Fire damage on our coconut trees - Mafia Island Tanzania

[Rickbronkhorst]

I just came from our ecolodge and permaculture farm project on Mafia island, Tanzania, with a very sad feeling. ( www.raskisimani.com ) We bought our plot of 100 acres with 2700 palm trees 20 years ago and after recent counting only 700 remain.
About 500 of these remaining trees were burnt at the bottom, for unknown reason, by making a small fire on one halve of the tree. This could mean that water transport in the trunk is partly halted, and so the palm

( some of them are 50+ years old ) slowly dies.
Is there any hope in restoring our trees? Our project manager gave the option to put soil till above the burned part so new roots can form from there?
We hope you can help us or send us in the right direction in solving this matter.

Thank you,

Rick

[Zeeth]

It looks like your best option is to clear away the dead trunks and debris and re-plant from sprouted coconuts from your living palms.

[Rickbronkhorst]

Hi Zeeth, thanks for your answer! I was interested to know if there are certain methods to save our palms, as they are slowly dying. Maybe cleaning the burned part, and wrapping the tree in some sort of bandaid?

[Zeeth]

Hi Zeeth, thanks for your answer! I was interested to know if there are certain methods to save our palms, as they are slowly dying. Maybe cleaning the burned part, and wrapping the tree in some sort of bandaid?

Well with palm trees, the zylem and phloem are relatively evenly distributed throughout the trunk, so as long as there is some undamaged trunk left, the palms may eventually recover. I wouldn't clean away the burned part on the damaged palms that are still alive though, as this may lead to exposing the palm to infection. I believe the best solution, if possible, would be to ensure that they are watered very well, but still expect an amount of die-off.

When you re-plant the area with coconuts, if you water and fertilize the palms for the first ten years, you should have rapid enough growth that you don't have to worry about the long-term effects of the massive die off. I understand that you are a permiculture farm though, so you may have hesitations on supplemental water and fertilizer. In that case, the coconuts will obviously grow, but it might not be as rapid as possible with water and fertilizer for the juvenile stages. Luckily this is in such a tropical area that you have no time of year that the coconuts cease growing, so it won't really be much of an issue either way.

[Rickbronkhorst]

Keith thank you very much for your useful reply. I will start to replant right away and cut the most damaged trees. Indeed we live in a very fertile area, so thats good luck!

Greetings, Rick

[Pando]

Any idea what happened? Was that a brush fire that rolled through, or someone set the fires intentionally, or UFOs, or what?

[_Keith]

Hi Zeeth, thanks for your answer! I was interested to know if there are certain methods to save our palms, as they are slowly dying. Maybe cleaning the burned part, and wrapping the tree in some sort of bandaid?

Well with palm trees, the zylem and phloem are relatively evenly distributed throughout the trunk, so as long as there is some undamaged trunk left, the palms may eventually recover. I wouldn't clean away the burned part on the damaged palms that are still alive though, as this may lead to exposing the palm to infection. I believe the best solution, if possible, would be to ensure that they are watered very well, but still expect an amount of die-off.

When you re-plant the area with coconuts, if you water and fertilize the palms for the first ten years, you should have rapid enough growth that you don't have to worry about the long-term effects of the massive die off. I understand that you are a permiculture farm though, so you may have hesitations on supplemental water and fertilizer. In that case, the coconuts will obviously grow, but it might not be as rapid as possible with water and fertilizer for the juvenile stages. Luckily this is in such a tropical area that you have no time of year that the coconuts cease growing, so it won't really be much of an issue either way.

Yep, there are actually some palms that depend upon and thrive after a fire.

[Zeeth]

Hi Zeeth, thanks for your answer! I was interested to know if there are certain methods to save our palms, as they are slowly dying. Maybe cleaning the burned part, and wrapping the tree in some sort of bandaid?

Well with palm trees, the zylem and phloem are relatively evenly distributed throughout the trunk, so as long as there is some undamaged trunk left, the palms may eventually recover. I wouldn't clean away the burned part on the damaged palms that are still alive though, as this may lead to exposing the palm to infection. I believe the best solution, if possible, would be to ensure that they are watered very well, but still expect an amount of die-off.

When you re-plant the area with coconuts, if you water and fertilize the palms for the first ten years, you should have rapid enough growth that you don't have to worry about the long-term effects of the massive die off. I understand that you are a permiculture farm though, so you may have hesitations on supplemental water and fertilizer. In that case, the coconuts will obviously grow, but it might not be as rapid as possible with water and fertilizer for the juvenile stages. Luckily this is in such a tropical area that you have no time of year that the coconuts cease growing, so it won't really be much of an issue either way.

Yep, there are actually some palms that depend upon and thrive after a fire.

Sabal palmetto is one that comes to mind. I have read that coconuts can survive fires as long as the fire doesn't reach to the leaves.

[Zeeth]

Keith thank you very much for your useful reply. I will start to replant right away and cut the most damaged trees. Indeed we live in a very fertile area, so thats good luck!

Greetings, Rick

You're welcome! Welcome to the forum, Rick!

[Rickbronkhorst]

Hi Pando,

It looks seriously like our coconut palms have been set to fire on purpose, but just at the base and with a small fire. We think it has got to do with local people who don't want us to start our permaculture farm and ecolodge, and try to stop our project by damaging our trees, thus harming the beauty of our location.

I shure could use some palm-expert "WWOOFERS" on our project!

Thank you for the warm wellcome Keith.

[doranakandawatta]

Rick,

From what I have seen in Sri Lanka, it seems to me that coconut trees may develop new roots above the burned parts if you put soil around the trunk (or compost with piles of all the dead leaves and debris). I have seen many coconut plantations with coconut trees drowned by new level of soil, but I am not sure;

In your climate like in Sri Lanka, planting new trees can be the best way to replant.

Sorry that you come to the forum with such a sad issue, hope to see new posts from you with good pics of happier results

[richnorm]

You probably know this but coconut wood can make good timber so perhaps you can recycle those where the crown is gone. Sorry for your losses.

[Rickbronkhorst]

Hi Philippe,

Interesting that you give me the solution about putting up soil or mulch so new roots can develop. Our project manager came with the same solution and I put this question to the ECHO Community.

They told me that mounding soil around the trunks will not help since palms do not produce adventitious roots. Being in the grass family they do not have a cambium layer under the "bark" which is where roots will develop.

So if you have any other input in this matter i will be very interested!\\

Rick

[Rickbronkhorst]

I would very much like to use the dead palmtrees for timber. As we have to import mangrove wood from the mainland it is my interest to use palmwood. I understand that it can be used for outside purposes, like structural work, but it needs some sort of preservation.

If someone has experience in conserving methods i would be much oblidged.

[doranakandawatta]

Rick ,

it seems you should come to Sri Lanka where coconut and Caryota wood are used for buildings, roofs and columns, and where I have seen new roots starting from the trunk of coconut trees.

I know the scientific explanation about how it can't happen but I have seen some trees in that situation.

Maybe your project manager has some experience…

like this Actinorhytis callaparia in a village close to Passara, which has had some fire against his trunk, roots are until 1 meter high above the soil:

…….Being in the grass family they do not have a cambium layer under the "bark" which is where roots will develop.

[Rickbronkhorst]

Great Philippe, I will start putting up mulch right away to say 20 palms and see what happens! I will keep you informed. Any experience in conservation of palmwood for construction timber?

Thanx for your help!

Greetings,

Rick