Question
we have very well established large queen palms that are over 25 ft tall...one of which has severe damage from ants on the trunk about 3 ft from the base...we didnt notice the damage until it was almost too late and were able to kill off all the ants...now we are left with the trunk peeling away but it does have the interior still in tack.  we were wondering if there is any way to reinforce the exterior of the bark may with cement so that when we have high winds it will have a better chance of on cracking...thank you lauren

Answer
Hi Lauren,,,there really isn't much you can do at this point,,,for Palms don't have woody trunks like trees,,,they are tissue; you could brace the trunk itself , if it is really at risk of coming down,,,but many Palms develop deterioration of the bottom as they age, and remain fast and strong even in higher winds,,,because they bend with the wind putting less stress on the fractures. If you do decide to brace it...make sure you don't nail into that trunk,,,for that will cause severe stress and damage (tissue)...brace it by placing a collar of 2x4's around it and nailing the braces to the 2x4's. Nick