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Sabal Palmetto Bent Trunk hanging over pool?


The3ngineer

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What do you all think about letting a bent trunk palm slightly hang over a pool as seen in the photos. In person it looked really cool and the shaded area was really nice.  I've attached a rendering of my pool design for reference, the flower bed on that side ended up significantly larger than it was drawn so I definitely have the room. 

 

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Sounds cool to me as long as it's strong enough to let the kiddos jump on it.

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YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@tntropics - 60+ In-ground 7A palms - (Sabal) minor(7 large + 27 seedling size, 3 dwarf),  brazoria(1) , birmingham(4), etonia (1) louisiana(5), palmetto (1), riverside (1),  (Trachycarpus) fortunei(7), wagnerianus(1),  Rhapidophyllum hystrix(7),  15' Mule-Butia x Syagrus(1),  Blue Butia capitata(1) +Tons of tropical plants.  Recent Yearly Lows -1F, 12F, 11F, 18F, 16F, 3F, 3F, 6F, 3F, 1F, 16F, 17F, 6F, 8F

 

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I'd get a different type of palm that wasn't as messy as a palmetto.  Keep in mind it'll be a pain to maintain the palm as it gets taller and old boots, seeds, etc. will constantly fall in the pool. The palm on the pallet in your pic would probably require a 20 foot ladder set in the pool to trim the fronds & inflorescence on the pool side at it's current size. If it goes to seed then you've got thousands of seeds in the pool so you'll want to cut them before seed drop. Here there's a lot of "dirt" that collects in the old boots before they fall, plenty to grow ferns in as you've probably seen in pics. All that stuff will end up in the water. When I trim/clean them for people I wear goggles that seal to my face because there's so much debris in them falling/flying around plus all the saw dust that would get in my eyes.

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I have a pool and would have to agree with @NOT A TA 100%, especially in regard to the amount of seeds that will end up in your pool if you don't trim off the inflorescences.

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Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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I love the palm and the look of its curving trunk. But I also thought, "Wow, who's going to clean all the crud out of the pool?" Better to place it away from water.

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Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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I agree, not sure I would hang it over a pool. House not far from me has a lot of bent trunk sabals around the pool, but none actually hanging over it. This house was recently listed for sale so I pulled the photo's from the listing:

 

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Pool 2.jpg

Pool 3.jpg

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The entryway sign along I4 near Heathrow has about 9 bent trunk Sabals around it, all supported by a single 2x4 each.  They look really cool, and eventually I want to do something like that.  Originally I was going to do it with a couple of Sylvesters, but with TPPD going through sometime I don't want to do that.  I may do it with a couple of Pindos.

Anyway, I think it's an awesome idea but I'd have it in a position where the vertical part is not directly over the pool.  That way you can put an A-frame ladder up next to it and easily trim it.  Here's a Google Streetview capture of the Sabals near me.

Bent Sabals.jpg

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I always think that it looks great, I love the leaning look, in someone else's yard. 

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Cheers Steve

It is not dead, it is just senescence.

   

 

 

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Ok, took me a while but I think I found a more suitable palm. Its shorter in the vertical direction but longer in the horizontal so it will hang over the side of the pool more (unless I angle it) but I won't have to climb a ladder to remove the seeds. I think I'm going to go for it.  

IMG_4202.JPG

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I say go for it. If it turns out to be a pain in the butt, it will likely be easy to convince someone to carefully remove it because of it’s unique characteristics. 

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They're sooo messy! The berries, boots, pieces of leaves, dried spent flowers and dried spent infructescences, carpenter ants that live in them. Constant maintenance if you want to trim it all before it dried and falls off. I can't stand having one growing right next to my driveway and I personally would never have one anywhere near a pool.

Naples (inland), FL - technically 10a but more like 9b in the winter :hmm:

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23 hours ago, The3ngineer said:

Ok, took me a while but I think I found a more suitable palm. Its shorter in the vertical direction but longer in the horizontal so it will hang over the side of the pool more (unless I angle it) but I won't have to climb a ladder to remove the seeds. I think I'm going to go for it.  

IMG_4202.JPG

I'll suggest you ask them if you can trim that palm once before buying it, even offer them $50.00 or $100.00 to let you do it. Spread a big tarp under it & trim it and remove ALL the inflorescence's, old boots, etc.  Make sure you have goggles that seal to your face, a new saw, good gloves, AND the ladder you'll need. Then see if you still think it's something you'll want to do regularly over the pool on a taller ladder that's not as stable because it's in the pool water.

