Palm Trimming in Ormond Beach

What palm trimming includes

• Dead and hanging fronds cut cleanly at the trunk.
• Seed pods and flower stalks, which drop messy fruit and attract pests.
• Coconuts on coconut palms, before they fall on people, cars or the pool cage.
• Old frond bases (boots) on palms like sabal palms, if you want a cleaner trunk. Boots should only come off when they pull away easily.

Why "hurricane cuts" hurt palms

Stripping a palm down to a few upright fronds is often sold as storm protection. It isn't. The green fronds feed the palm, and over-trimmed palms grow thinner trunks and are more likely to snap in a storm. University of Florida guidance is to leave every green frond that grows above horizontal, the "9 to 3 o'clock" rule.

Yellowing or orange fronds are often a sign of a nutrient shortage. Cutting them off pulls nutrients from the rest of the palm, so ask about fertilizing instead.

Palms common in Ormond Beach yards

• Sabal (cabbage) palms, Florida's state tree, often with boots left on the trunk
• Queen palms, which drop heavy fruit clusters and need regular cleanup
• Washingtonia palms, tall and hard to reach without a bucket truck
• Coconut palms near the beach, which need coconuts removed

What palm trimming costs

Palm trimming is usually priced per palm, based on height, type and how easy it is to reach. Tall Washingtonias and palms over a pool cage cost more than short palms in an open yard. Ask whether the price includes hauling the fronds away.

Ask how the crew climbs

Climbing spikes punch holes in a palm's trunk that never heal. A good company uses a bucket truck, ladder or climbing gear without spikes on palms that are staying.