Pruning Palms: Tips on Trimming a Palm Tree

When it comes to pruning palms and any other tree’s for that matter, it can be easy to get carried away and in doing so possibly cause more harm than good.

In this article, we explore myths like cutting tree branches to make them grow faster, what some of the setbacks for extensive pruning can be and when the best times are for pruning those palms back.

The humble Palm Tree otherwise known in botanical terms as an “Arecaceae” stemming from the same family which includes a variety of different types of palms like: perennial lianas, shrubs, trees and stemless plants.

These beautiful trees grow in abundance along the east coast of Australia, especially up in our lush fertile tropical Northern Rivers region. They can be a bit of a pain to maintain but are well worth being looked after.

“Since there are a few different varieties of palms around, some may drop their fronds (leaves) as soon as they die whilst others can hang on to them for a bit longer”.

Removing a dead or damaged frond from your palm can have multiple advantages including; improvement of the overall health of the tree, it prevents overgrowth and can make it look cleaner and tidier.

A dying palm frond will turn yellow before it finally dies.

A word of caution

Pruning your palms back, like any other plant must be undertaken carefully,  after-all we don’t just want a nice-looking palm, but a strong and healthy one as well. Some experts will advise against pruning all together, however the common sense approach is to keep pruning down to a minimum and to avoid cutting too much or too often.

When is the best time to prune a palm frond?

The most appropriate time to prune your palm is when you notice dead or dying fronds (leaves), this will help eliminate breakage and damage to the palm frond, you can tell a palm frond is dead or dying when it’s yellow or brown.

“A healthy palm frond has a green colour but starts turning yellow as it’s dying and then finally brown when it’s dead”.

By cutting away yellow dying fronds, you can help improve the overall health of your palm tree since it utilises less energy for growth on dying leaves and can focus more on the good palms.

What steps should I take?

  • Step 1: Grab any dead or hanging fronds with your hands, a dead frond will usually appear yellow or brown.
  • Step 2: Prune the dead stems by cutting one inch from the base of the stem (use sharp scissors or pruning shears).
  • Step 3: Maintain a weekly task of pruning the base of the tree by trimming away any new growth and by keeping a well-manicured palm tree.

What are some benefits of pruning palm fronds?

One of the biggest benefits to pruning back some fronds is maintaining good health for your palm tree, however some other side benefits include; to eliminate nesting places for pests like rats, wasp’s and other pests.

“There is also the element of danger where during high winds, a heavy palm can cause damage to personal property or even injure some one in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Large Branches can fall and cause damage to personal property or even harm to loved ones.

Need help with pruning back your palms?

In some cases, you may feel unsure as to how much is best to prune back? Maybe you want to prune for other reasons but aren’t certain about the task of getting up high enough to get some of those dead hanging fronds?

Golden Cane Palm Removals

You may even want to remove the whole palm tree? Golden Cane Palm removals are a popular type of palm in the northern rivers and one of the most frequent types of palm we remove.

Whatever the situation is in your garden, we’ve got you covered!

Our experts at Byron Bay Tree Services have all the proper safety gear, are fully insured to handle any job quick and efficiently with the most care for the health and look of your palm tree. Get in touch with us today on: (02) 6684 4421 or 0402 364 852