It seems simple enough to prune whatever parts of your plant may not look good, but you could be doing a great amount of damage to the plant by doing so. This is especially true in the case of palm trees, which many people are under the impression are extremely resilient and can be recklessly pruned without harm. Often done before a storm like the hurricanes we commonly have here in Florida, excessively cutting fronds will remove the palm's protection against the cold and harsh winds. Removing fronds above the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock horizontal line will take food away from the palm and force it to use stored food to try and recover. Even fronds that are starting to brown protect the tree and provide much-needed nutrients, so you should wait until a frond is completely brown and diseased before pruning. Overall, palm trees need much less pruning than people typically give them. Take them for the low-maintenance tree they are and prune responsibly!
Cutting Palm Fronds to Prepare for a Storm Can Be More Dangerous
Palm trees are often over pruned as storm preparation to reduce the risk of airborne fronds. However, cutting away at the fronds in this manner will remove the palm's protection against the cold and harsh winds. Repeated cuts like this can cause such extensive weakening in the palm that the top of the tree starts "pencil topping" – whittling down to a point like a sharpened pencil. At that stage, strong winds can break the thinning connection of the palm tree's trunk to the top, leading the top to snap off and become airborne, more dangerous than if you had left the palm tree alone.
Extreme cutting of palm trees before a storm is commonly referred to as a "hurricane cut."
Do Not Remove Fronds Above the 9 O'Clock and 3 O'Clock Line
If you imagine the top of the palm tree like a clock face, there's a very easy way to judge what fronds are most important to the tree and which could be dispensable. Fronds above the horizontal line made from 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock points are essential resource gatherers for the tree. Removing them will leave the tree lacking nutrients and needing extra to replace the lost fronds. Additionally, these fronds protect the bud of the tree, so removal will leave the bud exposed.
Fronds Starting to Turn Brown Still Provide Nutrients to the Tree
Pruning fronds that start to turn brown may seem like a no-brainer, but it's often not necessary. They protect the tree and still gather nutrients for the tree so long as they are still living. By cutting them off prematurely, you're cutting off a supply of nutrients and creating a wound that the plant will need extra resources to recover from and grow a new leaf to replace it, so it's a double whammy. The best course of action is to wait until a frond is completely brown and diseased before pruning, as that will cause the least amount of stress to the plant.
Ensure that your palms are pruned with care. Call us today to schedule!
At Tropical Gardens Landscape, we have been serving the people in and around Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, Florida since 2007, so you could safely call us palm tree experts. We speak their language! Don't risk the health of your palm trees with DIY pruning. They're safe in our hands because we'll prune with care. By striving for excellence in every facet of our business, from the services we perform to communication with our clients, we ensure you will see high-quality results and have an effortless experience along the way. To schedule our services, call us today at (941) 993-2442!
