Q. We have decided to have our Mexican fan palms removed. Do we need to have all the roots removed or just cut the palms down to the ground, especially the one next to the pool?
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| One of the "fan palms", most likely favoring California fan palm (because it is "fat" at the base) (W. filifera). Palm trees in general, Washingtonia types in particular, interbreed easily and so the genus can easily be genetically mingled. |
A.
If your palm trees do not sucker from the base (date palm, Mediterranean fan
palm do produce suckers from the base) then as soon as the top is cut off, the
palm will die. Both Mexican and California fan palms have one central bud at
the top which is the only place where new growth can occur. Once cut and they
die, they will slowly decay if left behind.
The problem you will have when you
leave any kind of stump is the palm trees very slow decay rate. Palm debris
decay or rot very slowly. Coir is taken from coconut palms and is used in soil
mixes to build soil structure because it resists decay. It is slow to decay and
is the main reason I discourage its use in compost piles or use in woodchip
mulch. It makes a great semi-permanent component in soil mixes. In both cases
you want fertilizer or compost added to circumvent its slow decay. When plants decay,
they add to the organic content of the soil and help make it darker.
Remove as much of your palm trunk as
possible. The palm roots won’t regrow, but any debris left behind from the
trunk will decay very slowly. If you decide to use it in your new soil mix (it
is a great addition to soils to improve soil structure), chop it as small as
possible and make sure that fertilizer or compost is added to the soil to
compensate for the slow breakdown of palm debris.
