A common misconception for palm trees is that they need to be pruned and trimmed often, which simply is not true. Did you know that palm trees are classified as monocots? A palm tree falls under the monocot category because their tree trunks do not grow outward the way normal trees like an evergreen would. Palm trees grow one leaf at a time making their growth process a very tedious one that requires special care in order to keep the palm alive. One way to ensure the success and life of your palm tree is to hire an expert that has experience with pruning palm trees and is fully aware of the 5 things listed below when pruning palms.
Be careful around the Trunk
When pruning a palm tree, you must be careful of its trunk. If you damage its trunk, there is a good chance it will not be able to recover from it. The root ball, which is the bulk of all the roots at the bottom of the palm tree, must be protected along with the trunk. If that fails to happen, this could lead to the loss of important nutrients that are required for the growth of the palm.
Never Prune solely for Aesthetics
While having a row of luscious palm trees can create for a beautiful aesthetic in the moment, the affects of pruning solely for the looks of a palm tree will not have a lasting effect. More often than not, this will end up killing the palm tree if proper techniques are not practiced. This doesn’t mean that you should never prune a palm tree, just be sure that you or whomever you are hiring is very knowledgeable so that the palm can grow to live a very long life.
Make sure it’s the Right Season
Generally speaking, the best time to prune palms is during the spring and summer months. This allows you to see which leaves and branches are in need of a little TLC while also showing the healthy leaves as well. During these months is also a good time to remove any loose or discolored fronds that have a yellow or brown appearance. If you cannot remove the fronds easily, leave them be. That is a good indication that they are still healthy. If you are unsure, it is best to leave the fronds intact until you are confident that they need removed.
Leave the Green Fronds
The green fronds on trees pass along nutrients and provide food to the newer leaves. By pruning these, you could stall the growth of the palm. Since palm trees are monocots as mentioned earlier, the only way nutrients are able to get to the entire tree is by starting at the root ball in the base of the tree and transferring energy through these healthy green fronds to all of its other fronds.
Prune for Safety
Palm trees require special care, as there is a fine line between over pruning and not pruning enough. When fronds become a dark yellow to brown color, if they are not pruned, they can become dangerous not only for homeowners but also to people that are passing by. Be sure to find a balanced pruning plan for your palm trees that will ensure safety for everyone!
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