Stupid Palm Trees!

Charlie · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 5:30 pm

Been clearing out our block lately and I recon I have about 50+ palm trees, Id say most of them are about 30 years old, they are big buggers. Ive dropped a heap of them already but there are so many I need to come up with a plan to discard them. Man they make a mess, stupid fronds dropping all the time and the seeds are everywhere.

Apparently they don't chip too well, or burn and it would cost a fortune to run them to the dump as that goes on tonnage.

Bear suggested I bury them and let them mulch down which could work or maybe I could just rack them up along the fence line?

Any of you farmers got any good ideas?

gazza · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 6:22 pm

hugelkultur?

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=huge ... 80&bih=682

Charlie · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 7:41 pm

Actually that did cross my mind Gazza. Problem is breaking them down enough to make them a more usable wood, they are quite big.

I also recently heard that the sap in palms has an acid property that can destroy your chainsaw if you don't clean it. I need to research this claim.

gazza · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2014 8:36 pm

Charlie wrote:

Actually that did cross my mind Gazza.

Yeah figured it might have, I just like saying Hugelkultur :thunbs:

Bender · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2014 12:53 am

Hi Charlie, I cut down 4 palm trees at my place when we bought it. I cut the trunks into movable bits and stacked them against a fence where they stayed for about a year. I thought I would use them as stands for sitting things on but they actually broke down very quickly. If you stock pile them somewhere on your property they might just break down over time and create great compost.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Snags · **Joined:** Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:52 pm **Posts:** 234

Charlie wrote:

Actually that did cross my mind Gazza. Problem is breaking them down enough to make them a more usable wood, they are quite big.

I also recently heard that the sap in palms has an acid property that can destroy your chainsaw if you don't clean it. I need to research this claim.

They have lots of silica in them that blunts the chainsaw.

I love palm trees for the free mulch supply every time they drop a frond
Have you seen how beautiful the soil is under a whole lot of fronds?.
Im building raised garden beds at the moment I will be filling the bottom half with as many fronds as I can find.

Charlie · **Posted:** Fri May 02, 2014 3:58 pm

I had 2 piles of fronds that were about the size of a Toyota Prado each. I burnt those big boys to the ground!! But yea, I will be using some of them for mulch as we will be leaving about 6 palms across the front of the block. I just need the back block sorted out to make way for a dam.

Snags · **Joined:** Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:52 pm **Posts:** 234

If you are going to burn them at least make some bio char and improve your soil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqkWYM7rYpU

Burnsy · **Posted:** Sun May 04, 2014 12:05 am

If you split the trunk lengthwise once you have blocked them up they dry out and break down faster making them easier to burn. In some cases they just desintegrate.

Charlie · **Posted:** Sun May 04, 2014 8:25 am

Will do, thanks.

Looking into making a rocket heater too thanks snags.

gazza · **Posted:** Sun May 04, 2014 11:12 am

You could have a crack at building the worlds biggest teepee...

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=bigg ... 80&bih=682

Charlie · **Posted:** Sun May 04, 2014 3:43 pm

That would be handy thanks Gaz. hehe

Perpetuitas · **Posted:** Wed May 07, 2014 8:12 am

Well I give you tomato plants if you bring me those palm trees to Germany I'll take them any time!

Charlie · **Posted:** Wed May 07, 2014 10:43 pm

Ha ha, no probe, you pull them out and you can have them, Perp. ;)

Perpetuitas · **Posted:** Thu May 08, 2014 1:26 am

Na no way :-) How big are they actually?

Backyard Farming Forum
Bringing food production home