How long do "Tikis" last?

[GottmitAlex]

Does anyone know how long a palm tree stump lasts? Say a 10ft trunk washie. 

 

[Palmsbro]

1 hour ago, GottmitAlex said:

Does anyone know how long a palm tree stump lasts? Say a 10ft trunk washie. 

 

From what I can tell, dead palm trunks/stumps last less long than those of regular trees (the kinds with wood, not like fibrous palm trunks).

I can't tell you how long this is though.

There is a palm stump near where I live (S. palmetto stump if you are wondering). It has lasted about 3 months so far and it is at a stage of decomposition that it would take your average woody tree stump around a year to get to.

That's mostly my guessing, as it probably takes different palm stumps/trunks longer periods of time to decompose.

Has anyone else noticed that palm stumps go away faster than those of more 'regular' trees?

[Dypsisdean]

I've had dozens of tikis for 20 yrs plus. They have all been from Washingtonias - but here is what I have learned.

Some have totally disintegrated within a year. And some have lasted the 20 years and still look good. This is due to several factors. Palms that were grown in dry sunny locations - so were growing more slowly and more compact - had nice dense wood. Those grown in more shade and with more water and fertilizer (like some growing grounds, or lush gardens) ended up as a more spongy less dense wood and literally fell apart when they dried out. And it was harder than what you would think to identify which ones those were unless you actually saw the tree still growing.

Like most lumber, but more so with palms, the end grain is the part that absorbs the water. So, it is what rots out first - mostly from the bottom up if placed outside on the ground, or even on cement that gets wet often. But if under sprinklers or wet climates, the top can begin to rot as well.

So, this is what I have done, and it has resulted in some tikis that are still 20 years old. First, get something that you can stand the tiki in and that will hold a preservative - like a saucer thingy for pots. I use one of those trays you put under a water heater. Stand the tiki in it and let it sit for days. Keep adding the preservative - like the kind that is used on fence posts - the gnarlier the better. It will suck up a lot of it, especially if it is dry.

And don't forget the top. You can liberally pour it over the top so it runs down the sides and fills the saucer - and using a brush coat the sides as much as you can. When the saucer is empty, do it again, and again.

When placing in the garden, it is best to place it on top of gravel - thus assuring air and drying underneath instead of moist cement or soil underneath. And if you have a coverd patio, or even make a kind of "hat/small roof" for your tiki, and keep it mostly dry - it will last a very long time. And if a very special tiki, you can repeat that process after a few years - when it is really dry - then it will absorb a lot of the preservative and last very long time.

 

[GottmitAlex]

Thank you all for your input. I probably did not pose the question correctly. I meant stumps which have not been removed (still planted) and made into tiki's. It still has its roots deep in the soil. That kind of stump/tiki. 

[nachocarl]

Line seed oil and Danish or Teak oil mine every year and keep the bases on concrete/tile base rather then the ground and they are trucking along.  I had one I kept on the ground and the bottom started to rot, but I since I removed it and put it on the patio it isn't getting any worse (well over 10 years old and exposed to the elements).  They should last years depending on the wood.    As for the "inground" tiki carved palm stumps, good question....eventually they will rot, but take care of the top and it could be salvaged when the time comes.

[doubravsky]

Definitely I've found that tikis with roots still in the ground (or any palm stump left in the ground) will rot faster than a stand alone. If you've got a nice fat Washingtonia... it should last for a while. If there's any way to keep the ground around it somewhat dry (protect it from sprinklers or drip lines) you'll get greater mileage. 

[miamicuse]

Five year old thread but I am basically looking for the same information.

Today I went to the Fairchild BG and I saw a truncated palm in one of their enclosures.

The trunk is still rooted in the ground, and has a bunch of orchids and other plants attached to it.

I have a similar situation.  I have a 25' tall Queen about 14" diameter at the base that has been penciling at the top for the last three years and it's just looking sickly and sad and I have been thinking about putting it out of it's misery BUT it has vines,  philos, orchids attached to the bottom ten feet or so that is difficult to untangle without injuring them.  So if I were to make a cut say at 10' off the ground, I wonder how long that ten foot stump will last and allow these other plants to cling onto it?

[SeanK]

Interesting question. I cut down a Washie once and it decomposed in less than a year. Yet, I'm sure there are palmetto logs laying around FL or used in constructions that have not. Hmmm.