The Tropical Fruit Forum

I am curious about using a tree stump.  I have an almond tree and a coconut tree that were cut off at 5-6 feet tall.  The plan is to run the DF vines up the stumps, but I am concerned that the tree stumps, especially the coconut will rot away and just when the vines get growing, and are heavy.  Should I abandon this notion, and cut down the stumps and just use PT lumber?

I am faced with the same dilemma here re' planting DF against a cut palm.  I have been waiting for the answers to this question.  I am leaning toward just taking a chainsaw to the 6' palm stump that I had reserved for the exact same concerns you raised.  I don't want to take the risk that the Palm carcass will suddenly give way in 4 years leaving me with a pile of broken DF cuttings instead of a vibrant fruiting Beauty. 

If anyone has used dead palm trunks for DF trellis, please chime in.  I am still on the fence but leaning more and more towards the chainsaw and yet another Hugelkultur.

I decided to plant a couple of DF against the Palo Brea stump.  We left it about 6' tall for this purpose.  Although Palo Brea wood is about as soft as pine wood, at least the girth of the trunk should allow us many years of DF support... I hope...

Your almond wood should be more dense than Palo Brea wood.  Did you decide to use it?