Bottle Palm Bites the Dust....

[Looking Glass]

Three years ago, we got the house and it was a barren landscape, pretty much.

So for my first palm at the new place a got a little Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, with a base the size of a baseball, and stuck him out front.  My wife named him Hulk.     

July 2020....

That guy grew really fast, baking in all day sun surrounded by concrete, and in 2 years it had a base more the size of a beachball.  Normally putting out a frond per month in hot weather.   

June 2022...

Over about 3 years it had some spear issues on occasion, treated with peroxide and antifungals.   Then 8 months ago, the spear turned into something like a horse's tail, and it never put out another frond, despite treatments of peroxide, copper and Daconil.  

Last week I chopped the top off, and it was all putrid, fermenting mush inside.   I wanted to let it all dry out for removal.   It's a goner.    

The base is huge and I assume heavy.  66inches around and 21 inches across.  Will be a pain to dig up and roll out (goal tomorrow).  

May 2023...

 

Oddly, I had another one in a pot out back do the same thing last year after heavy rains.   One street over, another one, in a front yard, about this size, did this last year.  These are not hard palms to grow here.  Very common in yards and parking lot plantings.   Both mine were in super-heavy sun, hot spots.  Neither got overhead watering.    Perhaps that overcooked their insides?  Oddly, it's my highest % mortality palm at this point.  And it doesn't take a super-genius to grow these here.  They are everywhere.  Another in a pot out back is fine, just much slower than in the ground....

 

 

I'm going to replace with Gaussia princeps instead.  Those you don't see around here.  Should be a happy camper, as most Cuban palms like the soil and heat here and do well.   (Fingers crossed)  

 

Do I have to worry about treating the soil or anything?  I didn't think so.   It just seemed to just be a spear problem.   

 

 

[D. Morrowii]

Wow that thing was robust! Sorry you lost it even if it is a common palm it still sucks. That damage is interesting though, it looks like it starts on the outside and worked in towards the core? Or do you think its the other way around?

[D. Morrowii]

BTW I love the replacement idea! I’d think it would do well down there. 

[Looking Glass]

31 minutes ago, D. Morrowii said:

Wow that thing was robust! Sorry you lost it even if it is a common palm it still sucks. That damage is interesting though, it looks like it starts on the outside and worked in towards the core? Or do you think its the other way around?

It seemed to be a spear/inside issue, but I could be wrong.  The outside looked fine, but it’s been since last summer since it put out a new frond.   Old fronds hung on forever, but new fronds were toast.  After I cut it open last week, now it’s drying out and opening the layers (I was hoping to dry it out and make the base lighter).  

[D. Morrowii]

Yeah I’d think dry is better, it looks heavy.

[Billeb]

They aren’t fool proof out here in CA and typically look like crap in the winter. I had a pretty nice one in a 15G that I was going to put in the ground this Spring. This historic wet and cold winter we had here killed it. On  to the next as they say. 
 

@Looking GlassSorry to hear of yours. 
 

-dale 

[Looking Glass]

2 hours ago, Billeb said:

They aren’t fool proof out here in CA and typically look like crap in the winter. I had a pretty nice one in a 15G that I was going to put in the ground this Spring. This historic wet and cold winter we had here killed it. On  to the next as they say. 
 

@Looking GlassSorry to hear of yours. 
 

-dale 

It’s not the end of the world, though it was the perfect sized palm for that spot.   
I’ve got a big Spindle and that small Bottle out back, some good sized Thinax radiata in pots, various medium Pseudophoenix Sargentii, Lantania loddigesii, Dictyosperma album furfuraceum, various Coccothrinax…  Any of these would be pretty happy in the sun there.  

But I think I’m going with a double or triple G. princeps.  

