Getting a Trim

 

Trimmed Palm
Tequesta, FL
July 25, 2023

As I have written before, one of the things that I have learned from living in South Florida for the past year is that palm trees require a lot of maintenance. Much more maintenance than I had previously understood. Falling fronds and coconuts are a hazard to people and property.

Untrimmed Palm
Tequesta, FL
July 25 ,2023

In an effort to reduce the palm debris which occurs during wind storms, the palms must be trimmed regularly. 

The palms look scalped after they are trimmed, but they return to fullness within a year when they must be trimmed again. Hardwood trees generally do not require the same year-after-year care and only require trimming when their slower growing branches begin to interfere with power lines or sidewalks. 

My community had the palms trimmed last week and after the thunderstorms of the past few days, it was clearly obvious that there is far less debris on the ground. That is a good thing because palm fronds are not small and can do damage to cars and property when they fall. Palm trimming is an annual event here and I see the palms being trimmed all around the community generating a large amount of debris. But, at least the debris is being collected for recycling and not dealing during windstorms ad causing damage. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL