I was told to pull off the dry brown dead outsides of the palm trees' base or "trunk" & must have gone too far. The very base of the "trunk" has started to become severed & now seems to be tilting away from the roots. Other then a stake in the ground next to it, is there anything I can do to help mend this disconnected base that has become separated just above the dirt line? Such as packing dirt around the base higher up or any medication or sealer I can try? Or do I just accept that its most likely going to die now?

New at gardening, March 2008

I'm not a great gardening expert but in the absence of any other advice, I'd try sticking parcel tape on the base where it is coming away to try to hold it together. However, you should remove this in a few months if the plant survives to allow it to grow properly.

I would also put a stake in to hold it firm, and pack soil higher as roots might well come out of the base of the palm and anchor it into the soil.

Hope it survives, mine did when I tried it on a different kind of plant.

Roberta Goodall, March 2008