My palm tree started smoking from the soil. There was a lot of smoke coming out of the pot. I don't know how this could happen. This is what the palm tree has been exposed to in the past 3 weeks.
week 1. The neighborhood kids knocked over the pot containing my palm tree. Pot has hairline crack. "kids stood it back up."
week 2. Leaves start dying. Only top stem remains. Someone mysteriously clips the dead leaves from my tree.
week 3. Top stem starts to bloom. Another stem starts to sprout.
Today. Seems fine in the morning. In the afternoon the soil inside the pot starts to smoke. I put my hand on the soil and it felt like the soil deep in the pot was burning hot. Smoke was coming out of the soil. I poured alot of water on the tree. The smoking stopped.
Does anyone know what happened here?
2007-07-25 18:00:01 · 6 answers · asked by Matt S 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
The organic material in the potting mix is heating to the point that it might catch on fire. You should replant your palm in a different pot, and plant something around the roots that will absorb some of the sunlight.
2007-07-26 03:08:33 · answer #1 · answered by spookyjimjams 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi I would suggest that you find a shadier spot for your palm. If the soil is mainly compost it will generate heat by itself. I would think about getting some potting mix specifically for palms and re potting. Hope this helps.
2007-07-25 18:07:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess is that the organic material in the potting soil was decomposing. From experience, I know that if you put grass clippings in plastic garbage bags and let them sit around long enough to start decomposing, they will get hot and smoke. I've also seen this happen with piles of grass.
2007-07-25 19:54:04 · answer #3 · answered by blooming chamomile 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Spontanious combustion in the compost/soil is one answer, but it doesn't sound likely.
I would guess that your tree was vandalized with conc. hydrogen peroxide.
2007-07-25 18:19:55 · answer #4 · answered by Irv S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you answered your own question "smoking pot". Could be a spore release or a "pigment" in your imagination. RScott
2007-07-26 02:08:06 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Either compost heat or you saw the release of fungi spores...
2007-07-25 23:36:05 · answer #6 · answered by TURANDOT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