Build planter box around palm stump then fig on top (forum)

oceanearth starts with ...
I had an out of control palm (I hate palms) that I've cut back to the stumps. It's now about 75cmL x 75W x 35 high. I also have a small potted fig.

Rather than get someone in to grind the stump down, I'm toying with the idea of building a planter box tightly around it and approx 1m high - then filling with soil and planting the fig in there.

I'm guessing it will basically be like a pot for a few years until the palm eventually rots - is this naive?

Anyone done anything like this before and/or have ideas to make it work better or how the fig will go?

Time: 11th August 2017 10:36am

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About the Author OceanEarth
MOUNT COOLUM,4573,QLD
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Pademelon1 says...
What is the Fig species? If it is an edible fig, it may work depending on how tight you can make the planter, but if it is something like a weeping fig or similar, it will very quickly find its way to the ground and become a nuisance.

Time: 12th August 2017 12:09pm

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About the Author Pademelon1
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BJ11 says...
Palms have low roots - if you're willing to dig down 30cm you might be able to crow-bar the stump out.
Otherwise google huglekultur ...
Ideally you want the palm stump to be starting to rot when you bury it otherwise there is a risk that the conditions will not be conducive to rotting and it will take ages. Rotting wood under a garden it will help promote good fungi and improve the soil.
If you can't easily dig the stump out, then cut it as low as you can and drill some big holes in it. Drill in holes and fill with water and a high nitrogen product (you could wee in there, or just mix up a high nitrogen fertiliser). Mound top-notch compost mix around it (really focus on getting the N:C mix right), and keep it moist to promote everything breaking down.
In a few months the stump should be rotting nicely. Break it up if you want (a palm stump should be easy to remove fully at this stage), or build a garden on it.
Perfect timing for an autumn planting, or bare-root planting in winter 2018.
If you get the stump rotting well you can probably skip the raised garden bed which will save you on loading 1m3 soil into it. As the rest of the stump rots the garden might subside a bit so you may need to be add mulch/soil until the rotting has finished. This will be less obviously visually in a garden than in the middle of the lawn.

(And you've my sympathies on the palm - I'm not a fan of them either)

Time: 14th August 2017 8:35am

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About the Author BJ11
KENSINGTON,3031,VIC
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oceanearth says...
It's an edible fig. I've been conversing on a few other forums and the general concensus is to cut it as low as possible, damage the roots to kill it, drill holes to aid decomposition. Then build the box around it, cover with several layers of cardboard, soil on top, then fig. Palms do rot fast, so hopefully it will have broken down significantly by the time the card is gone. This is similar to the hugelkultur method. Hopefully it'll be a blessing in disguise and I'll have some pretty nutritious soil and figs aplenty for years to come.

Time: 14th August 2017 11:43am

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About the Author OceanEarth
MOUNT COOLUM,4573,QLD
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