The Benefits of Palm Tree Skinning

Palms require little maintenance throughout their lifespan, but skinning is one task that should be conducted each year. It enhances the aesthetic and protects the tree’s health by eliminating rodents and pests using dead fronds as roosts.

Begin at the bottom of the tree and work your way up, avoiding the youngest fronds. Here are some reasons to consider hiring a professional for this important job. For more information just visit this Website.

Palm trees are beautiful additions to any landscape but must be trimmed regularly to keep them looking their best. If fronds die, they can cause the tree to look sparse and unhealthy. Leaving dead fronds on the tree can also create a fire hazard, attract pests, and create an eyesore in your yard. Palm tree skinning, or shaving, removes these dead fronds from the palm tree’s trunk. The result is a cleaner, more attractive tree that looks newer and more tropical.

Before you begin pruning, ensure the climbing equipment you use to reach the fronds is safe and secure. Ladders, step stools, and cherry pickers are all appropriate tools for trimming palms, but use something other than spiked climbing equipment, as this could damage the palm’s trunk. This will weaken it and leave it vulnerable to insects and diseases. It’s also a good idea to lay a tarp on the ground to make cleanup easier and protect any flowers or other plants near the palm tree from debris.

Start at the bottom of the foliage and remove only dead, dying, or broken fronds. If necessary, you can trim more fronds later, but be careful not to prune too much. You want the tree to produce only a few green fronds, as these will absorb energy that would otherwise be used for growth.

Pulling off the petioles they’re attached to when removing fronds is important. These small blades grow from the base of each frond, and it’s easy to mistake them for fronds. Once you’ve removed the fronds, it’s a good idea to discard the flowers, fruits, and prickly petioles. Be sure to use a trash can that’s dedicated to organic waste.

Another benefit of palm tree skinning is that it can reduce the number of insects and rodents attracted to the tree. This is because the fronds and jagged palm trunk provide a place for pests to hide. By getting rid of these, you’ll enjoy your yard without worrying about pests.

Palm trees have become iconic to Los Angeles landscapes but must be cared for to remain healthy and attractive. Dead fronds provide the perfect habitat for pests and rodents, which can damage palms and cause them to die. Skinning your palm trees helps reduce the number of unwanted guests on your property.

During the cold months, it is particularly important to prevent root damage with the help of a layer of mulch. A layer of organic mulch provides an insulating barrier and regulates soil temperature, protecting roots from the cold and fluctuation in moisture levels. A mulch layer also helps keep weeds away from the tree’s base, preventing excessive water absorption, which may result in root rot.

A layer of mulch also protects palms from soil-borne pathogens such as false smut, which attacks the roots of various palm species. This condition can be prevented by improving drainage, avoiding over-watering, and applying fungicides to the soil. It can also be treated by removing infected fronds and fruit.

Another problem that can affect palms is fusarium wilt, which is caused by phytoplasma and is transmitted by leafhoppers. Symptoms of this disease include yellow and wilted fronds. It can be prevented by avoiding pruning practices that create wounds and avoiding removing or mulching the old leaf bases, allowing the pathogen to enter the crowns and trunks of the palm.

The invasive palmetto weevil is also a serious concern for LA homeowners and can kill palms quickly. The weevil is strong and can fly long distances to find new hosts. Once the weevil gets into the root system of a palm, there is no cure.

Many common gardening tools, including shovels, spades, rakes, and hoes, can transmit the weevil. To avoid spreading the weevil, it is recommended that all pruning and palm tree removal tools be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before use. This can be done by soaking them for 10 minutes in a solution of 1:3 pine oil to water, 1:1 household bleach and water, or a butane torch.

Palm trees have a distinctive look that can add great curb appeal to a property. Unfortunately, like any tree, they can lose their attractiveness without routine care. Unlike deciduous trees, which return to their normal appearance in spring, or evergreens such as pine and cypress, palm trees constantly grow and change daily. Without regular trimming and skinning, the old fronds become unsightly, fire hazards, and pose a risk of accidents to pedestrians and vehicles.

