How to Trim a Palm Tree
Ever have a young palm tree? Looks more like a spiky bush that could cause you a world of hurting if you ran in to it. How can you get your palm tree to look like the tree it was destined to be? The answer: proper trimming. Proper trimming will compel your tree to abandon it's youth and start it's upward climb. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tree pruners
- Gardening gloves
- Thick coat or jacket
- Safety goggles (optional, but a good idea)
Instructions
-
-
1
Make sure you are properly dressed in the gloves and thick jacket. This is to protect you from the spikes on the palm tree. When you are close to the tree, the spikes will appear to be coming at you from every direction, are very sharp and can be very painful. The best way to avoid them is to dress for the occasion.
-
2
Before you come close the tree, take a good look and determine which branches need to be removed. You want to remove all of the branches that are touching the ground or within three or four inches of reaching the ground. Those branches are acting as "suckers." If you remove them, the palm tree will grow primarily from the top and the place those branches were will become part of the trunk.
-
-
3
Approach your palm tree with caution. Snip the branches you've marked for removal as close to the base of the tree as possible. You will need two hands on the pruner to do this; the branches are very thick and it will take a little bit of effort to cut all the way through them.
-
4
Step back and look at your handiwork. Is the tree evenly cut at the bottom? If not, figure out which branches still need to be cut and repeat Step 3. As soon as you are done, remove the branches to a safe place where you do not need to worry about someone walking in to them or stepping on them. Even though they are no longer attached to the tree, they are still very sharp.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Your young palm tree should be trimmed of it's lower branches every four or five months. Older trees that have reached some height can probably be done once a year when you notice the lower branches turning yellow and dying. The better you keep your palm tree trimmed, the faster it will grow.
Don't expect to see a gigantic difference in the size or height of your palm tree overnight. They grow very slowly and even with the best of care, it is going to take a while to see the results of your handiwork.
