Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

Hi there.
I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

Do not over prune. I used to live in Florida and was a certified landscape
maintenance supervisor and operator.

I have learned that I was over pruning. First you could just remove the
brown fronds. Second, leave some green ones to droop down.

See this picture by Dr. Shigo
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...lms/index.html

There should be some drooping.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.


"specialbeat" wrote in message
...

Hi there.
I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they
have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like
to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these
new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms
look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the
palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks




--
specialbeat

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

"specialbeat" wrote in message
...

Hi there.
I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they
have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like
to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these
new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms
look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the
palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks


The palms are flowering/fruiting. Should be no problem to let them do their
thing, or prune the flower stalks off.

Beware so called "tree biologist" that never studied biology.

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

Don Staples

What are you?


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Don Staples" wrote in message
...
"specialbeat" wrote in message
...

Hi there.
I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they
have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like
to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these
new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms
look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the
palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks


The palms are flowering/fruiting. Should be no problem to let them do
their thing, or prune the flower stalks off.

Beware so called "tree biologist" that never studied biology.

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

"symplastless" expounded:

Don Staples

What are you?

John, enough. The troll will leave if you stop feeding it.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they
have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like
to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these
new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms
look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the
palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks

First thing to do is ID the palms... are they feather palms or fan palms
(pinnate or palmate)? Indoors or outdoors?

For instance, Washingtonia filifera, native palm of S. California,
should have a "grass skirt" of old fronds:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=WAFI.

Starter help:
http://www.palmsociety.org/


Another thought: perhaps you've got a cycad instead of a palm:
http://www.cycad.org/Photo-Gallery.htm
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...ebomboensis_-_
Lebombo_cycad_-_desc-fruiting_stalk.jpg

These gymnosperms often look like a palm to non-botanists, but are
about as closely related to palms as apples are to pine trees.

When you figure out what you've got, we can better help.


Kay

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

symplastless said:

Don Staples

What are you?

Actually, he is correct, that's what he is. The palm is flowering. =)

(One would think that a "a certified landscape maintenance supervisor and
operator", in Florida, would know that.)

--

Eggs

If two wrongs don't make a right, try three.

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

True but I thought the over pruning issue was worthy to be mentioned. Thank
You.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Eggs Zachtly" wrote in message
...
symplastless said:

Don Staples

What are you?

Actually, he is correct, that's what he is. The palm is flowering. =)

(One would think that a "a certified landscape maintenance supervisor and
operator", in Florida, would know that.)

--

Eggs

If two wrongs don't make a right, try three.

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

Ann wrote:
"symplastless" expounded:

Don Staples

What are you?

John, enough. The troll will leave if you stop feeding it.

You mean a truthful, honest answer, rather than "the tree biologists"
hog wash is trolling?

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

symplastless said:

True but I thought the over pruning issue was worthy to be mentioned. Thank
You.

Yes, but in the post I replied to, you made no mention of any advice
pertaining to the OP. You merely asked Don 'what he was'.

--

Eggs

Can a storm be officially designated as a tornado without touching down at
a trailer park?

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

News flash.

Some palms live for twenty or more years before the produce fruit.
Source Shigo DVD


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"specialbeat" wrote in message
...

Hi there.
I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they
have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like
to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these
new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms
look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the
palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks




--
specialbeat

Mature palm care - Which bits to prune / lop
 

I would leave the fruit if it took 25 years for the tree to form it.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"specialbeat" wrote in message
...

Hi there.
I have a couple of Palm trees of unknown variety, and this year they
have sprouted extra kind of branches at the tops with what looks like
to be hundreds of berries. My question is this, do I need to lop these
new-ish branches off as they are starting to sag and making the palms
look untidy? I have already cut the dead leaves from the bottom of the
palms. Any help would be greatfully recieved. Many Thanks




--
specialbeat