Palm and tree questions
How do you test a palm for lethal bronzing?
A core is drilled from the living trunk and tested by PCR at a UF/IFAS lab. A result typically comes back in 7 to 10 days, and it is the only way to confirm lethal bronzing.
Reviewed by Jeff Kaulbars, ISA Certified Arborist FL-10118A, Ptolemy Inc.
Why a look is not enough
Several palm problems look like lethal bronzing: late potassium deficiency, cold damage, other diseases. One cabbage palm we sampled looked like lethal bronzing and the lab said Not Detected. A Canary Island date palm whose crew thought it needed water tested positive.
Why it matters before a removal
Many palms come down without anyone knowing they had lethal bronzing. The insect that spreads it is still on the property, and the palm next to it can be next. A test before the cut tells you whether to protect the palms around it.
What "Not Detected" means
The lab did not find the organism in the tissue it was sent, on the day it was tested. It is a strong result, not proof the palm is clean. If a palm keeps declining in a pattern that fits, we sample again.
What to do now
Photograph the whole palm and the symptom area, note where it is, and do not let a suspected palm sit for weeks. Fruit and flower drop, then the oldest fronds turning reddish bronze, are the early signs.