Canary Palm....... Need Help!

[HappyGirl]

Fifteen years ago we had a 9' Canary Palm planted in our back yard. It was a new house and they used a crane to hoist it up and over into our back yard. The soil was really hard and they talked us into planting the tree on a mound which was a huge mistake. We then had someone come and build an 18" wall around the tree, another huge mistake. Seven years later the roots of the tree were busting out of the 18" wall and our "landscape expert neighbor" charged us a 4K to build yet another wall that was a foot out all the way around the old wall and a foot higher making it 30" tall. He put a ton of rebar in the wall filled the interior in with soil. Fast forward another five years and the tree roots have grown up to the new 30" height and are now busting out of the second wall. We had hoped to have the tree dug up and lifted by a crane as both walls were demolished and a ground level hole was dug to finally put the tree at ground level. We paid in advance 7k for a very reputable local company to come out and do the work but when they arrived they all decided the tree was too big and they would need 3 trucks with counter weights and to close off our street for 4 hours.(its a culdesac so that we not be cool). And of the course the price would escalate out of reason. Now we are back to square one. We want to have someone come and demolish the 30" wall which you can see is falling apart anyway. What would happen if we removed the outer wall, cut the roots down around the interior wall and then let the tree recover before opening up the back of the 18" interior wall to free up the roots? Any other suggestions? 

AF1QipMYwaEtYwoyYCng3jLyhdimtSW4RaHbWK_7WoPf.webloc

AF1QipOJVU-D3tJVP1Nm-057PVqf3oj-6HF0oV_OErHF.webloc

AF1QipOPOMVR0nLCm7lkx3p-rnm4Y85QCmxY-r3uHolL.webloc

AF1QipP7QqVGcqhyRVlXeHFm4hiTP4UvZhKxBHqzz-PM.webloc

[Palmsbro]

I have no suggestions myself. Your plan sounds fine to me as long as the trunk and main root(s) of the palm remain at least

relatively undamaged at the end of all of this.

 

Just make sure I never meet your "Landscape expert neighbor". People like that make my fuse extremely short.

 

I am on a mobile platform at this time and I cannot see the images you have placed in your post (I tried to open it, which only

resulted in a download, then it said that there was 'no app' to open these files.).

People using PC computers may have the same problem.

[HappyGirl]

I am going to delete my post and try again with my images. Thanks!!

[Palmsbro]

2 minutes ago, HappyGirl said:

I am going to delete my post and try again with my images. Thanks!!

Looks like a few people gave you really bad advice on planting (I can see your images now [your 2nd post only], thank you!).

You know you can't delete it, right (posts, only editing within a short time window is possible)?

[HappyGirl]

Ha ha yes, now I know! Thanks Palmsbro for responding.

[rprimbs]

Wow, it looks like obviously the best option would be to have it replanted in the ground.  But that would probably require a crane and an excavator, to dig an adequate sized hole.

[HappyGirl]

Another image....

[Neil C]

Such a shame it's breaking that wall, I quite like that raised planter look. Did you say the original smaller wall is still in their somewhere? 

Regards Neil

[HappyGirl]

Yes the smaller wall is 12" inside and also 12" shorter. I'm wondering if we can cut the roots back down to that dimension and then taper the wall open at the back so the tree will not be so bound inside it if that makes sense.

 

[kinzyjr]

Love the look of raised planters, but sometimes it isn't meant to be (like with banyan trees).  A possible solution would be not to use a cement wall at all since it fills the planter.  Instead, use landscaping stones for retaining walls.  Here are a few examples:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Flagstone-Allegheny-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-4-in-x-11-in-Actual-4-in-x-11-2-in/4686343

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Basic-Gray-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-4-in-x-12-in-Actual-4-in-x-11-5-in/3010068

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Flagstone-Ashland-Retaining-Wall-Block-Common-4-in-x-11-in-Actual-4-in-x-11-2-in/4686351

 

Use them to build an appropriate sized planter as such:

If this isn't a realistic solution for you, I understand.  I'm just trying to give you a cheap, flexible alternative.

[PalmatierMeg]

Agree with kinzyjr. The mortared cement block wall is bad news. It may look great until the palm reduces it to the photo above. Digging/replanting the palm strikes me as exorbitantly expensive unless you like burning money. I prefer the more natural "stone" look over the spackle and tile. If you place the lowered block wall further away, you may be able to trim and shave that giant mound into a more gentle slope that perhaps won't encroach as aggressively. And if it does, you have the option of expanding the block wall with little effort and a few more blocks.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Another option is to start over. Clearly, the way this was done from the beginning was incorrect. So, have the tree cut down, demo the hardscape and replant another tree.

Meg's idea above sounds good as well.

As for the money you quoted, that seems outrageous to me. 

[Kris]

Nice healthy palm,But iam unable to understand why that cidp is spreading its roots side ways ? The entire raised planter is full of roots...meaning it has difficulty in sending roots straight deep into the soil,Which is the area of your lawn/grass.

Since the cement structure is fairly big in size,the palm tree is having difficulty in sinking its roots into the original ground soil area.Which means that as the palm grows bigger even the newly proposed wall is bound to get damaged.And if the palm is subject to severe wind conditions could well tip over.I.e when it becomes really tall say 15 to 20 years from now.

Is your original floor area made of rock boulders,etc ?

As the palm grows big sooner than later you will be forced to take it down.As it has not anchored itself to the ground soil.

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by Kris

[Josue Diaz]

I agree with Meg also. I would probably remove the cement wall, work that entire lawn area into a mound so that the single mound where the tree is now isn't as aggressive. Then I'd replant the lawn to cover the mound entirely. 

[HappyGirl]

@kinzyjr Thanks for offering solutions and for the brick ideas.

@PalmatierMeg No we don't want to throw money away. Especially knowing we could spend a fortune trying to move the palm and it may not even survive.

@Josue Diaz This is the route we will probably take.

@PalmTree Jim We may end up starting over in the end but we will try another solution first. If we end up having to have the tree cut down I doubt that we would replace it with another canary palm.

I will post pics of what we end up doing in case any of you are interested in how this winds up.

Thanks for all the input everyone. Have a great weekend!!

 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

If you dig it there is a chance that it will die. Break that concrete out and replace with a retaining wall. The roots will come through the wall and air prune which will stop their forward advance. Remember round objects are very strong and resist inward forces but are very weak resisting  internal forces.