How to tidy a Bottle Palm base

[lucky1]

Happy New Year to everyone.

I like the look of Hyophorbe lagenicaulis with neat and tidy and narrowly-cut rows at the base.

Mine gets worse with every try.

Tried a linoleum knife, an exacto knife, all with ugly results.

I've seen a Youtube video of a fellow using long-handled pruning shears...not practical for me as each leaf is cut as it dries.

My link

Any tips would be appreciated, thank you.

Barb

[BS Man about Palms]

You need a saw with tiny teeth and lots of patience. Short of that, strong arm and hand control with an exacto... so the saw is the way to go..

Welcome and good luck!!

[DoomsDave]

First, start with the bottle palm, then worry about the base . . .

So far, you're batting 1000

[Walter John]

Some arguments in this old link of mine , skip thru the bulldust till you see pics of bottle palms, dressed or undressed

Bottles

[lucky1]

Appreciate the welcome, thanks.

Just looked through Wal's link, great pics.

And if that's bulldust, I'd better put on a seat belt for the good stuff.

The clean base is best shown by your link's "Peter Pacific", post 21.

I simply cannot figure out how a saw with tiny teeth and lots of patience. Short of that, strong arm and hand control with an exacto... so the saw is the way to go..

creates that.

Obviously can't use the trunk as a cutting board, so have to pull the spent petiole away to not cut beyond, causing damage.

That alone leaves a mess as the edge doesn't "pop back" to the trunk after a row is done.

Gorgeous Bottles...why anyone would hide them with Spindles

(tho' I've got one too) ">My link

Dressed, half-dressed or naked Bottles?

Naked, no place for black widows to hide.

Barb

[BS Man about Palms]

Somewhere there is an old thread of a guy who showed how he trimmed all his...

[osideterry]

This topic starts with Trachies and moves on to bottles...

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=23599&st=0&p=394024&hl=+trachy%20+leaf%20+base&fromsearch=1&#entry394024

[lucky1]

Thanks for digging up that May '10 thread.

The owner said it was hard work with a dull knife.

Damn near impossible with a sharp one!

Super Trachy pics on that thread, too.

Despite my aversion to giving black widow spiders a home, I'll never shave the stem on my ~30 year old Trachy.

Reminds me of a song phrase "who'll take the woman with the skinny legs?"

Barb

[aussiearoids]

I have used a fine hacksaw with great success when trimming up a bottle at Mums . You can buy small saws that take hack saw blades within the handle , I have used these for removing some brom pups .

[MattyB]

Any sharp blade in a utility/carpet knife will do. It's quite easy I don't know why you're doing such a hack job. Sorry. Just take a second and observe where the leaf base naturally wants to abscise. Then score just above the natural attachment point, with medium pressure, do not attempt to cut all the way through, and use a smooth motion. Once you've scored it along the proper line you can insert the blade back into your initial cut and apply a little more pressure following your previous cut until the leaf base pulls away. Usually you don't even have to cut all the way through before it easily pulls off and you don't even have to cut the trunk underneath. Just take your time and do it in sections. Good luck.

[elHoagie]

I just use pruning shears. I cut the leaf bases vertically at the top, and the leaf easily splits into 1 or 2 inch wide sections. I can then bend each section all the way back to the attachment point at the trunk, which makes them easy to cut. I go around and cut the leaves off just above the attachment point. With this method there's no danger of cutting into the trunk, and it actually goes pretty quickly...

[MattyB]

ahhhh brilliant!

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

I just use pruning shears. I cut the leaf bases vertically at the top, and the leaf easily splits into 1 or 2 inch wide sections. I can then bend each section all the way back to the attachment point at the trunk, which makes them easy to cut. I go around and cut the leaves off just above the attachment point. With this method there's no danger of cutting into the trunk, and it actually goes pretty quickly...

Jack,

I do the same thing. After you remove the "boots", there is still some fibers and so on still there. I use thick leather gloves and just rub the rest off after they dry up a bit.

[junglegalfla]

I wonder if there is an attachment for my dremel that may be good for this.

[Palmateer]

I hope 'Wal' managed to escape the recent floods...

[Walter John]

I hope 'Wal' managed to escape the recent floods...

Yes I'm safe, thanks for asking, and I'm a little embarassed as I just have to put up with a sloppy yard, makes it crappy to impossible to do much gardening in some areas. The towns north and west of me, (from 2 (eg:Dalby) to 8 (eg:Emerald) hours drive) have rivers running beside the town or through the town and whammy, they've broken their banks and it's just a matter of how much catchment onflow they get after/during the rains, it has been nothing short of devastating. The surrounding farms are also severely affected with summer crop plantings totally gone/ruined straight on top of a winter damaged crop from the rain also. Go back a couple of years and these same farmers were going through the worst droughts.

It's not global warmimg, it's not ozone layer, it's not deforestation, it's not emissions, it's not bad luck, it's Australia.

Meanwhile, back to this thread theme, I too followed the Jack Sayers method and here's how my old bottle shaped up afterwards, pic taken back in May 2010.

[lucky1]

Forgot to mention I also split the leaf vertically from the top.

Might be the leaf wasn't dry enough as I neared the attachment point.

I'll try the fine-bladed hacksaw idea next time.

Also hadn't thought to score a line first.

Great pointers, thanks!

The next photo of it will have it resembling WAL'S base.

Quick comment about Australia, from which came my three favorite things:

1. fav pic of all time during the horrible fires:

">My link

2. fav non-palm plant, my Wollemia nobilis:

">My link

3. fav palm my Wodyetia bifurcata:

">My link

Barb

[sick1166]

mattyb and el hogie said it right either score around it with a knife or scissors and that will work great

you can just bend your brown fibers back right now and cut them close with a pair of shears or scissors you could have your bottle looking good in know time

[GTClover]

So, my landscaper in the Bahamas insists that the boots should be left because they help direct water to the roots. I'm skeptical but what to you guys think?

Susan

[Walter John]

they have landscapers in the Bahamas ? :lol:

actually, seriously, one should leave the plant to itself for old leave disposal. on the other hand, you have thingy.

[GTClover]

they have landscapers in the Bahamas ? :lol:

actually, seriously, one should leave the plant to itself for old leave disposal. on the other hand, you have thingy.

"thingy" That's Aussie for...????

And you know I think he would say he's 'just' a gardener, but he's closer to a "plant whisperer" in my book.

[lucky1]

Thanks! Followed most of that advice...

Hack job looks better now...OK, a bit better.

Still not like the nursery guys do it...can't imagine them taking an hour per Bottle

Sawzall blade, without the saw. Scoring first was a good idea.

Why are the spaces between rings so wide versus the bottom three rings, obviously done at the nursery?

Too much water?

oh...and that little green thing growing at the base.

Garlic, hoping for a miracle to help with fungus gnats.

Barb

[MattyB]

wider internodes indicate rapid growth or low light levels or both.