Wobbly Bismarckia Nobilis - Strapping Concerns/Thoughts???

[StAug772]

Long time forum reader, first time post. 

In February 2023, I planted a Silver Bismarck palm and two Silver Saw Palmettos in a new bed in my front yard. This was intended to be the final touch (or so I thought!) for my curb appeal project, following the completion of a Chicago brick-and-mortar walkway. When I planted them, I amended the coastal Northeast Florida sand/soil with compost to give the Bismarck a strong start. Over the past two years, watching the Bismarck grow has been amazing. I’ve been fertilizing it quarterly and watering it during our drier months when rain is scarce.

In the fall of 2024, we had two close passes of hurricanes. While nothing major, the storms brought gusts of 60-70mph on two separate occasions. Up until that point, the Bismarck had been rock solid, but after the second storm, I started noticing it "wobbling" at the base even on a normal breezy day. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but as time went on, the wobble persisted and became more noticeable, eventually leaning to one side. I decided to take action this spring.

I’ve attached pictures below showing the palm’s current state. To address the wobble, I strapped the Bismarck in hopes it will stabilize and regain its sturdiness. Here are a few questions I have:

1. Is strapping the best course of action? Give it a year or two and then remove the straps.
2. The straps are snug, preventing any wobble, but not overly tight. Could this cause damage to the crown?
3. Has anyone else experienced this issue, and if so, do you have any advice or feedback?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Kyle Z
St. Augustine, FL 

Planted in February 2023

 

 

[Johnny Palmseed]

Looks like a great job on the straps. I have had palms snap over in wind storms and only had a couple roots remaining on the one side. I have had some success using a similar strapping method. I feel like your solution has a good chance of success although I have not had any Bismarck palms to try this.

[Merlyn]

@StAug772 welcome to PalmTalk!  I have succesfully strapped up Beccariophoenix Alfredii and Pindos (Butia) due to weak roots or hurricane leans.  Just make sure that each strap just goes out, around, and back.  You don't want to go from the anchor, around the tree one-and-a-half loops, then back to the anchor.  A simple loop shouldn't constrict the growing point too much as it grows bigger, but a bunch of double loops sure could.  Hopefully that makes sense.  It looks like you have a simple loop in the pictures.

I would also brush away the mulch from the base and make sure it isn't "air girdled."  That can happen if it is a bit too high in the ground.  If it is, adding a bit more dirt would help.  See this page by an IPS Director:

http://www.marriedtoplants.com/palms/palm-tree-growing-tips-mounding/

[kinzyjr]

Hello @StAug772:

I had one that got wobbly after a hurricane and never stabilized.  I moved it and it predictably died.  In your case, you'll probably do better than I did.  Mine couldn't be strapped as well since it hugged the corner of the house and I had mixed a lot of stone in the planting hole, which made the ground a little too loose for the large roots to grab.

[Merlyn]

@StAug772 I forgot to mention, I would check the tightness of the straps over the summer.  Make sure they don't get overly tight as the palm grows in diameter.  I accidentally choked one Pindo in a triple planting to death because the rope got pushed down by growing fronds down underground.  The three were pushing each other apart and the smallest of the three got crushed.  

[Harry’s Palms]

It looks like you did a good job. A lot of palms would be just fine . However , Bizmarkia have very sensitive roots , like most other fan palms . I would say that @Merlyn has some sage advice on making sure the dirt is good right up to the trunk . You will know in a year or so if your efforts will pay off. That is a beauty so worth every bit of effort. Harry

[sonoranfans]

How wobbly is it?  IF it was loosened by the hurricane it may reestablish.  Problem with bismarckia is they are a giant sail in wind, too many huge wind catching leaves.  If you look at the leverage the wind puts on roots the wind pushes much higher than your straps oppose that force.  The leverage favors wind over straps low near the ground is what I am saying.  I always planted my Bizzies small and I have high drainage soil that is well watered so I never had any wobbling.  I think the timing was just bad if it was planted before  the hurricane.  Wobbling indicates some roots nearer the surface have been damaged(severed) or are not developed.   Straps may help but I would probably take a few leaves(2-3) off to lower the wind drag profile.  Even moderate wobbling can re sever new roots. This is about the only case I would trim live leaves but they are not helping that palm develop roots and the palm will not be able to use all those leaves with its partially severed roots.   Establishing roots is more important than how many leaves it carries if it is wobbling.  I would also make sure the soil around a 4-6' radius of the palms is consistently wetted every 3-4 days in the spring heat.   Roots wont grow into dry or inconsistently wetted soil and that palm needs roots to spread around the trunk to be strong winds.  In all this ai am assuming you dont have low drainage soil.  I would not even grow a bizzie in the rainy Florida  in low drainage soil.  Bizzies are quite susceptible to Root rot in water logged soils which leads to a small, shallow root system.

[StAug772]

Thank you so much to everyone who provided advice and insight!

@Merlyn I appreciate the information and the article link. The straps are positioned as you described: a continuous loop from the anchor, around the palm, and back to the anchor. I plan on checking and adjusting them in a few months to account for growth.

The "air girdled" article was extremely helpful. After pulling back the mulch for an inspection this afternoon (see pictures below), it appears to be a textbook case of air-girdling, probably starting when I planted the palm two years ago. I wanted to avoid planting it too deep to prevent stem rot, and it looks like I was on the high side. I've corrected it by using a 50/50 mix of natural soil and compost. With the straps in place, I’m hopeful for a full recovery in a year or two.

@sonoranfans Thanks for the advice! The palm had been in the ground for 1.5 years before the hurricanes last year, and at its worst, the spear was deflecting 25-30 degrees in any direction. My soil is sandy and drains well, with a water table about 7-8 feet below the surface. Following your suggestion, I trimmed the Bismarck higher than usual to reduce its "sail" effect and redirect energy into root growth. I'll keep the soil moist to encourage this.

I’ll keep everyone updated as things progress!

Many thanks,
Kyle Z
St. Augustine, FL

Post soil correction: 

 

[Merlyn]

@StAug772 the last photo didn't upload correctly.  The ones that did upload look reasonable in depth, I wouldn't add too much....maybe an inch at most?

Generally avoid compost for palms, it tends to turn mucky when wet.  If I am mixing in a bit of organics I use the generic cheap bags of "topsoil" from the big box stores.  I pick the lightweight bags that are mostly just finely  shredded tree bits.  It mixes in pretty well with the native sandy soil.  When mixing in I add maybe 25% topsoil, 25% perlite or Turface MVP (fine fired clay gravel) and the other 50% stuff from the yard.

I'd bet the palm is mostly stable by the end of the summer...assuming no more hurricanes!

[StAug772]

@Merlyn Copy all. That makes sense to me. I amend my compost with our native soil so it is not too moist/water logged (the veggie garden seems to like it that way). I will keep your soil recipe in mind for future projects. Here is another upload of the last photo; not sure what happened originally. I join you in hoping for a hurricane free hurricane season for all Floridians and other in the Southeast 🤞🤞🤞

Thanks!