When it comes to trimming, palm trees are not much different than any other tree or shrub in your yard. There will come a time that you look at your palm tree and think that it looks much to messy, saggy, unkempt, unhealthy, or something else in the realm of unattractive. In some cases, the palm can die and then become a fire hazard. And, like something out of a low-budget horror flick, dead palms can even become havens for scorpions or other unappealing pests.

So yes, if you notice some of the above problems, it is probably time for pruning (or even removal, in the case of a dead palm).

On the other hand, there are times that you should not prune your palm tree. The key is to check your expectations. Does it need to be done, for the sake of the appearance or health of the tree? Then by all means, it’s time to trim your palm. But don’t trim it if your expectation is rejuvenation. Palm trees don’t respond to rejuvenation pruning the way some other trees and shrubs do. So if your goal is to spur new growth, put down the pruning shears!

If you do decide it’s time to prune your palm, follow these steps:

Protect yourself. You needsafety glasses, gloves, pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. Make sure your pruning shears are nice and sharp. And never use any pruning equipment if you don’t feel comfortable with it.

Remove only dead, wilting, or diseased fronds. Never remove healthy green fronds, especially if they’re growing upwards. Removal of healthy fronds will only stress the tree.

Don’t focus too much on shape. You might not achieve a perfect shape. Focusing too much on that will tempt you to remove too many fronds, and you will probably end up with a temporarily attractive, but stressed and unhealthy palm tree.

Call us for help. It’s easy to stress a palm tree or even injure yourself, if you aren’t experienced at pruning palms. Give us a call and let us handle the job for you, and the result will be a healthy, beautiful palm tree that you can enjoy for years to come.