Edited May 16, 2023 by Looking Glass

[Merlyn]

I've had this issue too with Bottle palms, though it's usually cold damage and spear pull.  Anywhere below 30F (especially with frost) can damage a spear, and then there's a 50/50 chance that it'll get a phytophthora bud rot infection.  Sometimes they come back, but I think I'm down to 4 smaller bottles (about the size of your potted one) and 1 big one (about the size of your D-E-D one).  Spindles are maybe very slightly tougher, with 7 alive and 4 dead.  Bottles are 5 alive and 7 dead.  Really it's just random luck...I think.  Maybe yours got a spear infection back in the cold fronts and just never recovered.  Gaussia Princeps have been pretty good at coming back from defoliation and spear pulls.  Bottles and Spindles....not so much!

In my area protection through canopy or house proximity is key, the ones out in the open are almost all dead.  So out of the ones near the house or under canopy, 6/6 are still alive.  Of the ones in the open are now 2/11 alive.

As far as removing it goes, I'd guess about 100-150lb or so?  You could lift it up like one of those "World's Strongest Man" weightlifters!  The yard waste around here only accepts up to 4" diameter limbs, and won't take a 2' diameter ball like that.  Maybe slice it up with a reciprocating saw into wedges?  I'd slice out the roots diagonally with a reciprocating saw, then roll it out into the driveway and slice it up.  Keep in mind that phytophthora will spread, so try to minimize flinging it into your beds.  Slicing it on the driveway is a good way to keep it from spreading, as any nasty liquid can be washed into the street or just left to bake to death in the sun.

[TropicalGardenSpain]

Sorry about the bottle but that triple princeps idea sounds great 👌

[Looking Glass]

On 5/16/2023 at 11:27 AM, Merlyn said:

I've had this issue too with Bottle palms, though it's usually cold damage and spear pull.  Anywhere below 30F (especially with frost) can damage a spear, and then there's a 50/50 chance that it'll get a phytophthora bud rot infection.  Sometimes they come back, but I think I'm down to 4 smaller bottles (about the size of your potted one) and 1 big one (about the size of your D-E-D one).  Spindles are maybe very slightly tougher, with 7 alive and 4 dead.  Bottles are 5 alive and 7 dead.  Really it's just random luck...I think.  Maybe yours got a spear infection back in the cold fronts and just never recovered.  Gaussia Princeps have been pretty good at coming back from defoliation and spear pulls.  Bottles and Spindles....not so much!

In my area protection through canopy or house proximity is key, the ones out in the open are almost all dead.  So out of the ones near the house or under canopy, 6/6 are still alive.  Of the ones in the open are now 2/11 alive.

As far as removing it goes, I'd guess about 100-150lb or so?  You could lift it up like one of those "World's Strongest Man" weightlifters!  The yard waste around here only accepts up to 4" diameter limbs, and won't take a 2' diameter ball like that.  Maybe slice it up with a reciprocating saw into wedges?  I'd slice out the roots diagonally with a reciprocating saw, then roll it out into the driveway and slice it up.  Keep in mind that phytophthora will spread, so try to minimize flinging it into your beds.  Slicing it on the driveway is a good way to keep it from spreading, as any nasty liquid can be washed into the street or just left to bake to death in the sun.

What’s your favorite reciprocating saw and blades?….   I know of your vast experience in this area.  

[Merlyn]

My favorites for cutting in the dirt are the Diablo 3TPI carbide pruning blades.  They take cutting in sand and rock and oak tree roots without getting dull after 10 seconds.  I usually break them off at the clamp before the teeth get dull.  But for cutting soft tissue any of the generic low-tpi wood cutting blades are good.  The Craftsman 9" 6tpi pruning blades worked well on bamboo, as did the Bosch 6pti Wood.  The ones labeled "wood and nails" usually have smaller gaps in the teeth (even at the same tpi) and tend to get clogged when cutting palm fronds.  So the Bosch RW96 is better on palms than the RN96, but both worked well for me out of the random 7 pack I bought.  Just don't get into the dirt on those, you'll get one or two cuts and then throw it in the trash.

