How to right a palm on your own!

[John in Andalucia]

Anyone who followed the saga of my garden being demolished by a landslide, will recall the Washingtonia that took a blow. Topic link

Our neighbour has worked fast, and the new boulder wall is finished. He was intending to help me right the Washie tomorrow with a digger and rope from up on his terrace, but I was worried that the angle of the "pull" would be too steep and lift it out of the ground. So this evening (sorry for the dark photos) I tried something a little more genteel.

All you need is a bottle jack, some half-bricks for shims and two poles, or lengths of wood; one to act as the ram, and the other as a prop. Simple, but effective. I also scooped away the soil from around the base of the trunk on the far side, and kept it filled with water. A few more degrees and I'll pull it into position from the other side with a rope and some weights. When it's upright, I'll prop it with some lengths of timber.

[Walter John]

Excellent response work there John. That brings back memories with my former bizzie and triangle palms.

[John in Andalucia]

Excellent response work there John. That brings back memories with my former bizzie and triangle palms.

Thanks Wal. I've got a couple of big Washie seedlings that I might plant around this one, to create a "stand". In fact, this year will be the year for me trying a few palms in the ground. Bizzies are a must, and I've got around 70 of 'em. That's a few weeks off yet.

[MattyB]

John, nice work buddy! But I've gotta ask: Why? Over here, people pay extra to have curved palms installed. It would have righted itself. Personal choice I guess. The high winds this Winter blew over several of my palms and trees. The palm that was big enough to leave alone, a triangle palm, I just left laying over to right itself. By the way, the wall looks 100 times better than that old cinder block wall. It makes your yard look really nice! Pack some dirt in there and plant some ferns, orchids, bromeliads, epiphyliums, geraniums, aloes, cactus etc....ohhhh, what a nice effect.

[John in Andalucia]

John, nice work buddy! But I've gotta ask: Why? Over here, people pay extra to have curved palms installed. It would have righted itself. Personal choice I guess. By the way, the wall looks 100 times better than that old cinder block wall. It makes your yard look really nice! Pack some dirt in there and plant some ferns, orchids, bromeliads, epiphyliums, geraniums, aloes, cactus etc....ohhhh, what a nice effect.

Thanks Matt. I can't answer that! I thought about the wind bearing down, but it's probably just me fixing up the garden, and maybe one less reminder of the 12 trees we lost

Some great ideas you have for rock planting, and I will definitely go that route. I thought it would be too hot and dry for ferns, no? The wall faces west, so it's in shade until midday at this time of the year. My sister called it a "lizard hotel". Hoping a few swifts might take up residence in there too.

[MattyB]

Yeah, ferns will probably burn. I'd do all succulent type stuff so you don't have to worry about watering.

[newtothis]

i need to do that with a small sablo but was worried about damaging/breaking roots. Is that a non-issue?

[Tyrone]

John, how big is the rootball on that. Has it recently been planted? Were you worried about tearing the roots off at the base of it? Washies put down deep deep and extensive roots.

Best regards

Tyrone

[John in Andalucia]

John, how big is the rootball on that. Has it recently been planted? Were you worried about tearing the roots off at the base of it? Washies put down deep deep and extensive roots.

Best regards

Tyrone

Tyrone, it was planted out 4 years ago from 3ft tall. I was imagining it losing some of it's anchorage and then flapping around in the wind - almost like a seedling that hasn't rooted in. The gusts here either side of summer are pretty wild. I've got it upright as far as I can, hoping now it will compress the soil under it's own weight. I'll probably leave the prop in place until the end of the year.

[Tyrone]

This is just a thought. If it does tend to wobble a bit, why not retain some soil maybe 150mm higher around the base of the palm, so that if it wants to throw more roots out to stabilise itself it can. I have a Veitchia joannis that just when it was starting to clear trunk had some sort of fungus get in right at the first ring. It meant that the base didn't want to expand as it got higher. It then expanded it's trunk higher than the damaged area so that it has this weird bulge 150mm above ground. What I did was retain some soil for about 150mm around it's base and it threw roots out through the damaged section of trunk to stabilise itself.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Dave-Vero]

Propped palms grow new roots pretty fast. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami has many old palms that were blown over in the 1992 hurricane, then righted. They look fine--you'd never guess anything had happened.

The new wall looks great.

[John in Andalucia]

Good advice, Tyrone. My neighbour suggested the same thing.

Dave, thanks for compliment!

[John in Andalucia]

i need to do that with a small sablo but was worried about damaging/breaking roots. Is that a non-issue?

Scott, I don't know is my answer. Curious to know more, though. If you're concerned, why not post a photo here and let others chime in for you?

[Kostas]

I am happy the propping went ok John! Well done!!!

Personally i would have left it reclined and would have made a slope from the wall to its base to look naturally reclining but it looks great upright too