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Yes they are both just ageing leaves there is no dying ‘flag leaf’

The Plant Hopper

The PlantHopper

Can we all imagine?  LIFE WITH OUT COCONUT AND PALMS

DISEASE: Lethal yellowing of palms

PATHOGEN: ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma palmae’

HOSTS: Palms (species in the family Arecaceae); Pandanus utilis (Pandanaceae)

Lethal Yellowing on Coconut Palms

The Antigua Barbuda Horticultural Society  must address this devastating disease to our palm trees with an urgent and collective voice, we want to help to  educate the public on what to look for and what to do.

FACTS

This is the reality

During the last four decades, outbreaks of lethal yellowing disease have killed most of the once prevalent tall-type coconut cultivars in parts of Florida and some Caribbean Islands

While coconuts are the most important economic palms affected by this disease, 35 other palm species are susceptible to lethal yellowing.

The Symptoms

Symptom observed on mature palms (the first symptom for immature palms or non-fruit bearing palms) is foliar discoloration.

This symptom varies markedly among coconut cultivars and other palm genera.

For tall-type coconut cultivars (e.g., ‘Jamaica Tall’), the foliage turns yellow, beginning with the lowermost (oldest) leaves and progressing until the entire crown is affected.

In some cases, this symptom is first seen as a solitary, yellowed leaf (“flag leaf”) in the middle of the leaf canopy.

Typically, yellowed leaves remain turgid, but eventually turn brown, desiccate, and hang down to form a skirt around the trunk for several weeks before falling.

As leaf yellowing advances, the spear (youngest) leaf collapses and hangs down in the crown. Death of the bud usually occurs when one-half to two-thirds of the crown has yellowed. Eventually, the entire crown of the palm withers and topples, leaving a bare trunk standing Infected palms usually die within 3 to 5 months after the first appearance of symptoms.

The Disease

Disease Management:

Please contact Dr. Gore Francis or Ms. Kishma Primus for the official word at 764 7378

or

The only effective cure is prevention, i.e. planting resistant varieties of coconut palms and look for certified nuts to replant, know  their history and where they are sourced, we must now question plant sellers before you buy and before you plant, and preventing environments ( park or golf like landscapes) this attracts the plant hopper, by being vigilant and inspect your garden for signs of  this little green flying insect and diseased plants.

Control of planthopper populations  (carriers) could be controlled by repeated insecticide applications the antibiotic oxytetracycline HCl Terramycin in landscapes, but we must think hard before we use, since it can be  damaging to the environment over a period of time and with out a 100% guarantee. Planthoppers are flying insects, and they also can be blown around by wind.

Please cut down your diseased palm tree and burn it.

 

Exciting News! Our last general meeting was held on our new site, on Friars Hill Road, we cleared a walking path, Cath submitted a preliminary site plan.

We have had a relentless heat coupled with no rain for the past three weeks and our plants and gardens are not at all happy, but there is one bright spot, the cactuses, here is a surprise I found in my garden flowering Epiphytic Cactus, keep looking. I will include some of Evelyn’s shortly.

Hildred is from Montserrat and lives in France, she is a passionate gardener, look at her collection of Dahlia’s and Hibiscuses, beautiful.

 On Our New Home on Friars Hill Road, Lend a hand, Join the project, make a donation, we start with a community garden! Antigua Barbuda Horticultural Society, Friars Hill Road,  P.O. Box W212, Antigua WI  268 725 5507

Our first storm of the season, secure those hanging baskets, move tender plants indoor, add another rain barrel.

 

August 10th 2012, A wonderful element for your garden, how about it,  a small pond, or a copper brimming with lilies is such a wonderful site.. Photo compliments of our very enthusiastic gardener/photographer   Generis Taylor Hodge who delights in capturing all the wonderful images of their garden, located in Hodges Bay.

We all listened with deep concern to Dr. Gore Francis,  her telephone is  764 7378 regarding the plight of our coconut trees and some garden plants. Lethal Yellowing is a phytoplasma disease that attacks many species of palms, including some commercially important species such as the Coconut and Date Palm. It is spread by the planthopper Haplaxius crudus (former name Myndus crudus) which is native to Florida, parts of the Caribbean and Central America. Infected plants will normally die in 3 to 6 months. The only effective cure is prevention, i.e. planting resistant varieties of coconut palm and preventing a park or ‘golf course like’ environments which attracts the plant hopper.

We always recommend  and  appeal to all, to be diligent on care of your plants, sterilize your garden equipment by washing in a little solution of chlorine bleach and discard all diseased plants with care and really inspect it before you buy it! 

We ar still investigating the  condition of many of our Immortelle trees ( Erythrina Variegata) one of the most important sources for our hummingbirds.! The cause is the erythrina gall wasp. ( We are investigating a course of treatment.)

Here is a photo of the Wasp (looks like a fly)  and the treatment suggested. 

Visit  http://www.palmtreesaver.com/