Hurricane Cut, Carrot topping, Pencil necking, Pineapple top… These are all common terms when palm trees are over-pruned. This is NOT a good method of pruning for two basic reasons:
- Lower palm fronds store important nutrients, such as potassium.
- A thicker “neck” or “base” of a palm tree is more protected from high winds.
Remove only the dead or yellow palm fronds to keep palms thriving. Once exception would be if the palm fronds were touching the house. This provides a bridge for insects/rodents, and pruning would be necessary.
