Palm trees and retaining walls

[Pmclough]

Hi all,

I have a question about palm trees and retaining walls. In particular, I have four palm trees on my property (I think they are all queen palms) two in the front and two in the back. The two in the front are both up on a 3 ft block retaining wall about 6.5 ft from the edge. The diameter of the trunks of these trees are about 20" . In addition, the length of one trunk is about 12 ft and the other is about 15 ft. The two palms in the back are also up on a 3 ft retaining wall. This wall is 5.5 ft wide and about 60 ft long. The two palms are about 2 ft from the edge of the wall. The diameter of these trees are about 12" and their trunks lengths are about 8 ft long. There seems to be slight cracks developing in both retaining walls directly in front of the palm trees. (Please see the pictures I have attached.) My question is the following: Should all of these trees be removed in the near future?

Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[derwoodii]

perhaps have a look tho this thread very similar issue

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/palm-tree-up-against-a-wall-pool.295243/

 

[derwoodii]

with the front palms if you really want to keep them you can dig trench around wall zone & clear found root mass and back fill with rock, concrete or root deterrent media... With the side ones its too late they have outgrown site and may soon cause more wall fracture..

 

[jefflovstrom]

get rid of the one's in back,,,
Jeff

 

[Pmclough]

Hi Derwoodii and Jeff,

Thanks for your responses, I really appreciate it. I will definitely be getting rid of the two palms in my back yard. I really like the two palms in my front yard and think it would be a shame to have them removed but, realistically, I see no other option. In southern California, do you think I would be able to find someone who would be interested in these trees? (it would be a real shame to have to destroy the trees.)

-Peter

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Gonna disagree. Those Trees in the back aren't an imminent threat, and by the time they are, you probably will have moved to The Great State of Texas, like so many of your neighbors have already done. Considering what those California boys get for a simple removal, it could mean the difference between owning a couple acres of The Lone Star State, or homesteading on 10 acres of Central Texas paradise, raising pygmy goats or some similarly useless animal, and being virtually tax free.

In short, unless you're seriously planning on actually living in California 10 years from now, I wouldn't be too worried about any of those palms.

Happy Saturday!!!

 

[jefflovstrom]

Anyway, I would keep those in front and remove those in back,,
Jeff

 

[Pmclough]

Hi Jeff and JollyLogger,

Thanks for the advice. I do plan on living in my house for at least the next 10 years. If you look at the pictures you will notice that the retaining wall in the back yard is actually a double retaining wall holding back the neighbors back yard above us. Therefore, I am leaning toward getting rid of the two palms in back in the near future to avoid a more costly problem later on. As far as the palms in the front, I am now undecided what to do. When I bought my house back in 2010 the palms where already on the property and, as far as I remember, not much smaller than they are now (I am assuming they have been their for at least 10 years). I was wondering if anybody could tell, from the pictures, whether the palms in my front yard are fully grown.

Thanks again for all your help.

-Peter

 

[jefflovstrom]

Hi Derwoodii and Jeff,
In southern California, do you think I would be able to find someone who would be interested in these trees? (it would be a real shame to have to destroy the trees.)

-Peter

Nope,
Jeff

 

[jefflovstrom]

Hi Jeff and JollyLogger,

Thanks for the advice. I do plan on living in my house for at least the next 10 years. If you look at the pictures you will notice that the retaining wall in the back yard is actually a double retaining wall holding back the neighbors back yard above us. Therefore, I am leaning toward getting rid of the two palms in back in the near future to avoid a more costly problem later on. As far as the palms in the front, I am now undecided what to do. When I bought my house back in 2010 the palms where already on the property and, as far as I remember, not much smaller than they are now (I am assuming they have been their for at least 10 years). I was wondering if anybody could tell, from the pictures, whether the palms in my front yard are fully grown.

Thanks again for all your help.

-Peter

Hey Pete, those queens are not done growing,
Jeff