Binding A Tree

[Smowball]

Has anybody ever done this?? We have a small garden and either side we have a raised flower bed built from railway sleepers and , obviously, filled with soil. When we moved in 12 yrs ago there was a small palm tree in each bed- about two feet high. Now one is about 11 foot high and one is about 20 foot high! The problem is the the roots are now pushing the bottom sleeper out in each bed, so that they are sticking out proud about an inch from the others and I need to slow the tree growth down.

Has anybody ever tried this or have any advice?

[woofgang]

remove them!

[Smowball]

No , they're beautiful.

[Old_Geezer]

I am unfamiliar with the concept of tree binding, but I see YouTube has something on it

Seems weird to me, surely the trunk will be cut into as it grows unless one is permanently going back and redoing it.

If the problem is the roots, can they not simply be pruned ?

[Old_Geezer]

I wish it would just put the link on.

[Chipchopper]

At that rate of growth, I would hazard a guess at those trees being Cordyline australis.
May be right may be wrong, whatever the case, it may be possible to install a 'root barrier' to keep it contained.
If you Google 'root barrier' you should find a wealth of products and info on how to retain your trees.

[Smowball]

I don't know how to post pictures. I've just looked again and I think the taller one is probably nearer 15 foot rather than 20. That one has no lower branches whatsoever - just one tall trunk and then the palm leaves at the top- think what you imagine to see in the Caribbean albeit smaller. The other slightly smaller one has morphed onto one main trunk and then 5/6 side trunks off of that , all with palm leaves at the top, and now both trees have the flowering stems coming out from the top which are huge too.

[Smowball]

Chipchopper ive looked on Google and yes that is the variety I've got.

[woofgang]

I am honestly not sure what that tree binding video is supposed to show. To me it just looks like how to stabilise a newly planted tree, and not a very good way because that string will need to be redone quite quickly. I can’t see anything anywhere about tree binding to limit growth. Can I ask who suggested this or where you heard of it?

[Chipchopper]

Thank you for your acknowledgement Smowball, not a true palm, in botanical terms but often referred as such, commonly 'Torbay palm'.

I think, it wouldn't be too difficult to excavate some soil away, on the side thats causing the problem, prune the roots back, insert a section of root barrier (if you wish), then reset the board/s.

That short video seemed misleading. It looked like he was trying to stabilse a young sapling, using some sort of string, instead of a propper tree tie.

[Smowball]

Oh I see. I'm just scared of completely killing them!

[Old_Geezer]

Google shows the link when you ask about tree binding. Are you saying that it isn't ?

[woofgang]

If they die plant something else!