How can I repair a palm tree that my dog chewed at the bottom?
by
Bra28813983
I am staying with a good friend, and my dog got ahold of his palm and shredded the bark off on the bottom of the trunk. It is probably 45% of the circumference and a foot in length. It's a beautiful tree, and I don't want it to die. I know I should trim away some of the damage but I don't know where to start. i can use all the help I can get....I have pictures-this happened almost a week ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBeOVK0nrkk
Palm trees are extremely hardy once established, and from the photo, it appears that this tree is. You can trim it up to look prettier, but not necessary, the tree will be just fine. I have seen much worse! Obviously your dog is either bored or unsettled in some way. I have seen this behavior before. Is your dog welcome in the household or are there too many "rules?" Your dog could be stressed out. If so, I would seek other living arrangements for you and your dog. If just bored, he or she needs more or better exercise and toys to play with and possibly more attention. Good luck!
When old palm fronds die we usually cut off the part that is drooping or protruding. It looks like this palm has a thick layer of old palm frond bases on the trunk still. If that's the case what your dog removed was dead material. It doesn't look like he got down to the actual "bark" of the tree. He didn't hurt the palm at all. Palm tree bark is smooth in most cases. The fibrous material is from the initial growth of the fronds it protected them as they matured. It is like leaving corn husks on the stalk they have no real purpose now. I don't think you have anything to worry about.