Aside from making the tree unattractive, the dead fronds can absorb nutrients that living fronds could otherwise use. This can inhibit growth and make the remaining fronds weaker. Keeping the trees clean helps reduce the number of pests and prevents disease onset.

As a general rule, all palms should be skinned once each year. This is especially important if they are near homes and businesses, where the tree fronds may fall on the buildings or cars in strong winds.

Using a sharp knife when cutting the fronds and petioles is important, as they tend to have needle-like protrusions that can prick those handling them. After pruning, the cut fronds and petioles should be placed in organic waste trash bins. Please do not dispose of them in the regular garbage, as they can attract pests that damage the tree or cause harm.

Skinning a palm tree is not easy and should only be done by a professional with the right equipment. A ladder is needed to reach the higher sections of the tree where the fronds hide, and falling from these heights can be dangerous. This is one of the main reasons many homeowners hire a professional to perform this task.

Palm trees are one of the most popular types of plants that can be found on residential properties across the country. Like many other types of trees that grow on private property, palms need regular maintenance to ensure their health. One of the most important tasks that a home or business owner can perform to ensure the proper health of their palm is to have it skinned each year.

The main reason for homeowners to have their palms skinned is because it can help protect the tree from harmful pests. Rodents and numerous species of bugs will often use the dead fronds as a spot to rest, which can lead to an infestation that is difficult to get rid of once it begins. Skinning your palms regularly can drastically reduce unwanted pests on or around your home or office.

Aside from protecting against pests, another benefit of skinning your palms is that it can increase their overall health. By removing the dead fronds, you can prevent them from stealing nutrients from the living parts of the tree. This can dramatically affect the overall health of your palm and make it much more resistant to disease or other issues that can affect its lifespan.

When it comes to palm tree skinning, the most important thing to remember is that you should always leave this job to a professional with experience with performing this type of service. This is because it involves climbing the palm tree and using sharp tools. If you attempt to perform this task on your own, it is very easy to injure yourself or cause damage to the tree. Moreover, you may also develop open wounds on the trunk that can be infected. This can significantly reduce the overall health of the tree and will hinder its ability to transfer nutrients from the roots to the fronds.

The good news is that the team at your local tree service company can easily and safely conduct all of the required services to maintain the optimal health of your palms. In addition to the standard trimming and removal of dead fronds, they can also perform skinning services, which remove the rough webbing that years of trimming have left on your palms.

The Basics of Tree Care

Keeping trees healthy is essential to their survival. This means recognizing wind patterns and planting them where they will be sheltered.

Tree Services

Professional tree services also know how to handle equipment like wood chippers and chainsaws, have liability insurance, and follow standard safety practices. This reassures clients that you’re qualified to do the work they need to be done.

Pruning is the process of removing dead, diseased or damaged branches and shrubs as well as thinning out plants to improve their overall health and structure. It is a key part of tree care that can also help promote better air circulation, reduce moisture levels, discourage pest infestations and enhance beauty in the landscape.

Proper pruning can help prevent damage to your home or property by reducing the risk of falling limbs during stormy weather. It can also remove limbs that are growing too close to power lines or structures, as well as encourage fruit production in trees and shrubs.

Formative pruning is performed on young trees and shrubs to train their growth and shape them. It is important to perform this type of pruning as it can minimize the amount of time and labor needed to maintain a plant in the future.

Removing lateral branches that are competing with the leader helps strengthen it and make it less vulnerable to breakage. It can also be used to correct the growth habit of a tree that has reverted back to a multiple-leader spreading form from its original single-leader growth habit.

Thin out cuts are a more drastic type of pruning that removes a significant portion of a branch from its point of origin. This is commonly used on shrubs like roses to encourage branching and vigor, as well as on shade trees to increase light penetration to the lower canopy.

Summer blooming shrubs should be pruned in late winter or spring before they start producing new growth. This includes azalea, rhododendron, forsythia and lilacs. Hydrangeas, including H. macrophylla and H. serrata, can be pruned right after they bloom as they set their flower buds the year prior to pruning.

