worry.

But why does this disease even occur, and how to treat it? Read on as we discover all the causes and help you to prevent and treat the white fungus.

What Causes White Fungus on Pygmy Date Palm?

The white fungus on pygmy date palm is caused by the scurf and also by scale pests that could infest the plant, various fungal infections that can trigger white fungus, and lastly, due to lime deposits in the soil for a prolonged time.

These intruding disease creeps up and sets up camp in the form of cotton-like white nests, under the palm fronds. If left untreated and allowed to spread, it will do so like wildfire, suffocating those leaves and denying them any capability to enjoy the sunshine, and your plant will no longer be as healthy as it was.

Don’t despair just yet, as there are several ways to rescue your Phoenix roebelenii from this fungal fiend. The secret is to act fast and nip off the infected parts! As soon as you spot the tell-tale symptoms, don’t hesitate to remove the affected area and halt the spread of the white fungus.

– Scurf

First, we’ll talk about the thing that gardeners mix up the white fungus disease with, and it’s called scurf — a naturally occurring substance that your plant produces. Unlike other white fungi harmful to your palm, scurf is harmless and doesn’t pose any threat to the pygmy’s health. If by looking at the undersides of young palm fronds you can see easy-to-spot white spots hardening, it’s only scurf.

Scurf may be a sign of previously fought infestation or infection, so keep a closer eye on your tree for the remainder of the growing season. The white fungus usually starts its invasion on the underside of the palm tree leaves and fronds, gradually making its way up to the top at which point it will cause irreparable damage.

– Scale Pests

Getting serious now, sap-sucking insects are the first real reason to worry about the oncoming fungal white disease. And scale insects are your most likely palm invader. This pesky little bug is a white, flat, and minuscule nuisance feeding on the sap of your sago palm. When you leave this issue unchecked, these pests will suck away all the vital nutrients from your plant, leading to brown leaves that eventually fall off.

Identifying scales isn’t an easy task as well, as they’re almost microscopic. Look out for sticky leaves — powdery mildew and other sticky residue are sure signs that the bug has been feasting on your plant. And if you spot ants crawling around the sticky area, chances are that your pygmy date palm is under attack.

Don’t let these insects rob you of your stunning palm tree and introduce fungal pathogens to it. This is why you must act fast, seek the appropriate treatment to eliminate the scale, and save your plant before it’s too late.

– Fungal Infection

Direct fungal infection is going to be your primal reason for fear. One possible culprit is the Graphiola leaf spot, and this is a fungal infection afflicting palm trees, regardless of their species. The disease will start as black spots on leaves’ undersides before spreading to the rest of the tree. The good news is that pygmy date palms are highly tolerant of this disease and will maintain it as a local disease, suffering little to no damage.

However, if you want nothing but the best for their green babies, getting rid of this pesky fungus is a breeze if you spot it soon enough. Check your palm leaves regularly for any signs of fungal infestation, as it can give way to other fungal issues getting into the plant’s bloodstream.

Other fungal infections that can affect your pygmy palm are leaf spots and blights, and bud rots. Moreover, it may also be subjected to Pestalotiopsis palmarum, a fungal disease that can wreak havoc on your palm trees. It usually starts with small yellow or dark spots on the leaves, but as it progresses, the spots grow and merge to cover every part of the leaf, and these coalesced large spots may look like dead, pale, or gray areas with a dark outline.

The worst part is that Pestalotiopsis palmarum doesn’t stop at the leaves; it spreads to the petioles, which are the stalks connecting the leaf blades to the stems. The blight on the leaves and stems can adversely impact the plant’s vascular tissue, spreading damage to the buds of younger leaves and stunting their growth.

When the buds of plants get damaged, the plant stops growing because new leaves don’t form. If any of these conditions become severe enough to cause bud and root rot in young or mature plants, it can result in the palm’s death.

– Lime Deposits

The cause of those spots could be lime or other mineral deposits. Unlike other causes of white spots, mineral deposits are typically larger and can even turn the entire leaf a dusty white color. While these deposits don’t pose a threat to your palm’s health, they can certainly be an eyesore.

The culprit is none other than hard water, so this means that if you have been using tap water that has been contaminated, this issue will arise. Watering your plants with hard water can leave us with deposits of evaporated minerals all over the tree. Don’t worry because this issue is easily fixable.

