Will this CIDP break the sewer pipe?

[GMann]

A friend of mine has a Canary Island Date Palm in his front lawn. There is a PVC sewer pipe running directly under the center of the palm (about 2-3 feet underground). A plumber that visited his house was worried that as the palm grows bigger the roots will crush the pipe. Does this sound likely? If so is it feasible to move the palm? Or will he just have to cut it down? 

[UK_Palms]

It more than likely won't break the sewer system or cause any problems, but if he is going to move it he HAS to do it now this spring/summer before it gets any bigger. A few guys could dig that out and drag it into a new spot in 1-2 hours. However in a few years time it will double in weight/mass, and you will be needing a digger/excavator, plus a pulley system to move that thing. I would move it ASAP just to avoid any future problems. Leaving it may be postponing the inevitable, if it has to be moved anyway, except it will be much harder to remove and preserve the roots or health of the palm in say 2-3 years. He has to make the decision now. No point in deciding to move it 2-3 years from now. Either it moves this season, or it stays put.

[awkonradi]

That palm already is quite big, and also very nice.  If your friend is enjoying the palm where it is, then I would consider leaving it in place, and going forward with optimism that the sewer pipe will be fine.  If at a some later date the sewer pipe actually is impacted, then removing the palm and replacing a section of the plastic pipe will not be too hard or expensive.  Just cut down the palm, dig up the pipe, and cut and glue in a new section of pipe.

[Darold Petty]

Sewer pipes suffer root intrusion by dicot plants with cambium, when the bell&spigot joints leak moisture, attracting very fine diameter roots that then grow into and enlarge within the pipe. 

Palms have no cambium and cannot enlarge in diameter, thus they cannot constrict an object between adjacent roots.  Also, PVC piping has glued joints which are normally watertight.  

Leave this palm alone.   

[JubaeaMan138]

I’m actually going through this didn’t realize I planted a jubaea and a sabal at the end of my leach field years ago which damaged my leach field . I will be rerouting my leach field in the next few weeks palms are loving it  🤙notice the large puddle in front of them 

[rprimbs]

17 hours ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

I’m actually going through this didn’t realize I planted a jubaea and a sabal at the end of my leach field years ago which damaged my leach field . I will be rerouting my leach field in the next few weeks palms are loving it  🤙notice the large puddle in front of them 

That looks like a broken line.  I had my leach field replaced after a problem like that -- before the leach lines.  I had the old pottery lines, and I had it replaced with the new high capacity.

[Merlyn]

As Darold said, the palm roots do not grow into things and then expand.  That's normally the reason that oaks and pines damage or crush piping.  We had to replace an incoming water line at my wife's old condo when pine roots lifted up the incoming pipe and split it.  That doesn't happen with palm roots.  They might invade a wet area (like if there's a leak at a PVC joint) but are unlikely to crack a PVC pipe.

As far as moving it, that would be difficult by hand at that size.  You could dig around it to about pipe depth (2-3ft) and you'd end up with something like a 6' diameter root ball.  With that trunk diameter you are looking at 500-1000lb of dirt and palm.  It could be done by hand, just by digging a ramp on one side of the hole, tilting it over and rolling it on its side up the ramp.  It's possible, but is definitely a job for several strong guys.