How to Trim Coconut Trees
Coconut trees are striking palm trees that are found in the most tropical places in the world. Most times, palm trees will naturally shed their fronds, with some species taking longer than others. For aesthetic reasons, you might be inclined to trim the fronds off sooner than they would naturally fall off. Depending on the size of the tree, this could be very easy or very challenging -- more challenging as the tree gets taller. When you trim coconut trees, you must also make sure not to trim too many fronds off at once. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Clear the area around your coconut tree. Move all valuable objects and ensure people don't go under the tree while it is being trimmed.
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Set up your ladder under the tree. You might need an extension ladder to get up high enough to reach the fronds.
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3
Use your loppers and cut off the dead fronds one by one. Fronds may be cut off if they are yellow or brown. These fronds are of no use to the coconut palm any longer.
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Remove the lower green fronds if necessary for aesthetic reasons. Don't remove any green fronds higher than an imaginary line that is parallel with the ground. Imagine the crown of your palm tree looks like a clock. Don't remove any fronds that are above the 9 and the 3 on the clock.
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Remove loose petioles and boots from the palm. A petiole is the stem that connects the leaf to the palm. Old petioles that cover the trunk of palms are called boots. This is what gives some palm trunks a thatched appearance. Over time, these old petioles and boots come loose and can be removed by simply pulling them off. This will help give the coconut tree a cleaner look and make it more attractive.
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Continue to maintain a regular pruning regimen to make successive prunings easier. It's easier to prune a few fronds off at a time compared to having to do 10 or 15.
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Tips & Warnings
For really tall coconut trees, you might need to use a cherry picker and/or a pole saw to reach the fronds. It might be easier to call a tree-trimming company when the trees are that tall.
If you don't want the the palm to reproduce by producing seeds, cut off the flower stalks when pruning the fronds. This will allow the coconut tree to grow faster and healthier.
If valuable objects are left below the coconut tree, they will be damaged when the fronds fall as you cut them. Never let any person stand below the palm as he could also be seriously injured by the falling fronds.
References
Resources
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