Palm tree trimming
Palm Tree Trimming in Santa Monica, CA
Need palm trees trimmed in Santa Monica? Call 310-455-8250 and we will connect you with a licensed, insured tree service to clear dead fronds, seed stalks and old frond bases safely, whether the palm is ten feet tall or towers over the roofline. Palms are part of what makes Santa Monica look like Santa Monica, and they need different care from other trees. Done well, trimming keeps them tidy and safe. Done badly, it can weaken the palm or spread disease from one tree to the next.
What we arrange
Every Tree Service Santa Monica Needs
Santa Monica's Palms
Palms line some of the most familiar views in the city. The rows along Palisades Park on Ocean Avenue are made up mainly of Mexican fan palms and Canary Island date palms, and these are the two palms most homeowners ask about.
- Mexican fan palms grow tall and slender, so the work is mostly at height: dead fronds, flower stalks and old frond bases.
- Canary Island date palms are shorter and heavier, with a thick crown. In California they are vulnerable to Fusarium wilt, a disease that spreads on dirty tools.
What Palm Trimming Includes
- Dead and hanging fronds: brown fronds that have dropped below the crown and can come down in wind.
- Flower and seed stalks: they create mess on patios, cars and pools.
- Old frond bases (skinning): the stubs left on the trunk, removed for a cleaner look where it is safe to do so.
- Clearance: fronds pressing on roofs, gutters, walls or fences.
Tell us how many palms you have, roughly how tall they are and what species they are when you call, so the quote covers the right job.
Don't Over-Prune Your Palms
More is not better with palms. The University of California's pest management guidance recommends keeping pruning and other wounding to a minimum. Cutting away healthy green fronds to leave a narrow “pineapple” top, or peeling the trunk too deeply, opens the palm to disease: pathogens can enter through cut leaf stalks and through severely pruned or skinned trunks. UC also notes that palms frequently pruned with a chain saw are the most susceptible to a trunk rot called sudden crown drop.
The safest trim removes what is dead or spent and leaves the healthy green crown in place.
Canary Island Date Palms and Fusarium Wilt
Fusarium wilt is a serious, usually fatal disease of the Canary Island date palm. According to UC IPM, in landscapes it nearly always spreads on pruning tools, especially chain saws. Some of the Canary Island date palms in Palisades Park have been lost to a fungal disease, and the city replanted with resistant palm species. UC's guidance for anyone trimming these palms:
- Use straight-edge manual saws rather than chain saws, and avoid climbing spikes.
- Clean and disinfect blades before work on each palm: 10 minutes in a 1:3 pine-oil-to-water solution or a 1:1 solution of household bleach, or heat the blade with a butane torch for at least 10 seconds per side.
- Don't chip infected material for mulch, and don't replant a Canary Island date palm where one died of Fusarium wilt.
If you have Canary Island date palms, ask about tool cleaning before work starts.
Tall Palms, Tight Lots and Power Lines
Tall fan palms often sit close to houses, garages and neighbors' yards, so access and where the fronds can land matter as much as height. If a palm is near power lines, the utility company may need to be involved, so mention any lines when you call.
Street and parkway palms belong to the city. Santa Monica's Tree Code (Chapter 7.40) requires a public works permit to prune a public tree, and the work must be done by a licensed tree trimmer. For street trees, use the city's 311 system.
What Does Palm Tree Trimming Cost?
It depends on how tall the palm is, how many there are, the species, access, and whether skinning is included. A single short palm in an open yard is a very different job from a row of tall fan palms over a roofline. The estimate is free and there is no obligation, so call 310-455-8250 and you will know where you stand.
Related services
Other Tree Care in Santa Monica
For the other trees on your property, see tree trimming and pruning. If a palm is dead, diseased or in the wrong place, tree removal covers it, and if a palm or its fronds have come down in a storm, call about emergency tree service.
Sources: City of Santa Monica, Palisades Park Improvements and Santa Monica Urban Forest; UC IPM, Palm Diseases in the Landscape.
Questions
Frequently Asked
How often should palm trees be trimmed?
There is no fixed schedule. UC guidance is to keep pruning to a minimum, so the usual job is removing dead or hanging fronds and seed stalks as they build up, not cutting healthy green fronds.
What is palm skinning?
Skinning removes the old frond bases left on the trunk for a cleaner look. UC notes that severely skinned trunks can let disease in, so it should be done with care.
Can you trim the palms on the parkway in front of my house?
Not without the city. Parkway palms are public trees: Santa Monica's Tree Code requires a permit to prune them, and the work must be done by a licensed tree trimmer. Use the city's 311 system.
Why do tools need cleaning between palms?
Fusarium wilt of the Canary Island date palm spreads mainly on pruning tools, especially chain saws. UC recommends disinfecting blades before work on each palm.
How much does palm tree trimming cost in Santa Monica?
It depends on height, the number of palms, species, access and whether skinning is included. The estimate is free and there is no obligation.
Call today to have your palms trimmed safely and see why homeowners across Santa Monica call us first for tree care.
Get Your Free Tree Service Estimate
No obligation, no pressure. One call and you will know where you stand.