I'd get rid of the stump as soon as possible, right now you've got a breeding ground for a wide variety of fungi and bacteria...and it ain't gunna get better with time!

[miamicuse]

My favorite recip saw is Bosch's 18V multi grip saw.  Incredible saw with orbital motion and multiple hold positions with vibration control.  However with this being 21" across it may be too much for a recip saw.  Do you have a chainsaw?  Rock it back and forth to cut the roots then roll it off the spot.

[miamicuse]

What if you get a drill and drill a few 20" deep holes down the middle, pour some gasoline in them and light it up, will it burn out the corek and make it easier to move or will it set your yard on fire?

[ruskinPalms]

My once vibrant spindle palm is heading this way with no overt freeze damage appreciable. Fungus among us…

[Merlyn]

9 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

What if you get a drill and drill a few 20" deep holes down the middle, pour some gasoline in them and light it up, will it burn out the corek and make it easier to move or will it set your yard on fire?

I vote option 2:  It sets the yard on fire.   🔥🔥🔥🔥

[miamicuse]

31 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I vote option 2:  It sets the yard on fire.   🔥🔥🔥🔥

Well, that would be literally a flame thrower palm!

[Looking Glass]

With my luck the house would burn down, and the palm would be left standing…

[rprimbs]

Bottle palms are touchy.  I had one do the same thing, and it was growing like crazy before it took a turn for the worse..

[Looking Glass]

Well, I took out a trenching shovel and severed all the roots around the base, down about 15 inches deep, and it was no easy task.   The stump now has the slightest wiggle.   

In order to get underneath I'd have to make a huge mess of that bed and risk the nearby plants.   I decided to go the reciprocating saw route from here.   Took the recommendations of @miamicuseand @Merlyn and made a few online purchases of that Bosch reciprocating saw and a bunch of blades.  I already have a bunch of Bosch cordless stuff and batteries at the house, so it was time to spring for the saw too.   Should come in a couple of days, and I'll get to sawing.   Thanks for the info.    

[Merlyn]

@Looking Glasslet me know what model saw you bought.  I picked up a no-battery closeout GSA18V-083 for $40 from a local Lowe's.  It works great for light duty, but the batteries are probably 10 years old and are the original tiny BAT609 1.3Ah 24V ones that came with my drill.  I think it would work much better with a 4Ah or 8Ah battery.  The small 1.3Ah dies really fast and gets bogged down on hard cuts and turns off.

I'd guess a 12" blade could get in just around the root initiation zone and lop off the 2 or 3 roots you couldn't get with the shovel.  Palm roots and fronds cut really easy with the saw.

[miamicuse]

10 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

@Looking Glasslet me know what model saw you bought.  I picked up a no-battery closeout GSA18V-083 for $40 from a local Lowe's.  It works great for light duty, but the batteries are probably 10 years old and are the original tiny BAT609 1.3Ah 24V ones that came with my drill.  I think it would work much better with a 4Ah or 8Ah battery.  The small 1.3Ah dies really fast and gets bogged down on hard cuts and turns off.

I'd guess a 12" blade could get in just around the root initiation zone and lop off the 2 or 3 roots you couldn't get with the shovel.  Palm roots and fronds cut really easy with the saw.

Yes the GSA18V-083 is a one handed compact saw that has only a strike length of 0.83" and doing full length cutting will be useless and the vibration will be crazy with this kind of embedded deep cutting.  The  Bosch multigrip recip GSA18V-125N is much better, but obviously not one handed, what I like about it is less vibration, is brushless, it cuts super fast and has the orbital action, and it has a handle design that can be grabbed in a variety of ways depending on the angle and depth of cut, I have 6 recip saws some old corded and some cordless and this is the one I use the most.  The GSA18V-125N also has a nice blade release feature that is well design, instead of most saw you don't need to reach into the clamp to release the blade.  For lighter duty I prefer the milwaukee one handed compact saw that looks like the Bosch GDS18V-083.  Bosch batteries has also gone through several iterations.  They have a newer one called PROFACTOR that has some of the latest features, I am on the CORE batteries and used this saw with the 4ah but when I bought it as a kit it came with the 6.3ah CORE battery.

