Palm Tree Trimming
Palms are not trees in the usual sense and they are not trimmed like oaks. A palm grows from a single bud at the top, so every green frond it keeps is feeding it. Good palm trimming takes off what is dead or dying, cleans up seed stalks, and leaves the rest.
What is palm tree trimming?
Palm tree trimming removes dead and fully brown fronds, flower and seed stalks, and loose boots, while leaving green fronds in place. Removing healthy green fronds, the "hurricane cut", weakens the palm and does not make it safer in a storm.
What we remove
A standard palm trim includes:
- Dead and fully brown fronds hanging below the crown
- Flower and seed stalks, which drop fruit and attract pests
- Loose boots (old frond bases) on palms where they come away cleanly
- Fronds touching the roof, screen enclosure or wires
Why we don’t do the "hurricane cut"
UF/IFAS advises against removing green fronds. Over-pruned palms lose the stored nutrients those fronds carry, the crown narrows, and the trunk can develop a "pencil point" that may snap. A full crown also protects the bud in high wind.
The general guideline is to keep fronds that are above the horizontal line of a clock’s 9 and 3. On a healthy palm that means trimming only from the bottom of the crown.
Common palms in Volusia and Seminole counties
Sabal (cabbage) palms, Florida’s state tree, are the most common and are often skinned of their boots for appearance. Queen palms drop heavy seed clusters and decline quickly when short of potassium and magnesium. Washingtonia palms grow tall and shed skirts of dead fronds that are a fire and rodent concern. Canary Island date palms have sharp spines at the frond base and need careful handling.
Yellowing fronds may be a nutrient problem
Lower fronds that turn yellow or orange while still alive are often a sign of potassium deficiency, not old age. Cutting them off pulls the deficiency higher into the crown. Leave them and address the fertilizer program. Ask our arborist if a palm is declining.
What affects
the price?
- Palm height and number of palms
- Species (spines and seed clusters add time)
- Whether boots are being removed
- Access around pools, screens and roofs
- Haul-away of fronds and seed stalks
Every job gets a written estimate before work starts. We are licensed and insured, and estimates are free.
Get a
free estimate.
Call (386) 675-7898 or request a free estimate with the address, a few safe photos and what you want the finished area to look like.
Common
questions.
How often should palms be trimmed?
Most palms in our area need trimming once a year. Queen palms and palms over pools or walkways may need it twice to keep seed stalks under control.
Can you remove a palm instead of trimming it?
Yes. Palm removal and stump grinding are part of our tree removal service.
Do you climb palms with spikes?
Climbing spikes wound the trunk and leave permanent holes, so we avoid them on palms we are trimming and use a lift or ladder access where possible.
My palm has a brown, wilting center. Can trimming fix it?
A collapsing spear leaf can be a sign of a serious disease, such as lethal bronzing or bud rot. Trimming will not fix it. Have the palm assessed before spending money on trimming.