Root Rot Treatment for Foxtail Palms

Soil, Pots and Tools

• The fungus that causes root rot lives in soil and infects the plant by entering through its small feeder roots. It is possible to infect pots and tools with these fungi, which is why sterilization is so important. Always discard soil and plant material you suspect is contaminated by burning it. Never put it in the compost pile or garden. Wash pots and tools with hot, soapy water, rinse well with water and then with hydrogen peroxide. Give one final rinse in water and allow the items to drip dry. Hydrogen peroxide is better than bleach because if you miss any, the remaining residue won’t harm your plant.

Prune Decaying Roots

• Foxtail palms infected with root rot wilt and the leaves begin to turn yellow. Depending on the severity of the infection, it may be possible to prune the diseased roots and save the plant. To do this, dig the plant up, get rid of the soil around the plant and carefully prune any roots that are not cream to white colored and firm to the touch. Be sure to sterilize your tools by dipping them in hydrogen peroxide between cuts so you do not spread the disease to the healthy roots. Plant the foxtail palm tree in a new area if it is grown outdoors or in a clean, sterilized pot if it is grown indoors.

Adjust Environmental Conditions

• Unfavorable environmental conditions that allow the root rot fungus to grow are cool, moist, soil with poor drainage, inadequate light and overcrowding of plants. Foxtail palms growing in these unfavorable conditions succumb within seven to 10 days. Changing these conditions to favorable ones is necessary to prevent root rot. Foxtail palms thrive in well-drained soil, in full or part sun and if grown in a container, require a deep container to accommodate their extensive root system.

Other Control Methods

• Both the pH of the soil and a lack of iron can cause root rot in foxtail palms. Iron deficiency is caused by planting the palm tree too deeply or by poor soil aeration, which requires that you change the environmental conditions and treat them with a fertilizer rich in iron. Test the pH of the soil with a pH test meter or have a soil test done by your local extension office to determine if that is the problem. As long as the soil is well-drained, foxtail palms tolerate a wide pH that ranges between 5.6 to 7.8. Changing the pH of soil is a long process that requires you add lime or ash to raise or lower the pH.