There is really no mystery involved in properly pruning palms. I still see these majestic plants being over-pruned (“hurricane-cut”) and predisposed to decline due to removing excessive good, functioning fronds. While homeowners may be looking for a certain look, palms are living things that are not so easily molded for added convenience or abstract neatness. Palms are key points of interest in our landscapes, are valuable, and take effort and money to replace. Proper pruning will ensure a healthy palm in place for a good long time.
As time marches on, palms are always replacing old fronds with new ones. In fact, a regular turnover of fronds is very normal and healthy. Palms actually maintain a regular number of functioning fronds at any given time. An excess number of yellow or discolored fronds may indicate a nutrient deficiency and should not trigger a reason to prune. Interestingly enough, palms will actually move nutrients from older leaves to newer leaves as those leaves age out. All of this information leads to the fact that palms need to retain as many of their good, functional leaves as possible. These leaves are the "solar panels" of the palm - food making/food storage devises needed to keep the plant alive. Premature and excessive removal of good fronds weakens these plants which may predispose them to secondary problems.
Over-pruning can be detrimental to a palm. A palm subjected to repeated "hurricane-cuts" develops a narrow trunk just below the fronds. Observations have also been documented that “hurricane-cut" palms were more likely to snap in a hurricane than those unpruned. If by chance you must remove some green fronds, it is permissible to remove those that are growing below the horizontal plane (think 9:00 and 3:00 on a clock). Stop at the horizontal line – nothing more above this demarcation. New fronds take time to emerge and thus should be protected and preserved. Annually, the Canary Island date palm will produce around fifty new leaves - the Sabal palm will produce only about fourteen.
What are some acceptable reasons for pruning a palm? Removing dead (or dying) fronds makes the palm look better and improves the overall appearance of the landscape. Dead fronds which are loosely attached to the palm may fall and injure people or damage property. Removing flower/fruit clusters is also fine. This debris can be messy and also potentially hazardous. This removal also reduces the number of weedy palm seedlings (Queen palms for example) that could sprout up around the base.
Keep in mind that some diseases can be introduced by dirty pruning tools. Please make sure that all pruning equipment is soaked in a disinfectant solution for at least five minutes between palms. Make a clean, close cut with a pruning saw, but do not wound the trunk. Do not pull leaves off and never use climbing spikes – holes in a palm trunk never heal.
This may be new information for some people, but it is essential knowledge. The bottom line is that the "hurricane cut" is not good and should be avoided. Palms are sensitive plants that often cannot tolerate excessive removal of their food-making/food storage organs - their fronds. Extreme cuts to reduce future pruning needs are harmful. The resulting damage of over-pruning is unattractive and can open up palms to future damage that may overwhelm the plant and cause it to die. Your goal - remove only dead, brown fronds and/or green fronds below the horizontal plane if necessary.For more information on all types of palm culture information, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.
Resource:
Broschat, T. K. (2014) Pruning Palms. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.
No comments:
Post a Comment