Leaning Pygmy Palm

[palmey]

Hello everyone,

I have a pygmy palm (robellini) that is leaning.  A neighbor girl came and was hanging on the fronds and pulled the thing pretty low to the ground.  As best as I can tell, it doesn't look like the trunk broke or the root ball got upturned.  It's just leans real low to the ground now - the frond tips are only a foot off the grass without the prop there.  I propped it up with a 2x4 as you can see in the pic.  Anyways, if I keep it like this, should it 'mend' itself.  How long should I keep the prop there?

[Chris Chance]

I think if you keep it staked up it should root in like that. I've seen those fall over completely from a storm and they still kept growing. 

[John in Andalucia]

Welcome to the forum! My personal choice would be a wire support (wire or strong twine)..

Then tell you neighbour to hang off that instead!

To answer your question though, I'd leave it staked for a year to have any effect.

[PalmatierMeg]

You could tie it upright using 3 stakes set into a triangle pattern. That's what I did with my Thrinax radiata after Hurricane Charley blew it down. I left it staked until the rope disintegrated about two years later. The way you have your palm propped not the trunk should eventually grow into a curve.
 

[palmfriend]

Welcome to palmtalk!

We have many many like yours almost 

completely blown over during our typhoons, they all keep growing

like nothing happened. Just some stakes and ropes here and there

and they do fine. 

Your palm should be ok!

 

Best regards from Okinawa -

Lars

 

[Gonzer]

Ida taken a hickory switch to that neighbor! Durn kids!!!