ShawnJ
journeyman
Reged: 07/29/03
Posts: 69
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
|
|
The house we recently bought has 3 dead palm trees in the back yard. They are probably 10 feet tall. They are planted in a place that would make it difficult to completely remove. They are planted between a retaining wall a few feet tall and a concrete block fence. How do I deal with these ugly dead trees? Thanks!
Shawn
|
JasonB
Sharp Shooter
Reged: 04/27/04
Posts: 8522
Loc: Cape Spencer, New Brunswick, C...
|
|
I've no experience with palms in particular, as they're pretty much indoor potted plants around here, but I've removed a variety of similarly sized trees from my own and neighbour's properties....
Last one we did was a small tree in the neighbour's back yard. We simply hooked a tow strap to his F250, planted it in 4wd and eased the tree out. Nothin' too it, and I'd try this first if the vehicle can be squeezed into the area.
Failing that, you're looking at rather labourous methods, I think. Fell the trees first with axe or chainsaw (play safe, even small cuts can go bad). Then remove the stump as much as you can/need to by digging by hand and severing roots with an axe or hatchet. Depending on the rootball, this can be hours or days work. Last time I did this way, it was a weeping willow in my father's back yard, stump about 8" diameter.
You could just fell the trees and trim the stumps as short as possible, and then use a stump grinder (rental, quick if it can get there) or stump removal products (many moons, cheap).....
I can't imagine that removing dead palms is any different than any other tree removal... Except the wood sucks when you're done!
J
--------------------
er, somethin'....
|
FranS
The Boss Mare
Reged: 01/21/02
Posts: 39978
Loc: Riverside, CA
|
|
cur them down in sections. use a ladder and cut the tops off, then the next section, then the next. depending on the species of palms, they might be very shallow rooted and will dig out easily after you cut them down. being dead tho, the roots may be done anyway and you can dig out easy enough.
|
morrisdancer
"Lunatic"
Reged: 10/27/05
Posts: 7617
Loc: Michigan
|
|
Fran has a GREAT point about the root systems. Like Jason, palms are strictly houseplants up here, but when I re-pot my palms, I'm always amazed at how this big ol' tree can have such a puny little rootball (and then asking myself why I felt I had to re-pot them in the first place!)
Liz
--------------------
Thanks, Chris and Ernie!
|
ShawnJ
journeyman
Reged: 07/29/03
Posts: 69
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
|
|
It ended up being a pretty easy project. basically I just pushed them over. They were brittle and gave up pretty easy.
|
FranS
The Boss Mare
Reged: 01/21/02
Posts: 39978
Loc: Riverside, CA
|
|
ROFLA! that's too funny.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
