Saving a 2021 Freeze Survivor Washingtonia From Power Lines.

[Collectorpalms]

Howdy again! A tall Washingtonia has survived in my yard from 4*F that is a Washingtonia other than a pure Filifera. 
So here is the deal. When I bought my property the next property was zoned Residential. Well sometime just before I bought my property it was rezoned commercial! 
So for about 17 years I did not have utilities on my property. Then just 3 or 4 years ago a hotel was built and they ran above ground utilities right along my property line.

Unfortunately for me, I had a row of palms directly under them, at the time they cut down two Washingtonia.

Fast forward to today. Out of roughly 2 dozen tall Washingtonia throughout my property who would have guessed the tallest one that lived in my yard was one that has now grown right under the power line.

Why do I want to save it? Because 90% of palms are dead in the area. Also this is a very nice Hybrid Washingtonia, although I neglected it because I knew one day it might be cut down.

However wouldn’t it be a shame to survive the freeze only to be cut down?

My plan to save is this.... I am going to dig soil out on the three sides that I can reach. It is along a small bring wall. 
 

I am hoping that if I dig enough soil out on the side opposite the wall that I can make the palm lean away from the power line. Ideally I would like to make it lean 45 degrees

Does anyone think it would work?

Sorry for the night pictures, but you can’t see in pictures it is pushing green in the daylight. 

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[PricklyPearSATC]

Is this an Aggie thing?  Sorry, couldn't resist.  Have no idea whether this will work.  It's a shame it isn't a few feet over. 

You could request power lines go underground, but I don't think that kind of request has ever worked.  (They can cable so that it doesn't harm tree roots)

[amh]

I have no idea if it will work, but what type of roots does the tree have, and do you have a way of maybe coercing the palm with, say guy-wires?

Maybe slow root cutting on one side, IDK.

Edited April 21, 2021 by amh

[Collectorpalms]

34 minutes ago, PricklyPearSATC said:

Is this an Aggie thing?  Sorry, couldn't resist.  Have no idea whether this will work.  It's a shame it isn't a few feet over. 

You could request power lines go underground, but I don't think that kind of request has ever worked.  (They can cable so that it doesn't harm tree roots)

It is, if you are referring to Howdy, and my idea, that too!
 

I still have underground electric. But I am not sure why they couldn’t for the hotel. But they brought in big metal power poles then ran it through my property then it went underground once again.

[Collectorpalms]

45 minutes ago, amh said:

I have no idea if it will work, but what type of roots does the tree have, and do you have a way of maybe coercing the palm with, say guy-wires?

Maybe slow root cutting on one side, IDK.

They are have roots the thickness of chop-sticks. You can cut through them. The root that are along the wall are going to be difficult to reach.... I will possibly need to cut them too. I don’t want the wall to fall down with the tree.

I had to level that area in my back yard, and I put sandy loam down. I am hoping the roots are rather shallow because I do not want to dig in hard clay.

I have live oaks planted 13 feet apart. I am hoping to lean it between the two. I could use them both with guide wires possibly.

Guy-wires. See this is why I like getting input. I will look into guy-wires.

i need something with tension to help lean it as I dig.

 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[amh]

21 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

Guy-wires. See this is why I like getting input. I will look into guy-wires.

Slow tension might just work.

Edited April 21, 2021 by amh

[Swolte]

Uhm... Crazy idea. But I like crazy. When do you plan to dig it? Any deliberations about the timing?

I'd be concerned as to whether it would look good. I like palms with a bit of a natural bend but this one already looks quite tall. I guess it could work (see pic snagged from the webs below). Might be good if you have another palm (or tree or big branch) or two who are also at a similar angle for some 'coherence' so to speak?

 

[Collectorpalms]

23 hours ago, Swolte said:

Uhm... Crazy idea. But I like crazy. When do you plan to dig it? Any deliberations about the timing?

I'd be concerned as to whether it would look good. I like palms with a bit of a natural bend but this one already looks quite tall. I guess it could work (see pic snagged from the webs below). Might be good if you have another palm (or tree or big branch) or two who are also at a similar angle for some 'coherence' so to speak?

 

Once it gets a few leaves on it. I am afraid if I do it right now that it does not have enough, rather any full leaves and will go into decline from the root disturbance. But if it gets a full crown they may cut it down soon anyhow. So I give it a 50/50 chance it is cut down before I can do it. If they send me a notice then I will go ahead and try.
I am not too concerned how it will look in the back of my property. Anything with green is a bonus. Everything else is unsightly as is dead. People pay more money for leaning palms. This one is going to be hiding by live oaks. If it falls all the way, then it will be on the driveway.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[dalmatiansoap]

Palm roots are harmless to power cable. It's pure economy why they force aerial power in US. Don't get me wrong but it's almost unimaginable in urban areas here. Underground is a must.

[Allen]

Won't work.  Would be too hard to lean without a backhoe or something to pull it and it will never support itself.

[Collectorpalms]

21 minutes ago, Allen said:

Won't work.  Would be too hard to lean without a backhoe or something to pull it and it will never support itself.

I like the post that it can’t be done. That usually motivates people to do it. 
I have done it with palms on a smaller scale. It all depends upon the soil type and root zone.  The heavy clay prevents big live oaks from falling over in tornadoes and hurricanes. It is going to have a lot of roots holding it firmly in place. Looks like Going 180 away from wall will make it lean into a live oak. The problem is that it needs to lean more than that oak to clear the power line. I will have to do it diagonally. Convenient that i have a dead trunk of a Phoenix Theo right there for it to lean on. If it falls that way.

I’ts probably easier to cut the live oak into  something like a U shape and use it for support.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

This “project” is coming sooner than I thought. Today it now has several stunted leaves not just 1. It’s growing pretty fast, this palm has always been a “Rocket”, it’s why I love it. 

Last year it put out seeds and after the rain I just saw numerous seedlings in my mulch and leaf debris.

It is not downwind of any Other Washingtonia for quite a distance. So most should come true, it’s possible a bug or bee hybridized some, so I will save the seedlings and toss out any that look like a robusta. They should hopefully look like Filifera, even though they have a tad of Robustas in it that makes this hybrid grow faster than both parents. 
 

It’s The Washingtonia “Texas Rocket”

Edited May 3, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[aegean]

The idea is really crazy, but I'm sure if I were in your situation I would try to do exactly the same thing.

Hiring a mobile crane and trying to transplant it would be too costly, considering there is a big chance that the palm won't survive this.

I am concerned about once it gets in motion, you won't be able to stop it before it's lying on the ground. I have no idea what weight we are talking about, but such a huge palm tree is definitely very, very heavy.

I think this will only work if you can manage to control the motion and make it move very slowly into the desired position, maybe by supporting it with poles and using ropes.

Washingtonia roots can easily reach 10 feet and although they are thin, close to the trunk they are very tough.

 

[Collectorpalms]

Right now the new plan is to ratchet It into the live oak tree that is directly 180 away from the wall, and use the live oak as support. If it falls, it will fall into the oak anyhow. I’ll have to cut some branches etc... but will just see if it even budges in the first place when I get to that point. If it falls on the ground I will just throw soil over the rootball and hope it grows up. 

[Collectorpalms]

I am pretty sure the live wires are the top ones and it’s several feet from those. 
 

this is also the live oak directly behind it