Trimming Palm Trees

Robert Pittman  December 11 2008 10:49:00 PM

Palm Trees need green foliage for photo-synthesis.  We recommend that you only trim foliage that has begun to turn yellow or brown.  

The exception to this rule is if the palm is newly planted.  Palms that are field grown and then dug up for landscape installations have lost part of their root system and may not be able to support a full canopy of fronds.  It is common to remove a portion if the fronds to reduce the palms need for water.  Sabal palmettos, Cabbage or Sabal Palm, typically have all the foliage removed at the time of digging.  This practice greatly enhances the palms ability to replace cut roots and leads to much higher survival rates among transplants.

Over trimming, trimming green foliage, can result in the decline of your palm tree.  Signs of decline include the loss of trunk caliper which is often referred to as "Pencilling".  Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) are commonly over-pruned to save time and money.  

Some palms like the the Bismark Palm (Bismarkia nobilis) can tolerate over-pruning without showing signs of stress.

Trimming of  seed pods or flower stalks is fine and can be done prior to the opening of the pods or after the seeds have developed. The energy used for seed development will be diverted back to the palms foliage.

Rob Pittman
www.aqualityplant.com

• Comments [0]