Palms and Cycads: Follow up to 'Transplanting a Pygmy Date Palm', 1 by GD_Rankin

GD_Rankin wrote:
Update . . . Just to follow up on the transplanting of the palm I asked about earlier . . . due to the various obstacles shown in the prior photos and another unexpected one (a 4" lateral line packed in gravel - shown in the next photo) it wasn't easy to get this beauty out of it's old location, but I was possible. The lateral line was situated about 10"- 12" directly below the root ball and just off center. The root system had obviously grown into the gravel that surrounded the pipe, by about 6" all the way around it, and also around the water main right next to the drain pipe.

We had about a 1/4" of rain early this morning then the sun came out and made for a nice muggy afternoon, so I decided to give it a try today. There was no room for a full size shovel after the first few inches of top soil was removed. So, it was pretty slow going digging with a small hand spade through all the gravel and around the pipes.

At first it appeared that this was going to be more trouble that it was worth. However, after a good deal of elbow grease and a few mumbles under my breath, I was able to break through the layer of gravel and tunnel under the main root ball.

Just about the time I got everything free under there, the rain returned. The roof gutter's downspout was starting to pour into the hole and right onto the root ball, so fast action was required to keep as much soil around it as possible. I was able to get it out before much soil was lost and into it's new hole and covered just as the rain really started to fall.

Hopefully the fresh rain water along with the root stimulator will give the palm a healthy new start and it's root system will recover ok. Only time will tell I suppose?

Thanks again for the info guys.
GD