"David E. Ross" wrote in message ...
On 8/12/2016 10:16 PM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in message ...
On 8/12/2016 7:47 PM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in message ...
On 8/12/2016 2:07 PM, Snuffy "Hub Cap" McKinney wrote:

- Thanks David. I checked just now, and it's far enough away from
the wall that it wouldn't touch during high winds. As long as the
roots are not a problem as far as damaging the wall, I'll just leave
it where it is. First choice would be to sell it to someone if it's
worth much and plant something else in its place. Probably not
practical unless the company has a crane to lift it up and out. The
only way to get equipment in the yard a 5-ft space between the house
and the block wall. Still, will make some calls and post what I find
out.

I was able to get to the other side of the wall today which is inside
a fenced yard. Bad news -- the wall is starting to lean away from the
tree at the top of the wall, and the mortar has broken between a few
blocks. I don't see anything close to the wall on my side, but it
is so overgrown around the tree I can't get close enough yet. Will
do some trimming this weekend and see.

Now I see that there are 4-6 smaller trunks coming growing around the
tree at the base. Not huge, but large enough to create pressure if
there is one against the wall.

If this turns out to be the problem, I could cut that trunk off and
have nothing within a foot or more of the wall. Latest questions
are....

Cut away the smaller trunks, not the main trunk.


After I cut that trunk off, should I put asphalt or some other
sealing agent on the cut?

With palms, I do not think sealing the cuts is important. Just be sure
the cut slopes away from the main trunk at least slightly. You do not
want water to sit on the cut or drain towards the main trunk.


If it turns out that the roots may be pushing up the wall, would it
hurt the tree if I dig down and cut the roots on my side of the
wall?

Cut away whatever you think is necessary as long as it does not exceed
half way around the trunk. Palms readily send out new roots from the
base of the trunk. Thus, you might want to place a vertical sheet of
aluminum or heavy plastic in the trench you dug to act as a barrier
against new roots. Steel will eventually corrode and disappear. Best
would be a sheet of copper, which would create both a physical and a
chemical barrier; but copper is very expensive.

Thanks again, David. More questions... just stop when you have had enough :O)

Here's a VERY rough sketch. If I cut the left side of the roots away, would it weaken that side in case of a high wind?

http://i65.tinypic.com/34xhztl.gif


If there is a high wind within several months, yes, the tree might
topple. If you get such winds, use guy wires anchored to the ground
with 2-ft lengths of steel rebar at least 1/4-inch in diameter (1/2-inch
is better). Thread the wires through old pieces of garden hose at the
end where you tie it to the palm. After a year, new roots should be
sufficient to anchor the tree, even with a root barrier.

I was able to get a look at the space between the tree and wall. One of the smaller trunks is touching the wall about 3 feet up from the ground and pushing it. If I cut it off at the base, the base will be the closest part of the tree at around 6-in from the wall. With the small trunk removed, do you think there's any reason to dig down and cut the roots? I don't mind doing it, but if it won't affect the wall, I'd rather leave all the roots in place.

In that case, I would not bother to cut the roots. The roots might
indeed grow under the wall, but they are not like tree roots. With
palms, the roots do not grow larger around and lift or push.

That's good to hear. Many thanks, David. Now to get the trimming done and start on repairing that wall. Very grateful that my neighbor noticed it and let me know before it did serious damage.