Question
I saw my neighbors had neglected a large palm like plant and I asked for it.  I put it in a large pot with good soil and fertilized it and it has gotten worse.  Today, I moved the plant back inside because of the cool weather and when I lifted the heavy pot off of it's base, there were tiny fast moving bugs crawling all over it.I want to take care of this unless it's hopeless.  

Lydia

Answer
Hi Lydia,
   Unfortunately, right away in the beginning you made a few common mistakes. First off you took a stressed, unhealthy plant and repotted it and into a larger pot. Even under normal conditions unnecessary repotting is one of the most common reasons for plant failure.  It is even worse for a stressed, unhealthy plant. Also never repot a plant into a pot more than 2 inches bigger than the pot it was in. The soil in a pot that is too big can stay wet too long and cause root rot. If the pot you put the plant in is too big, 2 inches or more than the one it was in, then I would recommend you put it back in the pot it was in before with a good draining fresh soil. A lot of plants, including a lot of types of Palm plants, like to be at least a little rootbound.

Next you fertilized the plant.
Fertilizer should only be given to healthy plants that are actively growing. Never give fertilizer to a plant while it is dormant or to an unhealthy plant. Fertilizer will not ' cure' an unhealthy plant and will actually cause more harm. Only fertilize a plant when it needs it. A good sign a plant needs fertilizer is little or no new growth during the plant's active growing cycle. Any well balanced fertilizer is OK. I recommend using 1/3 of the amount called for in the directions on the package. Liquid fertilizers are best. Dilute 1 part liquid fertilizer to 2 parts distilled water. Be sure to never fertilize a plant when the soil is dry. This could cause the plant to take up too much fertilizer at once. Also avoid using fertilizer sticks. There a risk of damaging delicate roots when the stick is pressed into the soil. When plant food sticks start to melt they can create chemical ' hot spots' causing damage to roots that come into contact with these spots.

Proper watering is very important. As a general rule allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry between watering then water just enough for a small amount of water to drain out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Adjust watering to fit the needs of specific plants. I recommend using distilled water. A lot of plants are sensitive to the fluoride, chlorine and hard water deposits found in most tap water. Water softeners add a lot of salts to the water which can also harm plants. By using distilled water you can avoid the problems that can be caused by water quality.

The bugs you saw are likely to have been bugs living under the base. It is unlikely the bugs had moved into the soil but you are still going to have to check the soil for them. If you do find bugs in the soil I would recommend soaking the soil with a mix of 50% Malathion and 50% distilled water.


I hope this helps. If you have any questions or need additional information please don't hesitate to ask.
     Thanks
       Tracy