- 1). Walk around the date palm and inspect the extent and health of the fronds in the rounded canopy. Fronds worthy of pruning away include all brown, clinging dead ones, and any damaged, broken or overly yellow one in the lower reaches of the canopy. Over-pruning palms does not lead to reduced need for pruning later on, say Edward Gilman and Nathan Eisner of the University of Florida. Do not remove healthy green, food-producing fronds from the plant.
- 2). Move a sturdy A-frame ladder to the base of the Canary Island date palm to help better access and safely reach the base of the fronds. If the ladder doesn't allow adequate access to the fronds, consider contacting a licensed and bonded landscaping or arborist company to do the pruning. Alternatively, an extension pole with pruning saw attachment might provide enough reach to prune the palm.
- 3). Wear protective safety equipment, since the lower reaches of each date palm fronds are lined with vicious, narrow and firm spines. Thick leather gloves, eye goggles and a hard-hat reduce the chance you'll get poked by the 6-inch long spines.
- 4). Grasp the frond with your non-cutting hand. Place the pruning saw onto the base of the frond where it will be cut. Keep the frond steady and upright while sawing across the frond stem base about 4 to 6 inches from its attachment to the trunk. As the frond severs, keep the frond upright to prevent the stem from tearing. Holding onto the frond with your spare hand also helps guide exactly where the cut frond drops to the ground.
- 5). Repeat the cutting of dead, damaged or yellowed fronds around the palm canopy. Move the ladder as needed to allow easy and safe access. Avoid to pruning away healthy fronds, as this stresses the plant and potentially slows its growth. Consider pruning away only fronds that dangled in the canopy, not those growing horizontally or upward.
- 6). Douse the pruning saw with rubbing alcohol to sterilize the cutting blades when the pruning is complete. Sterilize the saw between pruning other palms to prevent the spread of disease or insect pathogen among palms or trees across the landscape.
next post