I also have a Bosch 12V PS60-120 compact saw.  That one is a waste of time unless all you cut is plastic pipe.  I was so frustrated with it I left the Bosch 12V platform altogether.

Dewalt has a recip saw that one of my friends has.  It has a 4 position blade clamp that can rotate 90 degrees to angle the blade in 4 different positions.  That one is interesting too, but I am not on a Dewalt platform so not worth it for me.

[Merlyn]

@miamicuseI figured the little 12V would be mostly useless, maybe great for a plumber but not for anything else.  My main issue with the 18V is just the ancient and tiny batteries.  I hadn't noticed any big problems with vibration, unless I get it stuck cutting something like thin plywood.  But it's super-easy as a pruning saw for small branches and palm fronds with a 6" blade.  The lightweight one-handed design is nice for slicing big Bismarck and Queen fronds.

The one I regret buying was the Milwaukee 6509-31 to replace my destroyed old Bosch RS7 corded saw.  The "counterweighted" concept does help with regular cuts on things like fresh 2x4s, but if I get into something gummy (like oak tree roots or cutting bamboo) it's horrible.  The shaking is so bad it's almost impossible to hold onto.  And the twist clamp is a pain to use, gets stuck when hot and/or dirty, and has sharp edges at the front that pinch the base of the blade and snap them off.  If I used a big corded saw more often I'd throw this one in the trash and buy something else...

[miamicuse]

@merlyn yes I hear you the battery platforms really tie the consumers to that platform and no one tool manufacturer makes the best tool all around.  I struggled with this for a while and then I just decided I am going with multiple platforms not more than 3 in order to get to the best of class of a particular tool.

I think Bosch makes the best SDS rotary hammers, routers, jigsaws, compound miter saws, and they have a very powerful OMT (but then you are limited to their more expensive blades), and the multigrip reciprocating saw is good.  Their gravity rise mobile saw stands (table saw and compound miter saw) are great. Their currently 18V batteries with the PROFACTOR I believe is based on 21700 cells instead of the 18650 cells, it's a workhorse.  The 12V flexiclick drill is a great design and was the reason I got into the 12v platform but the rest of that platform except the FL12 light is a waste of time, thunfortunately.  Bosch also has a problem when it comes to mobile tool storage solutions, and limited tool categories (can't even buy a leave blower, chainsaw or a nailer).

Milwaukee on the other hand makes just about everything.  Their tools are OK, haven't really picked one up and say oh wow, they did a good job differentiating themselves from it (except for tool storage).  I use their platform for drills, hammer drills, recip saws, blower & chainsaw, and I am on their tool storage platform that Packout.  They have the widest tool selection bar none.  So if I am trying to decide which tool to buy, and between multiple brands no one really stood out, I get a Milwaukee.  The Packout is a great design, can get boxes in tall, wide, narrow, shallow, half width configurations, all the boxes stacks on each other, has coolers, lunch pails, radio, compressor, vacuum all stackable on top of each other, can be ceiling mount, wall mount, or put on a roller to take where you need it.  I love it, I don't love it's price though, way overpriced for a plastic case.  But Milwaukee has made their brand "sticky" with the Packout as part of their integrated solution, where as brands like Bosch and Makita considered their boxes just boxes.

I am also on the Ridgid platform, which is made by the same company TTI that makes Milwaukee and Ryobi.  I am phasing it out though.

I am also on the Makita platform, because like Bosch they do make good products but has a limited range.

Then I have a Hitachi nailer, kind of regretted jumping on it for just one tool so that's not a good thing LOL.

I still use plenty of corded tools, compound miter saw, table saw, big stuff I don't need cordless for since I am not hauling them from job site to job site like contractors do.

I am in the market right now for a track saw and can't decide.  Cannot believe the tracks are so expensive.

