We now have a very tall corpse of a palm tree killed by the horrific palm beetle. My husband would like it removed but I want it taken down to say 4 foot high, hollowed out & used as a big planter!  Does anyone think this is a viable idea?  & what could be planted in it?  A small weeping tree or shrub?  Or small plants only such as geraniums?

Unfortunately it won't work. The trunk is not like a wood tree trunk, it is all fibres and now the tree is dead it will start to disintegrate. Sadly the best thing to do is cut it down and dispose of it.

Nigel is correct if you can imagine a bundle of straws bound together if you try to shape the material it will  just splinter away.if you are near a beach area sand gets swept/blown into the root system and this also hinders shaping the trunk.l guess what you could do is cut the trunk down to say 3/4 feet high and fill with resin and made a table or stool but as this tree has been infected it best be cut down and burnt. l have in recent weeks had the same problem but managed to date to save them my poolman dug out part of the crown on the effected trees and sprayed.These beetles are quiet big and the down side is they can fly.If your on the way to Ruimar they had  about 150 palms along that road and about 30% have been attacked. :(

Clorpirifos 48% EC (Concentrado emulsionable)  is the spray he uses.

Thanks for your advice, I tried saving it by pouring insecticide in the crown but for this palm I was too late, the other one I did likewise & saved it.  Later this yet we will get it cut.

Well we thought that it was a losing battle trying to keep it, but you and Jim fought well in trying. They always look so sad when they get infected and just the trunk left standing also looks awful.
Please please please, don't ask me or Denise to cut it down.  Knowing our look it would hit the house.
See you towards the end of this month all being well.

No don't worry we wont think of doing anything with the 'column' till the autumn!  I found the corpse of another & had a good look at it, it is lying on the ground so I could feel it's inards, & it is much harder on the inside than I was given to understand, so I'm still wondering what to do with it!  More ideas wanted please.  See you two soon.....Pat & Jim

Good luck with getting ideas.  I just read the last post I put on this and I was shocked to see I had written "look" in place of "luck".
I need a rest, but at least we are basking in the warm sunshine at the moment, while it lasts.