It sounds like it is probably the fungal disease known as black spot. You can spray it with a mixture of one part milk to ten parts water.
Cheers,
Dee.

Cool. Thanks I'll try that. I'd never heard of using milk as a fungicide before but googled it after your suggestion. Of the results that came up one suggested it could also be a pottasium deficiency and that milk is good for that too.

Sounds like cold spotting to me, this is very common with Solitaires. I wouldn't worry about it too much as it won't affect the growth of the palm. The new leaves this spring/summer should grow free of this.

Ok, well it doesn't sound too bad either way - I was expecting 'You have palm plague burn everything in the garden!!!'
I'll have a look at the new growth and see how that goes, but may try the milk trick as well.
Thanks both.

Hi,

If you can get a copy of David Jones' excellent book on Palms for Oz, you'll discover that this is especialy common in nursery-grown palms from areas outside of the tropics. My mature Solitaire and its 3 companions (Ptyschosperma Macarthurii) have been in the ground for 3 months, and they all have it. My nurseryman postulates that it is a water-borne disease caused by the overhead sprinklers most nurseries use, but that could be totally off the mark.

Personally, I dont find it too hard to live with - I just accept it as part of the palms character.

Cheers,

Artie

The water borne disease caused by overhead sprinklers, sounds exactly like black spot....ask the rose growers!! Worth trying the milk spray.
Cheers,
Dee

Deejaus

This is different as it looks different and it only happens in the cool of winter. From what I understand black spot on roses is more common in summer when it is much more humid. I understand that there wouldn't be any Solitaire palms in Victoria for you to compare your roses to.