Since I got it, it has developed rusty dark areas (spots and along the edges) on the larger lower leaves and it has now spread to the smaller new leaves which are growing from the middle of the plant.

Is this caused by underwatering? When we first got the plant we went on holiday thinking it would be ok unwatered for a week and I have since found out that was not good.

Is it because of the cold climate (it's in Lancashire but by the sea), or does it need fertiliser? We have applied some black-spot remover but is that really the problem?

Perhaps we should keep it indoors in the porch instead?

Any ideas? Will it recover? Any help would be appreciated as we want to get some more and we do not wish to kill those as well!

I've had lots of palms over the years, both as houseplants and outdoors. The one thing that seems guaranteed to kill them off is root-rot, cause either by the plant standing in water or by potting it into too large a container. If the container is significantly larger than the one it was in, there will be a large volume of stagnant compost around the plant's roots. Compost in a pot does not behave in the same was as soil surrounding a plant's roots in the ground. There won't be sufficient air getting to the roots and they will start to die off. (Sorry this is such a gross simplification; I'm sure that other people could give you the proper scientific explanation.)

Phoenix canariensis seems not to mind its compost drying out occasionally, so I wouldn't have thought that would be the reason. Equally, unless you've had bad frosts over the past few months, I don't think it would be the cold.

Just my opinion - I could be wrong about the cause of the brown spots.

I tend to agree with ornata that it might be due to water. I left the pot in a tray which collected rain water.

If the roots started to rot I wonder whether this process is reversible?

I also wonder whether I should bring the plant in for the winter or cover it with something?

Thanks for your advice.

I chose to buy my canary island palm just from looking at the leaves! They are so beautiful! I need to know how to care for it. When I bought it, the leaves were lovely and green but now the points have browned and two leaves are dying and one leaf is not looking too well. I only have experience of growing geraniums, roses and a castor oil plant which began to die when I brought it home. It was years ago and I took it to a gardener who began by taking the whole plant out of the pot and sifting through the roots. He found a maggot and shouted 'there's your cause' and the castor oil plant grew well after that. It got so big, I decided to sell it. It got flowers on top, it was taller than me (about 7ft 6) and it was producing seeds which were gernimating all around it in the pot. I didn't want that many castor oil plants so I sold it.

So when I bought the canary island palm (phoenix canariensis)I began to sift through the roots to make sure there was nothing chomping at the roots. I discovered it had a ball root and I couldn't get it back into the pot, so I chopped some off.

Now, I'm worried. Will it die from the root trauma I gave it?

Also, I wanted to take cuttings from it so that I would have loads of them planted outside and if any got stolen, I could just think 'ha!!! I still got the main one!! You can't take that!!' because people keep steeling my roses. I plant them and days later, the whole plant goes missing. I have the main ones secure so they can't be stolen!

So I took a leaf from the canariensis and planted it. It too seems to be dying.

Please help!!!!! I want to know how to look after the main canariensis and I want to take cuttings and plant them outside to fill up my front yard and stop the neighbour's six cats dolloping there.

There is really nothing more unsightly then taking two hours to get ready to go out only to step out and first experience the horrific whiff of fresh dollops!!! AND if there are no fresh ones when I leave, those cats certainly get some ready and waiting for when I get back!! It's a nightmare!! I've tried repellents but the cats don't seem bothered. My roses do the trick but I wanted more green.

So please help

Shazia

I'm sorry everyone. I wasn't a member and I was very worried about my problem and wanted to post it asap. I hadn't read about anyone else's Canariensis problems. Now that I have, I feel at ease about chopping some root. I wonder if I should do what Gill did and chop the roots to a stump.

I think peat in the soil must be important. I know that the original soil didn't have any and the soil I bought from B&Q to replace the original soil has no peat, either. It's very poor quality, seems to be full of 'twiggy' bits. I doubt if the canariensis likes it. By the way, I bought my canariensis from B&Q, too!!

I think I will buy a better soil which contains a good amount of peat.

About the brown spots, do you think they may be due to spider mite? My canariensis seemed free of any maggots or any insects when I bought it but I placed it on a window sill for a week where geraniums grow happily and that's when the problems started. First the corners of the leaves were drying up. Then I noticed tiny little black insects jumping about on and off the canariensis. I did a google search and it came up with how pesty spider mites are. They chew at the leaves and cause discolourations and have no problems with insecticides. Only their natural predators can get rid of them.

So I sprayed some ant killing powder onto the canariensis hoping that it hasn't been tried and hoping that it will get rid of them.

I hope my post has helped someone. I think a change of soil for a more peat content one will be a step forward for my canariensis.

Thanks Gill ... can you give any advice about taking cuttings?

Shazia

I'm trying everything to keep my canariensis alive. I changed it's position to indoor away from sunlight. Is that bad? Can they survive with just room light?

Although I still have my Ph. Dactylifera palm and grow several other types of palms, I still have no idea what was wrong with mine in the first place, or what can be the problem with yours, sorry.
Could I suggest you hop on over to the GWeb 'Palms and Cycads' forum where I know from personal experience there are a lot of folks who will be able to help you out.
Good luck, Gill.