Date Palms are Senegal Date Palms- Phoenix reclinata not Phoenix caneriensis. Regardless dates will not grow in NZ. The days of people paying $450 for a Phoenix are well and truely over. That was in the mid 90's. It is now 2018. 25 years on. People move slowly in their minds about what used to make money then and what makes money now. I grow 35000 palm trees and haven't had a Phoenix caneriensis for sale on the property for 10 years. As far as Popz putting in a Phoenix roebellinii, that's fine. They're a small growing species, but there really are so many more species which are significantly more desirable than common Phoenix species.
finelawns,
Jun 24, 9:03am
Have you sold off you Bit Coin or do you still think that market has yet to mature. I constantly get hopeful home onwners whom think their palms will be a bit of a Bit Coin win for them gardening trends come and go
peacebird15,
Jun 24, 1:04pm
You can section up the trunk and chip it without that much trouble with your average size pro chipper (it often beats a trip and fees to the tip), the only good thing about those cursed things is the mulch is some sort of magnet for tiger worms.
oddjobscool,
Jun 24, 5:17pm
How much did this end up costing you?
We have one in our front yard blocking it and blocks out our winter sun. Keen to get rid of it.
popz,
Nov 3, 4:49am
Had a mission a few years ago for a tropical type garden with palms and bananas,fruit trees etc. Son gave us a couple of little palms which have now grown to gigantic proportions,necessitating in removal. Got a quote for $2500 from professionals of course including cherry picker,mulching and removal. One of the other quotes says they cant mulch the trunks {they are quite huge} Wondering if anyone has any experience of removing these palms. Cut down a smaller one myself and my $100 electric chain saw went through the trunk like butter,but of course I am left with 10 or so sizeable pieces of trunk.
lythande1,
Nov 3, 10:40am
$2500 is cheap
jenny188,
Nov 3, 5:39pm
Dropped a fir palm 2 years ago with my electric chainsaw also. It was about 12 foot tall and was headed into the powerlines on house boundry. Cut 80% through and pulled it clear of deck and fence. Cut it up into 2 foot long managable lenghts, took to dump for about $ 40 on 6x4 trailer
wendalls,
Nov 3, 7:25pm
Mine got removed for $350. I thought it was moderately sized. Stump still there.
exwesty,
Nov 4, 1:56pm
Cost $400 to have mine dropped and taken away a couple of years back. Was around 5-6 high and about 900mm thick at the base.
gilligee,
Nov 4, 2:12pm
Ask your local council if they have any use for one, for the taking. Then check if any of your landscape gardeners have a use for one.
popz,
Nov 4, 4:55pm
Thanks for the input. My ones are about 20 metres high in close proximity to my house and the neighbours. Two iifront of the house involve the use of a cherry picker. The largest or tallest is at the back of the house and involves using a rope tied around another tree anchored to a four wheel drive in the neighbours section. A block and tackle will then pull the palm tree over. The contractor has 3 million dollars liability insurance. Moral of the story never plant Phoenix palms in your garden.
piquant,
Nov 5, 2:44am
A lot of the reason for the huge cost is actually the disposal at landfill. Because of the structure of the trunk, they cannot be mulched for compost. As the pithy nature of the trunk is designed to hold water, they weight VERY heavy in relation to other "wood". Hence the fact that landfill (as opposed to composting) is so very much more expensive - a lot of weight = a lot of cost. With respect to councils or landscapers being interested in removal and re-use - highly unlikely - as the cost of doing this so prohibitive. If they are ever going to use them, the quickest, cheapest and most reliable option is to get one from a specialist grower.
popz,
Nov 5, 4:48am
Was wondering about that piquant. As I said the one I cut up was very easy even with a cheap electric chainsaw. This one was a "cotton" palm tree I think they call them similar foliage to pheonix with a woolly covering on the trunk. Will have another chat with contractor before we ok quote.
piquant,
Nov 5, 5:09am
The issues, popz, is that the contractor who quoted mulching is obviously inexperienced and doesn't know what he is dealing with. They are incredibly difficult things to manage, being quite vicious to skin (solid protection needs to be worn) and wounds from the quite substantial spines on the foliage can quickly become septic. Just like roses only ten times worse! You could also ask your contractor for a breakdown of his quote (just to see where the major costs are occurring) and finally, you could call your local landfill for their take on it. You do not want to be left with either the trunk or worse, the stump, to deal with. It HAS to be fully removed. While you are at it you may wish to dispose of the other trunk you have found yourself hoarding. You can't burn them, so they are just a total liability.
popz,
Nov 5, 6:28am
Thanks for the input.Will follow your advice. Have been removing the dead branches as it grew taller and used to burn them,but due to the fire bans up here not any longer. Here you about the scratches,like playing with a shark. Got a deep one on the ankle once finished up at the doctors. Over 78 now so getting harder to deal with some of the unwelcome weeds and such. like the wandering willy in my other thread. Sword grass,and chokos are a big problem.We have two huge avocado trees in the rear which a choko vine took a shine to completely covering them. Must have had over a hundred or so of the fruit weighing over a kilo on the vine. Got that under control now. Cut another huge avo tree down because of the leaves going into the neighbours. Got two hundred litre drums of avos from it. Gave the neighbour the wood for his fire. Joys of gardening.
piquant,
Nov 5, 6:39am
You are most welcome! Hope it all works out for you. I know exactly what you mean about not being able to manage things like we used to! It is both frustrating and costly - having to get in help.
popz,
Nov 5, 6:55am
Its not all doom and gloom though. We meander from the sublime to the ridiculous gardenwise. Have some beautiful roses,a hundred or so bromeliads,about 15 2 square metre mini gardens for flowers and veges,love growing lillies,callas,about 20 different fruit trees,avo,macadamias,banana. pomegranate, and so on,plus the weeds which acclimatise very well in our semi tropical environment.
harm_less,
Nov 5, 7:04am
Another issue with Phoenix palms is that the roots can and will grow to seek out water considerable distances away so they are a real risk for blocking drains.
starseeker,
Nov 6, 1:26pm
A few years ago large specimens were being PURCHASED! We got rid of one, which was then sent to China, & we were paid $450. First there was a ditch dug around the roots, then a wire rope was pulled through to sever the roots. Then it was towed out by 2 trucks & roots wrapped in a net & away it went to be sent as deck cargo to China. Probably still had lots of creepy-crawlies in it.
spiritofgonzo,
Nov 6, 2:45pm
Phoenix caneriensis is classed as a weed to be replaced, in bay of Plenty. So not a desirable plant to try and give away
popz,
Nov 6, 3:46pm
That's amazing. I would pay them twice that to take mine away. Right about the creepy craw lies. Cockroaches seem to love them,and there were a couple of fair sized wetas in the smaller one I cut up. Was thinking of a date palm next. Should grow well up here. A friend just came back from Mecca and gave us some fresh dates which were really beautiful and fresh.
serendipity55,
Nov 8, 3:06pm
same goes for any type of tree?
funkydunky,
Nov 11, 2:48am
erm was this tongue-in-cheek? Date palms are Phoenix palms
popz,
Mar 21, 7:59pm
Really confused me now.had a look at Brittanica photos. Will have to study further as a couple of my palms have those big seed clusters. There are a couple of Palm tree places nearby in Kerikeri will call in for a chat. Always remember the toddy parties in Raro when I lived there. One large teapot and one glass going round and round. Spiked my forehead in the dark on the thatch overhanging the door,and finished up backing the car into a swampy taro patch.
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