Edited May 21, 2023 by miamicuse

[Looking Glass]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Looking Glasslet me know what model saw you bought.  I picked up a no-battery closeout GSA18V-083 for $40 from a local Lowe's.  It works great for light duty, but the batteries are probably 10 years old and are the original tiny BAT609 1.3Ah 24V ones that came with my drill.  I think it would work much better with a 4Ah or 8Ah battery.  The small 1.3Ah dies really fast and gets bogged down on hard cuts and turns off.

I'd guess a 12" blade could get in just around the root initiation zone and lop off the 2 or 3 roots you couldn't get with the shovel.  Palm roots and fronds cut really easy with the saw.

I did end up going with the multi grip saw, though it wasn’t cheap.   BB stores have some Memorial Day sales on a bunch of stuff right now too, so it’s a decent time to shop around.   I’d been eyeballing sawzalls for a while, so it was time.  The hand sawing was getting old.  I already have 18v drills and drivers from their line.   Got an 18v portable shop vac while I was at it.   

[Looking Glass]

Finally some sun today, so I polished off the bottle palm.  I decided just to cut it up like a birthday cake, then just saw up all the roots in the soil.   I couldn’t deal…. It was probably a couple hundred pounds.   It was like a fresh melon inside.   The rot was only on the very top.   

I used the multi grip saw and the diablo blades….  Thanks for the recommendations.   It worked great.   

Next day off I’ll put these in.   Even though it’s probably a bad idea that I’ll regret in 10 years.   They’ll likely enjoy the spot.  

[PalmatierMeg]

Sorry for your loss. That was one gorgeous bottle. Those replacement Gaussia princeps are choice, too. I've never seen such large ones before. I have two now and they are very slow. My largest has been in the ground for years and still isn't as large as your new ones.

[peachy]

Bottles are very slow growers here. I have been in this house for 2.5 years or so and spent months amending the soil and removing builder's rubble. My bottle was in a pot for 2 years, been in the ground for 2 years and it's only the size of yours when you first planted it. They were common here for a while 15 years ago or more but it is very rare to see a mature or even partially mature specimen. 

Peachy

[Merlyn]

@Looking Glassyeah that's a shame.  I have a similarly sized Bottle that I am sure will die the same way...eventually.  It defoliates each winter and has grown back so far, but eventually it'll get an incurable bud rot.  I'll have to remember the cake method for the future! 

I bought a whole bunch of Gaussia Princeps seedlings a few years ago, and they've been very resilient to defoliation.  But, as Charlene said, they are really slow growers.  Maybe in 5 years one of them will get up to the size of yours!  I'd slice out as much of the old Bottle roots as is reasonable, just because. 

[Looking Glass]

7 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Sorry for your loss. That was one gorgeous bottle. Those replacement Gaussia princeps are choice, too. I've never seen such large ones before. I have two now and they are very slow. My largest has been in the ground for years and still isn't as large as your new ones.

I got them from Mike at Carribean Palms.   He had the next size up, probably twice as big, but I went with ease-of-transport size.  His in-ground adults are real whoppers though.   I worry they will get too big for that spot, so slow is fine with me.  
 

6 hours ago, peachy said:

Bottles are very slow growers here. I have been in this house for 2.5 years or so and spent months amending the soil and removing builder's rubble. My bottle was in a pot for 2 years, been in the ground for 2 years and it's only the size of yours when you first planted it. They were common here for a while 15 years ago or more but it is very rare to see a mature or even partially mature specimen. 

Peachy

Here they are a pretty common palm.   Sold at every nursery and chain store.   The average joe just sticks them in the ground and ignores, and the do fine.   The one I had would put out a new frond every month in the hot season…. Then one day, it just stopped.  
 

4 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Looking Glassyeah that's a shame.  I have a similarly sized Bottle that I am sure will die the same way...eventually.  It defoliates each winter and has grown back so far, but eventually it'll get an incurable bud rot.  I'll have to remember the cake method for the future! 

