Not sure, but you may be "loving it to death"! While Sabal minors grow in swamps here in S.C. where they are sometimes in standing water for weeks, they actually grow faster and larger when planted in sandy loam with good drainage. If it is showing decline with plenty of water try slacking off the water and see what happens. Also, all Sabals love high heat (what have your temps been like?). Maybe it is the combination of too much water with cool temperatures. Transplanting any Sabal can be tricky at times, even when planting from a pot. You can often get dieback of outer fronds while the heart remains green. The heart on yours still appears healthy and that's what's important.

Agree, looks too wet. I'd let it dry out some. It may sulk awhile before it grows. Is the spear tight?

It has been hitting the low to mid 90's every day for the past week or so... Very little rain. But I water daily.
The young spears are perfectly tight and strong, just not moving yet.

So perhaps ease back on the watering?

Sabal Minor is a very slow growing plant -Don't expect too much new growth. they like a sandy soil and prefer to dry out between watering even though they often grow in swampy conditions. Try amending the soil around the base of the plant with the new Miacle-Gro soil and some washed sand or sany loam.

Good-luck
Mike

I've got a little one, Adam, that grows at a snail's pace.

Any chance the mulch is too high up the trunk?
I'd pull it back 2 inches all around the base of palm to maintain the same "soil level" as previously.

Barb

Thank you all for the suggestions!
I have pulled back the soil and mulch to the level of soil when it was potted.
Soil there and below was moist.
Will allow more time to dry between waterings.
Noticed that second from smallest spear HAS grown half an inch taller in the past three weeks.
Might still need to trim off browning fronds,
wish me luck!
Cheers!

I may not be an expert but I do know that clay chokes everything!!! it is too damned dense and heavy UGH! Good luck, hope it fares well...

Sabal in eastern Canada? I've given up on Sabals down here in Mass........they are like snails. I bet you'll have best luck warming up your soil. Not sure how to do that. Air temp isn't sufficient.....gotta get the soil temps up.

Bill as a few HUGE ones from 1,000 gallon containers (LOL)..............just kidding but you know what I mean. His are actually sending up blooms now. I'm not sure how fast they grow......perhaps a couple new leaves per season.

Perhaps you can do some sort of continuous drip system with very warm water or heating cables??

Keep in mind that Sabals have rep of not enjoying being moved.

The leaves that have folded may or may not open and although this IS
a good indicator of trouble(most likely root trouble)it doesn't mean
it isn't getting it's act together-be patient,they are slow but also hit it
with some root stimulator-the whole adjustment period for palms
can really be speeded up with good soil and a root stimulator.....
sometimes by more than a year!

My soil surface temperature hit 140*f or 60*c yesterday... thats when the remote electronic thermometer cuts out.. my manual thermometer hit the top and passed 50*c two weeks ago and now is broken. Think maybe that could be hot enough?

140F??? Holy cow, Adam.
That's hot even for a Sabal.

Barb

Hi all,

I have a couple of Sabals and a number of (dying) Rhapies. I do not protect them other than applying Freezeproof. Now, most of the needles have rotted away (except for the babies that sprouted from the bases and therefore lean to a certain extent) whereas the Sabals have lost all their leaves but are growing them back. I have almost one full leaf now! I consider it success. By the end of the growing season, I'll end up with 2-3 leaves. As this palm has been in the ground for 3 years now, I expect it to be a bit hardier going forward.

And the bittersweet news: the Sabal started to bloom!!!! But the bunny residents chewed off the top half, ouch!

Greetings from Oakville --> about zone 6a-b
Rob

(dying) Rhapies.

Oh no...the rabbits are eating them too?

How about some kind of mesh/netting over the rest of the Sabal bloom.

What a curse those rabbits are...

Hope you're enjoying your continued heatwave.

Barb

Thanks Barb. And an excellent idea! It is like in the tropics, just wonderful... procided you can breath 😆