When we set this 2 foot tall palm tree out the specs said it would withstand down to 20 degrees. Well a few winters we had maybe 14 or 15 degrees a night or two so with it still growing after each cold spell we thought we had a winner... It is on the south side of the house so being protected from the cold wind we thought it would be okay but it sure ain't looking good but hey at the base it is maybe three or four foot in diameter so any one wanting to turn some exotic palm wood just come on over with you pickup I can set it in the back with the back-hoe.

  I've never seen a palm bowl but maybe with some super glue or something one might end up with enough wood for many years...I would say it might be equal to turning southern yellow pine on a wood lathe any day. I think I read where it will equal teak in lots of respects or was that just plain specs?

Edited February 22, 20215 yr by Smallpatch

You could always donate the leaves to the church.  Palm Sunday isn't too far off.

The tree looks normal.  For a palm.  The lower leaves die every year:  just trim them close to the trunk.  After a few years, it's common to strip the old layer of branch attachments at the trunk (just rake them off).  The wide trunk is a variety; it will grow slowly taller, but might take 20 years to hit 10' or so.  We had one (Phoenix), hated it, put up with it for several years, had it removed when we grew the house that direction.  No loss.

33 minutes ago, PeteM said:

The tree looks normal.  For a palm.  The lower leaves die every year:  just trim them close to the trunk.  After a few years, it's common to strip the old layer of branch attachments at the trunk (just rake them off).  The wide trunk is a variety; it will grow slowly taller, but might take 20 years to hit 10' or so.  We had one (Phoenix), hated it, put up with it for several years, had it removed when we grew the house that direction.  No loss.

Nasty trees! They harbor all sorts of ugly bugs. Cockroaches among them. Unless you're in FL where they're called palmetto bugs.

18 minutes ago, Gene Howe said:

Nasty trees! They harbor all sorts of ugly bugs. Cockroaches among them. Unless you're in FL where they're called palmetto bugs.

Only the rich roaches can afford the luxury high rise dwellings.  Plenty of flat-lander roaches even without a palm!

1 hour ago, Smallpatch said:

I've never seen a palm bowl

There ya go, Jess! A bowl turned from New Zealand palm. Well, fern actually, but it's probably close! And not so much a bowl as a vase.

The brown thing in the middle is plastic, since the "wood" is porous.

Thanks John. Since I'm getting allergic to work my three wood lathes just signed off of palm wood..their reason, they said they didn't need a reason just like politicians.

48 minutes ago, Smallpatch said:

Thanks John. Since I'm getting allergic to work my three wood lathes just signed off of palm wood..their reason, they said they didn't need a reason just like politicians.

I'm gonna call in and use that excuse tomorrow.

11 minutes ago, Gunny said:

I'm gonna call in and use that excuse tomorrow.

Good luck!

Every palm tree that I have ever seen in my 49 years here in Florida, are very fibrous.  When you cut one down with a chain saw, you have to dissamble the saw to remove all the fiber.  It will gum up the clutch and the chain.  I have one lying in the yard now from last year.  It is all fiber with the exception of the exterior.  The tree is about 30 years old.  If you want to keep it, just remove all the damaged freunds and it will put on more like nothing ever happened.  I hate them and cut them all down.  

I agree they are nasty trees. Here in the desert in LV they are everywhere. I live in a cul-de-sac with four homes and there are between 75-100 palm trees on four lots. I have 24 on my lot alone. They are really expensive to maintain which was a little fact I didn't know about when we bought the place. Its about $75 per tree per year and if you don't have them trimmed its an awful mess. Our species of palm form hundreds of these nasty little black berries about the size of a small olive. If you don't get them trimmed they ripen, fall from the tree, and make a horrid mess everywhere. The first year we lived here we got the bid from the guy who does all the trees in our cul-de-sac and figured we would just let it go and see what happens. All three of my neighbors warned us but we let them go. The berries were everywhere. On the roof, the sidewalk and the pool was a disaster. Then, right about the time the berries start falling the pigeons arrived. A whole flock of them. So now we had bird poop mixed with berries. There is actually a guy here in Vegas who specializes in cleaning up pigeon crap.. They had to power wash the roof of the house and everything else. Then as a final addition to the mounting cost the darn pigeons decided to stay and nest under the solar panels so now the pigeon  poop guy tells me the only solution is the have the solar array completely encased in wire cages which he was happy to do for an additional $1500. Needless to say we now pay the guy to trim the trees every year !

Paul

 

Edited February 23, 20215 yr by Masonsailor

Now that, Paul, was a hard lesson!  Surely there are other trees/shrubs that you could have...  Do you have to water those trees a lot?

This is where the Italian Cypress should be. Hardly any up keep. Remember what Caesars Palace on Las Veges Blvd. use to look like out front until they took out all the landscaping and water fountains and built more building.