I bought a whole bunch of Gaussia Princeps seedlings a few years ago, and they've been very resilient to defoliation.  But, as Charlene said, they are really slow growers.  Maybe in 5 years one of them will get up to the size of yours!  I'd slice out as much of the old Bottle roots as is reasonable, just because. 

I just cut a spiral around in layers, then just sliced it up like a cake vertically .   Used 12 inch blades, and when I got to the bottom, sawed straight down into the roots in every direction and shoveled them out.   It was a quick job that way.  

[Missi]

On 5/18/2023 at 10:41 AM, Merlyn said:

My favorites for cutting in the dirt are the Diablo 3TPI carbide pruning blades.  They take cutting in sand and rock and oak tree roots without getting dull after 10 seconds.  I usually break them off at the clamp before the teeth get dull.  But for cutting soft tissue any of the generic low-tpi wood cutting blades are good.  The Craftsman 9" 6tpi pruning blades worked well on bamboo, as did the Bosch 6pti Wood.  The ones labeled "wood and nails" usually have smaller gaps in the teeth (even at the same tpi) and tend to get clogged when cutting palm fronds.  So the Bosch RW96 is better on palms than the RN96, but both worked well for me out of the random 7 pack I bought.  Just don't get into the dirt on those, you'll get one or two cuts and then throw it in the trash.

I'd get rid of the stump as soon as possible, right now you've got a breeding ground for a wide variety of fungi and bacteria...and it ain't gunna get better with time!

I’m picking up pruning blades today so this comment was INCREDIBLY helpful. Thank you. 
What do you guys clean/sanitize your reciprocating saws with? Same with gas chain saws. Is it possible?

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, Missi said:

I’m picking up pruning blades today so this comment was INCREDIBLY helpful. Thank you. 
What do you guys clean/sanitize your reciprocating saws with? Same with gas chain saws. Is it possible?

Until recently I used them for cutting up dead stuff, so I treated them all as being covered with fungus and other pathogens.  The finer toothed blades (high TPI) work better for live palm fronds, but it's awkward or nearly impossible to cut small diameter rachis/petiole with a reciprocating saw.  You get partway through and then the whole frond just starts shaking around and not cutting.  But they work great on big petioles/rachis like Bismarck.  Essentially if it's small enough for a lopper I use a lopper.  If it's too big to get a lopper around it, I use the 6" Diablo 3TPI carbide pruning blades.  I wipe them down with rubbing alcohol after each palm.  I should probably get a big glass jar and fill it with rubbing alcohol, and just wipe off the blade and drop it in the jar for a while. 

Edit: on Bismarcks I cut off the end near the fan, and then cut the petiole into 2 pieces so it fits in the yard waste bin.  It would probably work on Sabals too.

[Missi]

3 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Until recently I used them for cutting up dead stuff, so I treated them all as being covered with fungus and other pathogens.  The finer toothed blades (high TPI) work better for live palm fronds, but it's awkward or nearly impossible to cut small diameter rachis/petiole with a reciprocating saw.  You get partway through and then the whole frond just starts shaking around and not cutting.  But they work great on big petioles/rachis like Bismarck.  Essentially if it's small enough for a lopper I use a lopper.  If it's too big to get a lopper around it, I use the 6" Diablo 3TPI carbide pruning blades.  I wipe them down with rubbing alcohol after each palm.  I should probably get a big glass jar and fill it with rubbing alcohol, and just wipe off the blade and drop it in the jar for a while. 

Edit: on Bismarcks I cut off the end near the fan, and then cut the petiole into 2 pieces so it fits in the yard waste bin.  It would probably work on Sabals too.

