The Seven Deadly Palm Pruning Sins

Keep your palm trees healthy and avoid these deadly pruning sins at all cost!

Sin 1: Over-pruning

Admit it, there are times when you go all Edward Scissorhands while pruning your palm tree and can't resist chopping away those fronds. But we all know that anything that's done excessively, and when it comes to your palm trees, over-pruning could spell a disaster.

Palm trees have two main food sources: the root ball at the base, and their fronds. Removing green, healthy fronds will starve your trees because this is where they manufacture their food through photosynthesis. Fewer fronds mean your tree cannot produce enough energy to grow and thrive, leading to stunted growth and an unhealthy tree.

Over-pruning also makes your palm trees susceptible to the attacks of the Two Horsemen of Tree Apocalypse: Pest and Disease. It's hard for us humans to recover from an illness, whether a simple cold or some life-threatening disease, what more to a starved, malnourished tree that cannot speak or complain when they fall ill?

Pests and diseases can easily fester in your palm tree when they're weak. Worse, it can spread to the other plants, shrubs, and trees in your garden.

So, how can you avoid cardinal sin #1? It's simple: you shall not remove 25% of your palm tree's fronds at once. 

I can almost hear the devil's voice whispering in your ear, "But you want your palm trees to look neat and tidy, right?" 

Mate, over-pruning your palm tree doesn't make it look neat and tidy; it makes them look sad and sickly. Trust us when we say that it's better to have a healthy palm tree with a few fronds out of place here and there than a sickly-looking one with that infamous "hurricane cut".

Sin 2: Improper timing

There's a right time for everything and that includes pruning your palm trees.

Most palm trees go into "hibernation mode" during cold winter months. During this period, their growth rate slows down. But here's where it gets tricky: not all palm trees follow the same growth patterns, cycles, and requirements.

AND THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T TRUST THE INTERNET WHEN IT COMES TO CARING FOR YOUR PALM TREES! You will see articles and videos from the "so-called experts" telling you to prune your palm trees in a particular season; some will tell you to prune your palm during summer while some will tell you to do the deed during winter. 

Here's how you can avoid cardinal sin #2: get to know your palm trees. Do your research! It's like when you have this huge crush on someone, you'll do everything to get to know them more. Do your part and find out more about the species that you have and learn about their care and growing requirements.

Too lazy to do your homework? Consult your local arborist and pick their brains about the species of palm trees that you have. They're like the "walking encyclopedia" for all things tree care, maintenance, and management.

Sin 3: Poor sanitation practices

Time for some real talk. We don't like dealing with the aftermath and this usually applies to cleaning up. We enjoy throwing a party but hate having to clean up the mess and wash a huge pile of dirty dishes. We love to drink until we're drunk as a skunk but don’t want to deal with yet another "worst hangover of the century". We get scissor-happy when it comes to pruning but when we see heaps of dried leaves, palm fruits, and other debris scattered around the garden, most of us will put off the whole cleanup process for later thinking we deserve that much-needed rest.

But unlike a hangover where you can simply pop an aspirin and sleep it off the whole day to make it go away or leave the dirty dishes for tomorrow (guilty as charged here!), leaving those dead fronds and overripe palm fruit scattered around your yard can have dire consequences to your palm trees because they will practically attract vermins and pests. 

Don't be guilty of deadly sin #3 and bring upon to your yard a plague that will surely decimate not just your palm trees but the other plants as well. You've probably read this sign in random places but...

CLEAN AS YOU GO!

Get rid of those dead fronds that might be carrying pests or some sort of fungus, and overripe palm fruits as soon as you're done. One of the main goals of pruning is to prevent the spread of disease and cleaning up your mess right after pruning your palm sure does help it.

Sin 4: Using Dull or Dirty Tools

The fourth deadly palm pruning sin is the evil twin sister of the third one.

Before we descend further into palm tree care hell, let me ask you this: how would you feel if your doctor use an old, rusty scalpel or a used syringe on you? Or if your mate lends you his old toothbrush for you to use when you go to his house for a sleepover? 

Eeew, gross!

If your palm trees could talk, they would have the same reaction when you use dull and dirty pruning shears when you prune them. But trees don't talk so they show their disgust by getting all sorts of diseases.

When you prune your palms, your tree gets these "cuts" that need to heal over time. Using rusty tools can make them vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infections and can also lead to the growth of weak branches.

Avoid cardinal sin #4 by keeping your pruning tools clean and well-maintained before AND after each use. Sharpen them regularly, and keep them in a dry place like a toolbox to prevent rust and corrosion.

Sin 5: Topping

Topping is probably the meanest thing one can do to a palm tree or any tree for that matter. Simply put, you're chopping your trees indiscriminately, removing all the fronds and leaflets. Some may reason that topping is necessary to prevent those palm trees from getting too tall. But some palm tree species are meant to grow REALLY tall.

Topping is worse than over-pruning. At least with over-pruning, your palm tree gets to keep some of its green fronds to make its food albeit not enough. With topping, you practically turn a healthy, thriving tree into the undead. Some may survive the ordeal but they will end up extremely weak, unhealthy, and having dense, bushy, and unattractive crowns. Most will probably just die due to stress and decay.

Don't top your palm trees, please. Just DON'T.

Stop this from happening by picking the right palm tree species that are right for your yard. If you don't want a tree that's too tall, pick a smaller species like the Areca Palm which you can also grow indoors in a pot.

Sin 6: Over-fertilization

As with everything else in this life, too much of everything is bad. Just like over-pruning, over-fertilizing doesn't do your palm trees good. 

Remember these four words when fertilizing your palm trees: As Above, So Below.

Excessive fertilization can cause leaf burns and damage the fronds of your palm tree. It can also cause root burn leading to root rot and fungal infection. 

We know that you have your palm tree's best interest at heart but overdoing its care and maintenance is just not right and has dreadful consequences, and your trees are the ones suffering from it.

So, how much is too much? It's best to consult your tree angels AKA your local arborist when it comes to caring for your palm trees. They will give you sound advice that is backed by years of experience and expertise. Learn from the REAL experts and you'll never go wrong.

Sin 7: DIY palm pruning

DIYing is the mother of all the cardinal palm pruning sins, and the worst one can ever commit. 

Why?

Not only will you harm your tree but you will also put yourself in grave danger. When it comes to palm pruning, DIYing becomes an anagram for "I DYing".

We're not trying to scare you off because the risk is real.     

Tree work is dangerous and there are numerous hazards involved. Even experienced arborists and tree trimmers can get hurt and even die while on the job. Just read the news. Incidents of tree workers getting hurt and killed while working on a palm tree happen all over the world.

If it happens to skilled and experienced tradies, what more when you're clueless about it and is just relying on that tutorial you found on YouTube?

DIYing becomes even more dangerous because you don't have the proper tools, safety gear, and most importantly, the skills and knowledge.

Save your own skin and avoid the worst palm pruning sin of all: let your chainsaw go and let your local arborist do the job for you.

Final Word

So there you have it, the seven deadly palm pruning sins. Avoid them at all cost by asking for the help of your local arborists. It all starts with a free consultation so you get to ask whatever you want with regard to your palm tree's care and maintenance. 

For more information about palm tree care and maintenance, call Arborist Sunshine Coast at 07 5451 8756 for a free, no-obligation consultation and assessment of your trees. Our tree angels are standing by and ready to assist you.