Q: Our fishtail palm is dying. There are many seedpods, which seemed to sprout overnight.

E.W., North Miami

A:Your palm is going through a natural process. Each stem of fishtail palms (Caryota sp.) dies after it flowers and produces seeds. If you have a clustering fishtail palm, new stems will continue to be produced. If you have a solitary fishtail, the palm will need to be replaced.

Other palms that go through this process are the talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera), dwarf sugar palm (Arenga tremula), gebang palm (Corypha utan), as well as other uncommonly grown palms.

INSECT SAMPLES

Send undamaged (live or dead) insects in a crush-proof container such as a pill bottle or film canister with the top taped on. Mail them in a padded envelope or box with a brief note explaining where you found the insects.

Do not tape insects to paper or place them loose in envelopes. Insect fragments or crushed insect samples are almost impossible to identify.

Send them to the address of your county extension office, found in the blue pages in the phone book under county government.

Adrian Hunsberger is an entomologist/horticulturist with the UF/IFAS Miami-Dade Extension office. Write to Plant Clinic, 18710 SW 288th St., Homestead, FL 33030; e-mail aghu@ifas.ufl.edu.

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