Welcome to AZ and to the forum. We sure hope you post often. It sounds like you've gotten the information you need from mangled--great information as usual. Despite swearing I'd never buy queen palms since they don't LOVE it here the way so many other palms do, I did purchase some awhile back and they've done well. Mine at only about 9 feet tall and they get ten gallons of water twice a week, plus palm fertilizer in early spring, late spring, and then mid-summer. That *should* help keep the yellow fronds away but you never know. They are not the easiest palm to keep happy here (the way Mexican and California/Desert and date and pygmy palms are) but they sure are lovely when happy. I would never recommend them to friends who like super low maintenance plants, but I do a lot of things I wouldn't recommend. :) Good luck and keep us posted! Take care, Grant

The UF advice on palms is it's healthier for the plant to not cut the fronds until the midrib is brown all the way to the trunk. The reason is that as long as there is green, the palm continues to make food. Any cut is an invitation for insects and disease. You can trim back the fronds if you do not like the dead brown look or the fronds smack you in the face. Since you do not mind waiting until the fronds fall, go with that. It's the best plan for the health of your palms. You were right!

Queen palms need deep watering to keep the roots underground... otherwise, the roots will come to the surface looking for water, and they spread far and wide (they look like skinny "wicked witch" fingers/knuckles coming up from the ground). As for the frizzly look, they may need manganese. I usually buy fertilizer spikes online at www.lutzcorp.com/palmtrees/ (some say spikes are worthless, but I've had good luck with mine from Lutz) I'm in NorCal (Bay Area) and we also suffered horrible frost this winter. For the first time, my Queens took a beating. But I'm pretty sure I haven't lost them... just kind of ugly right now :(

Now i ain't too sure on the Bismarck palm but usually brown/ grey spots like that are because of a fungus problem. That would be my guess. The Mexican fan palm though just needs some fertilizer. The yellow spots are because of a potassium deficiency. good luck! - US_Marine