Tips From Our Tree Trimming Professionals.

In Jacksonville Beach, we have a lot of palms, so it is good to know the best ways to maintain them. The best time to trim sabal palmettos aka, cabbage palms is in mid-July, after they have fully sprouted their berries. Once a year, Sable palms sprout multiple branches, or panicles that contain their seeds. It is best to prune the palm once a year, right after the berries have sprouted; at that time the old or dead fronds can also be trimmed and it is usually customary to remove a few layers of old boots as well. Trimming sabal palms properly and at the right time of year will reduce landscape maintenance costs and at the same time the palm will be more healthy and beautiful.

The palm in the picture above shows an example of a perfectly mis-timed trim job. The palm appears to have been trimmed in early summer, just prior to the berry pods sprouting. The result is the tree needs to be trimmed again, otherwise the berries will drop to the ground, make a big mess and create little, unwanted baby sproutlings. The branch with all the berries will soon die, turn brown and remain as an eye sore in the tree for a year or longer. It is ideal to wait until the berry branches have fully sprouted and then trim the palm. By trimming the palm at the right time of year, unnecessary and costly re-dos can be avoided.