planting palms too close to boundaries

RogerBacardy

planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by RogerBacardy »

Has anyone else made this mistake? From some of the photos of people's gardens I've seen here, I don't think I'm the only one.

I planted 2 T fortunei a few years back either side of my garden, when they were planted they looked fine, and have steadily grown since, I knew that where I planted them would look great in 5 years, adding height and symmetry to my garden. The foliage now reaches about 6ft, so they're just reaching the top of the fences on either side

The problem is that I think I underestimated the width of the foliage, when I planted them the petioles were a lot shorter, so they looked fine, but I now realise that as they mature the petioles lengthen and the leaves will soon be hanging over the fence a little. When the trunks get to 2mtrs plus it probably wouldn't matter as the foliage will be too high up to be an issue, but in the meantime my neighbours might object. Will have to ask them. On one side they have californian lilac overhanging our garden quite significantly, so perhaps they wouldn't mind.

If my neighbours do disapprove, I think I will have to dig them up and replant them just a few inches further away from the fence on both sides. If so will do this in March and do all I can to help the roots reestablish.

You can see 1 of the trachies weighed down by snow by the blanket covered Dicksonia antarctica:
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Dave Brown
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Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by Dave Brown »

My Washingtonia is a prime example :roll: Was fine when planted, but overhangs next door by about 2 feet.
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MikeC

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by MikeC »

Unless it's completely blocking light from their window all they can do is trim it back to the boundary?
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Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by Dave Brown »

MikeC wrote:Unless it's completely blocking light from their window all they can do is trim it back to the boundary?
For the Washingtonia that would mean cut back to the petioles along one side :shock:
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RogerBacardy

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by RogerBacardy »

Good thing about washies and trachies in this sort of situation, is that they both grow straight up, so in a few years it might be too much hassle for your neighbour to trim your washy to the boundary.

Imagine a Phoenix canariensis_CIDP planted less than a foot from a fence and then reaching maturity, that could be several metres of overhang!


Couldn't imagine my neighbours trimming my palms, and I don't think the overhand would be too bad maybe 1 foot in a few years. Just need to sweet talk them to not minding or take action now before they get too big to transplant.
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karl66
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Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by karl66 »

I've actually gone out my way to not plant any of my palms on the boundry or even close to fences as its just my luck to get a nasty neigbour with a big hatchet hacking at fronds!!, i tend to keep bushes & bamboos along the boundry as its not the end of the world if they get pruned by a third party. karl.
dorothy

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by dorothy »

I have two trachys which I have planted to close.One I will definately move in spring but the other, I must admit, I am reluctant to move in case I damage it. More than likely it will get moved though, cause sooner better than later eh :?
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redsquirrel
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Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by redsquirrel »

i might have problems with the council and a trachyf in a few years time.we have an 18inch wall round the front garden as do all other houses in an open plan set up.my trachyf is romping now and is going to brush anyone walking in.it will only affect our house but we have a good number of elderly neighbours,a couple who are the sort with nothing better to do than complain
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billdango

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by billdango »

No problems with my neighbours as my palms are to tall now for them to reach the crown.

I did have a few problems years ago but the people that lived next door moved out thank GOD.

As I am now the oldest and meanest resident in the street nobody who wants to live a long life will argue with me about how I grow my plants.

billdango :evil:
GREVILLE

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by GREVILLE »

I'm in the fortunate position where most of my planted palms are very close to the boundaries but for various reasons are unlikely cause problems for neighbours. As I am on a corner on a hill, three of my boundaries are 40cm thick loading walls to protect or hold up land on the opposite side.
GrevPlants 2012 052.JPG
This shot of my recently toasted Phoenix canariensis_CIDP after the frosty February last year is against my north-east boundary. It gives wonderful south-west facing shelter to the palm but the wall holds up around six feet of land the other side and the neighbours have a six foot fence on it. It will be a long time before the fronds cause any trouble there
Nathan

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by Nathan »

Yes, though it's hard not too in my tiny garden :lol:

The worst one is my Phoenix canariensis, its leaves overhang my neighbours gardens on either side. One neighbour is quite petty about it & has chopped off the ends of leaves that overhang his garden (that they never even set foot in) despite the fact that they are way above head level :x Now its getting taller he wont be able to do it unless he buys a ladder :lol:

The neighbour on the other side complained about my Musa basjoo's leaves hitting his window & keeping him awake at night, but I didn't chop them off as his loud parties keep me awake every other weekend icon_thumright
rburrena

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by rburrena »

Think my Phoenix canariensis_CIDP might be a problem in a few years if it keeps on surviving winters :? .

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RogerBacardy

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by RogerBacardy »

Great replies to this thread, thanks icon_thumleft


We have a phormium in our front garden which taps our window when it's windy. Until I figured that out, it was slightly disconcerting when it was dark, the curtains drawn and the window was being tapped. :ahhh!:

Greville, your garden looks really interesting, so lucky to be on the south side of the hill. Wonderful microclimates / warm walls!

Rburrena, that's a nice problem to have. Do you keep it where it is, expecting it to be killed off at some point, or do you try and move it before it becomes a problem? Moving large CIDPs is a nightmare as the tap roots seem to go so deep. I've failed in the past.
Last edited by RogerBacardy on Thu Jan 31, 2013 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
rburrena

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by rburrena »

RogerBacardy wrote: Rburrena, that's a nice problem to have. Do you keep it where it is, expecting it to be killed off at some point, or do you try and move it before it becomes a problem? Moving large CIDPs is a nightmare as the tap roots seem to go so deep. I've failed in the past.
I planted it there back in May 2010 when we moved into the house.

2010
Image

It is too near the fence, I know, not quite as bad as it looks in the photo about 1m from the fence to the growing point. I kind of expected it to die in the cold winters, but it keeps on going it has come through -10C and -9C :) I can't help protecting it, thats the thing, I can't just let it die I am quite attached to it now. The thing is we will probably move house before it becomes a real problem. It would be debatable as to whether to try and take it with us. The bigger it gets the less likely that will be.
huporhaha

Re: planting palms too close to boundaries

Post by huporhaha »

No problems like that for me - I have been very "good" and not taken extra land, but around here, you are lucky if you even know what IS your boundary. Land has changed hands in the past for as little as a few drinks in the local pub. Others have just e-x-t-e-n-d-e-d their house, gardens etc. whenever they fancy doing so.

We wanted to purchase some common land adjoining the bottom end of the front garden that we believed belonged to a local estate. We contacted the estate's solicitor and he couldn't prove that it belonged to the estate. He wanted us to pay to prove who actually owned the land and then buy it. We declined and it is still just common scrub land. I bet someone would come out of the woodwork claiming ownership if we fenced it off and annexed it to our garden! :lol:
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