Palm Tree Removal & Trimming in Escondido, CA

Palm tree removal and trimming is its own trade in Escondido, because palms do not behave like other trees. A Mexican fan palm can grow past 100 feet, its trunk does not branch, and the only living part is the crown at the top. Dead fronds do not fall off on their own; they fold down against the trunk into a thick skirt that holds dry fuel, rats and nesting birds. Taking down a tall palm means working from the top down on a trunk with no limbs to tie into, and the heavy crown has to be cut free and lowered without swinging into the house.

Skirts and fire safety

A palm skirt is one of the most flammable things in a yard. The Escondido Fire Department's property review checklist calls for removing all dead palm fronds and skirts within defensible space, and keeping tree canopies at least 10 feet from roofs and chimneys. During Santa Ana winds, burning fronds can carry a long way. Clearing the skirt, and sometimes skinning the old frond bases off the trunk for a clean look, is one of the most common palm jobs we see around Escondido.

Trimming without overdoing it

The usual mistake with palms is cutting off too many green fronds, leaving a narrow tuft at the top. Green fronds feed the palm; removing them weakens it and can thin the trunk below the crown. A good trim takes off dead and badly damaged fronds, flower and fruit stalks, and the skirt, and leaves the healthy green crown. Climbing spikes also wound a palm trunk permanently, so where we can, palms that are staying are trimmed from a lift or with methods that avoid spiking.

The South American palm weevil

Canary Island date palms are the preferred host of the South American palm weevil, which has been killing palms in southern San Diego County since it was first trapped in San Ysidro in 2011. An infested palm's crown tilts or collapses, and its fronds dry into a flat brown umbrella shape. UC Riverside's guidance is to chip the infested fronds and the top of the palm, which kills every life stage, and to cover any load being hauled with a tarp. The trunk usually does not need to come out with it, since infestation is usually limited to the top quarter of the palm. If your date palm looks like that, call before it drops its crown.