How To Treat White Fungus on Pygmy Date Trees

To treat white fungus on pygmy date trees, you must first cut away the infected part and try to stop foliage showers. Moreover, you should also give them some space from overcrowding, and lastly, try to tackle the fungus with antifungal and insecticidal solutions.

Now that we know the triggering culprits for fungal disease, we must learn how to deal with or prevent them. While prevention and care are your safest way to beautiful and healthy palm trees, no one can guarantee to be available at our palm’s service.

– Cut Away Infected Parts

By taking out the affected leaves as soon as you spot the fungus, you’ll effectively prevent it from spreading to other parts of the palm. This is the only proven way to stop the spread and keep your plant safe. Of course, while this may leave other trees barren, your palms should do just fine with even dozens of fronds cut at a time.

However, you must be mindful and don’t worry over a cut-away part of your tree; this is because your palm may look sad and a bit sore for a period but will come back kicking after some time. It’s better to remove a frond or two rather than having to look at an entire canopy falling away from some nasty fungal pathogen.

Regularly checking your tree for any signs of fungus is also important in preventing the spread and having to cut away much of the foliage. As soon as you spot the worrying symptoms, don’t hesitate to take action and remove the infected leaves.

– Stop With Foliage Showers

Showering our trees from the top looks cool, and we may even think it does them well, but it cannot be further from the truth. No plant can take up much water from the foliage — well, not efficiently, anyway. Rootball, or soil watering, is the only way to go, and make sure that you would go for the soil and not the leaves.

Opt for a gentler approach rather than using sprinklers that douse your palm leaves. By using a hose to water the base of the plant, you can ensure that the leaves stay dry while the roots receive the necessary moisture!

Sprinklers may seem like the easier option, but they increase the risk of mold growth and mineral deposits on your palm plant’s leaves. Remember to try to go with rain or filtered water when giving your pygmy palms a drink.

Simply switch to using distilled or rainwater to water your palm, and you should soon see those unsightly mineral deposits disappear. With a bit of TLC, your palm will look as good as new in no time.

– Give Them Space from Overcrowding

Airflow is that magical plant health factor so many of us overlook. For this, you can create an air-conductive environment for your palm plants is essential in preventing the development of white fungus. Overcrowding your plants can lead to increased humidity, promoting fungus growth.

To ensure that your pygmy palms have enough space to grow, consider giving them at least two to three square feet of room per tree. This allows for good air circulation, preventing the conditions from going stale and mold-friendly. This way, you will prevent the development of fungus even if you sprinkle them from the top occasionally.

– Antifungal and Insecticidal Solutions to the Rescue

If the fungal condition has gone too far awry, there’s no alternative but to use fungicides in trying to rescue it. You can either opt for store-bought chemical fungicides, or you can also try using a homemade solution.

Organic fungicides can be made from readily available ingredients at home and can be used freely and often. Baking soda, milk, neem oil, ginger oil, or apple cider vinegar are all incredible at fighting and keeping those fungal pathogens at bay. The solutions are simple to make and effective against any kind of fungus, and this way, you would see that a simply mix any of these ingredients in water — a good rule of thumb ratio is approximately one to ten in favor of water.

You’ll have to be more diligent with organic fungicides, as they’re much weaker, and you can spray the solution on the affected parts of the plant once a week in the morning and allow it to dry. You can even do this to prevent the fungal disease from even happening.

When using inorganic and systemic fungicides, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to avoid harming your palm tree and your entire garden. You can say goodbye to fungus with the right fungicide and proper application.

Conclusion

White fungal growth on pygmy date palms is no joke and can become a formidable enemy if allowed to spread and this is especially true if it’s a fungal disease we’re talking about, so let’s remind ourselves of a few pointers from this article:

• Not all fungal conditions are bad for your palm tree, and one such example is scurf, which is a palm’s way to tell it’s got everything under control. Scurf will look like a fungus, but you’ll do your plant best if you just leave it alone.
• Don’t be fooled by lime and mineral deposits, as these will only require you to appropriate your watering regimes.
• Scale pests and direct fungal infections will later lead to deposits on the outer sides of palm trees, turning into a more serious illness, so be prepared to act as soon as you spot them white things moving.
• A healthy pygmy palm begins with some great plant care, including cutting away any infected tree parts, giving your plants some breathing space, and regular fungicidal application.

With a little bit of care and attention, your pygmy date palm will continue to thrive, completely fungus-free!