I won't plant a palmetto anywhere in my yard, nor will my neighbors thankfully. Nobody's mentioned it yet but rats and squirrels like them too, and since there would be water close by.........

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I was all set to pick it up this weekend now I'm having second thoughts. Are they really that messy?

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4 hours ago, FishEyeAquaculture said:

I say go for it. If it turns out to be a pain in the butt, it will likely be easy to convince someone to carefully remove it because of it’s unique characteristics. 

Based on the proposed location I think it would be very difficult to remove once other things are planted and what not, so if it remains a couple years and grows before it is decided that it's just too much maintenance then he wants it removed it'll probably just get the chainsaw.

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4 minutes ago, The3ngineer said:

I was all set to pick it up this weekend now I'm having second thoughts. Are they really that messy?

Yes, in my most stern very calmly spoken "dad voice" ..... "DON'T DO IT!"

Pick it up with what? You have equipment to lift it & move it?

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I don't know what palms grow in your area but a crown shafted self cleaning species would be a lot less maintenance.

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36 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

I'll suggest you ask them if you can trim that palm once before buying it, even offer them $50.00 or $100.00 to let you do it. Spread a big tarp under it & trim it and remove ALL the inflorescence's, old boots, etc.  Make sure you have goggles that seal to your face, a new saw, good gloves, AND the ladder you'll need. Then see if you still think it's something you'll want to do regularly over the pool on a taller ladder that's not as stable because it's in the pool water.

I won't plant a palmetto anywhere in my yard, nor will my neighbors thankfully. Nobody's mentioned it yet but rats and squirrels like them too, and since there would be water close by.........

Unfortunately, they've already trimmed it. 

 

30 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

Yes, in my most stern very calmly spoken "dad voice" ..... "DON'T DO IT!"

Pick it up with what? You have equipment to lift it & move it?

Its a ranch so I've got heavy equipment.  Most of it I don't really need but its fun to play around with. 

51 minutes ago, NOT A TA said:

I don't know what palms grow in your area but a crown shafted self cleaning species would be a lot less maintenance.

I think I'll look at other options. Thanks for all your insight. 

 

 

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66695105_2528514007167754_2879993047637032960_n.jpg

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I think even if you paid them for their time & trouble prepping it so they wouldn't be upset you'd still be ahead of the game long term. Perhaps there's another place on your property where it'd look cool but not be a maintenance nightmare? Maybe within sight of the pool area to compliment another curved one of a different variety over the pool? I like the "look" and concept of having the curved overhanging palm , just not a palmetto.

Nice to have equipment handy!

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1 hour ago, NOT A TA said:

I don't know what palms grow in your area but a crown shafted self cleaning species would be a lot less maintenance.

Unfortunately options are quite limited in zone 8 Texas.  No chance for crownshafted palms here but a nice thought!  I've seen commercial planted washies in the Houston area bent to create a lean, but nowhere near a pool.  They are heavily armed, grow fast and also messy once they start flowering so not a good alternative.  Same deal with Livistona decora, but don't believe they are cold hardy enough for Dallas anyway.

Jon Sunder

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On 7/25/2019 at 11:55 AM, NOT A TA said:

I'll suggest you ask them if you can trim that palm once before buying it, even offer them $50.00 or $100.00 to let you do it. Spread a big tarp under it & trim it and remove ALL the inflorescence's, old boots, etc.  Make sure you have goggles that seal to your face, a new saw, good gloves, AND the ladder you'll need. Then see if you still think it's something you'll want to do regularly over the pool on a taller ladder that's not as stable because it's in the pool water.

I won't plant a palmetto anywhere in my yard, nor will my neighbors thankfully. Nobody's mentioned it yet but rats and squirrels like them too, and since there would be water close by.........

I like this idea, especially if one has a yard service to do all the work.  But I agree, if I had to do it myself, I would consider it too much work.

As a palm enthusiast, if I lived in Delray Beach, I sure as heck wouldn't bother with Sabal palmetto either.  Too many beautiful tropical species that can be grown there.  Even living in Orlando, I have ONE and that is all I will keep, just so I have one in my collection.

Edited by palmsOrl
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Now that I consider it, being that this palm will be in Dallas, a marginal climate for Sabal palmetto, maybe that will make for a less messy palm.  The growth rate will be slower, it may seed less prolifically than in ideal climes and the lower humidity may mean less rotting detritus falling in the pool all the time.  Just a thought.

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