Just because someone has a lift truck and a saw does not make him a tree trimmer.
The best way to protect your palms against this kind of hatchet job is with a little knowledge of your own. When it comes to trimming palm trees, my basic rules are:
1. Only trim brown fronds
2. See rule #1.
The persons who trimmed the palms above have left them vulnerable to wind and extended period of cold moisture.
Be sure to ask questions and only hire someone who understands that less is more when it comes to trimming. Actually, only hire a certified arborist. A certified arborist who carries insurance. I mean, he or she is up in a tree with a chain saw! They should be trained and they should be protecting themselves. Speaking of protection, ask if they have chain-saw chaps. Chaps are a basic gear for professional arborist – and if you are a do-it-yourselfer using a chain-saw off the ground, you should invest 100 bucks and buy yourself a pair of chaps.
Your palm trimmers should also be protecting your palm trees from diseases that their other customers palms have. And that’s fairly easy. They need to disinfect their tools between palm tree – not just between customers, but between each palm tree.
Here are a few questions to ask someone before you hire them to trim your palms:
- Are you certified? May I see your certification?
- Do you carry insurance?
- How much do you plan to remove?
- How do you disinfect your saws?
- What palm diseases are you seeing out there?
- What safety equipment do you wear while you are working?
And to finish where we started, less is more when trimming palms. I happen to think these palms look better with a full “skirt”. Don’t you agree?