Aaahhhh I know EXACTLY what you mean about the getting half at through and just shaking!! That ticks me off so much because it puts a pause on my productivity 

Ok so you don’t worry about any tissue getting in the actual reciprocating saw itself? That’s more of what I’m concerned about sanitizing between trees/palms. I don’t think I can take the casing off to clean it out like I can with my chain saw 

[Looking Glass]

When I cut that guy up, palm dust and particles got all over and in the crevices of the body.  I tossed the blades, shop vac’d the tool, and cleaned with a little alcohol (but not that great).  
 

Other tools I can’t live without:

The Hart mini-mattock (by far my most precious garden tool.  Breaks ground and everything in its path)….

 

The 36 inch loppers (great for pokey Pygmy dates)…

 

Okatsune 8.25” Pruners (Hattori Hanzo made these, I think)….. 

 

I also trimmed up the G. Princeps today….  Jesus, these are no bottles.   That’s some crazy, tough rind.  It took a while.  I’ve got some blisters now.   

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, Missi said:

Aaahhhh I know EXACTLY what you mean about the getting half at through and just shaking!! That ticks me off so much because it puts a pause on my productivity 

Ok so you don’t worry about any tissue getting in the actual reciprocating saw itself? That’s more of what I’m concerned about sanitizing between trees/palms. I don’t think I can take the casing off to clean it out like I can with my chain saw 

Yeah that's why I use the big loppers for anything sorta small-ish.  To me it's easier than shaking my arms and hands to pieces!

My handheld Bosch is pretty much sealed up except for the small fan vents, and air blows out of those near the front.  The only part that touches the palm frond is the blade and the "shoe" aka blade guide.  I suppose it's possible to have debris on the clamp and shoe, and then that debris might get onto a different palm.  So I get some debris that falls onto the clamp area, and it would be a good idea to wipe that clean between palms.  But I doubt that much debris would get inside the saw, or make it back out of the plastic housing again.  When I took my last Bosch saw apart it was basically free of debris, just the factory grease was inside.  And I used that beast to dismember 20+ oak stumps buried in the ground...

[Bkue]

Sorry to see that. That thing went beast in 2 years. I have 1 that throws a new spear every month or so. Hope it gets to your size in 2yrs. 

[eacdmd86]

Sorry about your palm.

I'm nearby to you, and I've lost more than a few palms to the same issue -- rot from the top.  Most recently, I lost a dwarf betel and now the areca next to it is going.

Not sure if this something that is spreading or still casualties from the cold winter we had.  I'm worried about putting a palm back in the same spot... Not sure how to be sure it's ok

[Looking Glass]

5 hours ago, eacdmd86 said:

Sorry about your palm.

I'm nearby to you, and I've lost more than a few palms to the same issue -- rot from the top.  Most recently, I lost a dwarf betel and now the areca next to it is going.

Not sure if this something that is spreading or still casualties from the cold winter we had.  I'm worried about putting a palm back in the same spot... Not sure how to be sure it's ok

I noticed decline last fall, when growth just shut off.   It was very unusual for this palm that had always grown at a rapid pace.   So I can’t blame the winter temps.  Todays nighttime low was 79, and soon it will be night lows of 85.   I think our soggy hot nights just rot things out sometimes, while sunny spots fry things to death.  

I didn’t see any rot lower in the palm.  Just high up in the crown.   The roots and the belly seemed ok.   I’m just going to try something new in that spot, but not shy away from palms there yet.   
 

 

[Missi]

On 6/9/2023 at 12:21 PM, Looking Glass said:

When I cut that guy up, palm dust and particles got all over and in the crevices of the body.  I tossed the blades, shop vac’d the tool, and cleaned with a little alcohol (but not that great).  
 

Other tools I can’t live without:

The Hart mini-mattock (by far my most precious garden tool.  Breaks ground and everything in its path)….

The 36 inch loppers (great for pokey Pygmy dates)…

Okatsune 8.25” Pruners (Hattori Hanzo made these, I think)….. 

I also trimmed up the G. Princeps today….  Jesus, these are no bottles.   That’s some crazy, tough rind.  It took a while.  I’ve got some blisters now.   

