Potassium Deficiency

• The tips of palm leaves will appear to be withered or burnt, often turning brown, if the tree is suffering from a lack of potassium. This is a common problem in the palm species. Older leaves will show the first signs of distress and as the deficiency worsens, newer leaves will also be affected. Yellow, orange or black spots will first appear on the leaves, followed by the browning of the tips of the palm leaves.
  
  

Potassium Management

• Potassium deficiency occurs most frequently in sandy soils -- an environment where most palms are planted or grow -- because sandy soil is unable to hold potassium for an extended period of time. Heavy clay soils do a better job at maintaining potassium. Palms that are planted in lawns should be fertilized separately, as most lawn fertilizers are low in potassium. Fertilizer with a higher potassium content than nitrogen content should be applied to the soil surrounding the palm.
  
  

Manganese Deficiency

• A deficiency in manganese also causes palm leaves -- fronds -- to become withered, frizzled and scorched. A condition that can be fatal to the palm, this typically occurs because of an excessively high pH level; usually 6.5 or above. Poor drainage, a high water table and a large amount of phosphorus in the soil also inhibits the absorption of manganese by the tree. Manganese sulfate applied to the soil or foliage of the palm helps to negate the problem.
  
  

Other Problems

• Iron and magnesium deficiencies in the earth may also bring on a browning of the tips of a palm tree. Diseases like leaf spot, caused by a variety of fungi, produce brown spots on the foliage of a palm. Ganoderma butt rot, caused by the fungus Ganoderma zonatum, afflicts many types of palms and is almost always fatal to the tree. The first symptoms of this disease include a withering, browning and drooping of the palm leaves. Rather than dropping to the ground, the fronds normally hang parallel to the trunk.