Thanks for the recommendations on the other tools. Can never have enough quality tools!! What do you use to sharpen your loppers/pruners?

And those are gorgeous palms! I’m definitely going to have to add a few to my collection.

On 6/9/2023 at 2:29 PM, Merlyn said:

Yeah that's why I use the big loppers for anything sorta small-ish.  To me it's easier than shaking my arms and hands to pieces!

My handheld Bosch is pretty much sealed up except for the small fan vents, and air blows out of those near the front.  The only part that touches the palm frond is the blade and the "shoe" aka blade guide.  I suppose it's possible to have debris on the clamp and shoe, and then that debris might get onto a different palm.  So I get some debris that falls onto the clamp area, and it would be a good idea to wipe that clean between palms.  But I doubt that much debris would get inside the saw, or make it back out of the plastic housing again.  When I took my last Bosch saw apart it was basically free of debris, just the factory grease was inside.  And I used that beast to dismember 20+ oak stumps buried in the ground...

Your recip saw sounds amazing! Mine is the ol’ Ryobi One. As you can see in the green part, it’s nice and open for plenty of material (and pathogens?) to enter 

[miamicuse]

In general, when using a reciprocating saw, I found the blade clamp can get debris on or in it that would eventually lead to problems.  Most of the time it depends on how you hold the saw.

For cutting higher branches I tend to use my one handed recip saw which is easier to handle with one hand while I am on a ladder.  I typically try to hold the saw with the blade tilted sightly up instead of holding it vertically up to avoid having debris dropped down on it (and myself) while cutting.  This is also an issue when using a tool like that say when you need to cut an opening on a ceiling, the plaster dust drops down like raining and can get inside the blade clamp and if enough of it can jam it.  When cutting a tree like a ficus where the branches have this sticky secretion, a few drops into the blade clamp can gum it up and then you have to take the entire collar apart or send it in for service.  If I am using this tool to cut my ficus the blades do not last long with the sap or whatever it is that gets on the blade and dulls it real quick.

Not sure about pathogens, may be just clean the blades when cutting a different tree.

I use a lopper when the branch or root is less than an inch.

Edited June 15, 2023 by miamicuse

[Missi]

On 5/21/2023 at 10:57 AM, miamicuse said:

Yes the GSA18V-083 is a one handed compact saw that has only a strike length of 0.83" and doing full length cutting will be useless and the vibration will be crazy with this kind of embedded deep cutting.  The  Bosch multigrip recip GSA18V-125N is much better, but obviously not one handed, what I like about it is less vibration, is brushless, it cuts super fast and has the orbital action, and it has a handle design that can be grabbed in a variety of ways depending on the angle and depth of cut, I have 6 recip saws some old corded and some cordless and this is the one I use the most.  The GSA18V-125N also has a nice blade release feature that is well design, instead of most saw you don't need to reach into the clamp to release the blade.  For lighter duty I prefer the milwaukee one handed compact saw that looks like the Bosch GDS18V-083.  Bosch batteries has also gone through several iterations.  They have a newer one called PROFACTOR that has some of the latest features, I am on the CORE batteries and used this saw with the 4ah but when I bought it as a kit it came with the 6.3ah CORE battery.

I also have a Bosch 12V PS60-120 compact saw.  That one is a waste of time unless all you cut is plastic pipe.  I was so frustrated with it I left the Bosch 12V platform altogether.

Dewalt has a recip saw that one of my friends has.  It has a 4 position blade clamp that can rotate 90 degrees to angle the blade in 4 different positions.  That one is interesting too, but I am not on a Dewalt platform so not worth it for me.

Thank you for all the recommendations!! I’m really enjoying all the tool talk. I LOVE using my Ryobi One+ reciprocating saw!! It’s a workhorse. I’ve been really rough on it and have even absentmindedly left it in the rain a few times. I am interesting in the Bosch ones and even the Milwaukee one you mention. Added to my Amazon yardwork/gardening shopping list!