Mulching

When mulching is done properly, it keeps soil moist, cool and adds organic matter. It also suppresses weed growth and promotes a healthy environment for the roots of young trees. It is an important practice for all species of trees but is especially critical for urban and suburban landscapes.

The best types of mulch are those that come from organic material and decompose over time. These include wood chips, pine needles, shredded bark, cocoa hulls and leaves, compost and even sphagnum peat moss. Organic mulches improve the soil structure and fertility by adding organic matter while the process of decay releases nutrients to the growing plant.

However, be careful not to put mulch up too close to the trunk of a tree. This can lead to trunk girdling and damp conditions that are ideal for fungal diseases such as fungi and bacteria. Inner bark tissue, which carries photosynthates from leaves to the rest of the tree is killed by wet conditions. This prevents phloem from transporting sugars to roots and starving the tree of essential carbohydrates.

Non-biodegradable materials such as lava rock, gravel and crushed shells do not boost soil structure or fertility and are not recommended for use under trees or shrubs. These types of mulches may be a good choice for pathways and driveways but are not effective as a soil enhancement under trees and can contribute to compaction problems. Plastic sheet “mulches” should never be used because they suffocate the root zone by blocking oxygen from entering.

Insect Control

Insects can damage trees and shrubs by feeding or spreading diseases. Proper plant care reduces the chance of insect infestations, but fungus and pests can still invade healthy plants. In addition to mulching, pruning and watering, insect control is another important part of tree health care.

Correctly identifying insects is essential to successful pest control. Insect damage to leaves and branches can be easy to miss, but there are many symptoms that indicate an infestation. Piercing sucking insects leave ragged holes in leaves, sap-sucking insects cause discolored or distorted leaves, and chewing insects can defoliate trees. Wood-boring insects can also weaken and kill trees by boring into the inside of the trunk or branches.

Spraying is the most common method of applying insecticides, fungicides and nutrients to trees and shrubs. However, spraying is wasteful because much of the chemical drifts into nearby plants or runs off the surface. In addition, a spray may not reach the interior of the tree where it is needed.

A better option for controlling insects is a systemic insecticide like 12 Month Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed. Unlike sprays, these products are delivered to the roots and internal parts of the tree, so they are more effective. Additionally, they work over a wider treatment window than sprays because the application takes place when insects are most active and laying eggs. This bottom-up approach is also safer than spraying because it doesn’t release chemicals into the air. This type of insecticide is particularly helpful when protecting against high-value ash trees, which will require systemic protection in 2021 as they have no immunity to the deadly Emerald Ash Borer.

Disease Control

Trees and shrubs require care to keep them healthy and disease-free. A disease problem can develop due to biotic pathogens (fungi, bacteria and viruses) or abiotic factors that damage trees and shrubs.

Many diseases are opportunistic and strike when trees or plants become stressed by environmental conditions or insect pests. Fungi like rusts and mildews often appear on fruit trees and ornamentals after heavy rain or drought, while insect pests leave openings for pathogens to invade.

Diseases can cause a wide variety of symptoms, from mild to severe and disfiguring to fatal. Funguses and viral infections can lead to wilting leaves, shriveled bark or needles, and discolored or misshapen branches. Bacterial diseases like fire blight, bacterial leaf scorch, and canker disease infect various species of trees and lead to decline and death.

Needle cast diseases are a serious problem for many evergreens, including Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), white fir (Abies concolor), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), hemlock (Tsuga), and cedar (Cedrus). Infected trees suffer from stunted growth, needle drop, and loss of vigor.

A fungal infection of pines called brown spot needle blight causes yellow or brown-tinted needles and brown bands that eventually turn black and die, leading to a bare tree. Fungicide sprays are available to control this disease. Bacterial leaf blight, which affects members of the rose family (Rosaceae), including apples, pears and crabapples, can also infect hawthorns, serviceberries, and quinces. Vaccines are available to protect against this disease.

Tree Removal

Tree removal is an important part of the tree care process. There are times that it becomes necessary to remove a tree because it is in danger of falling over or has become too large for its space. There are also reasons to remove a tree because it is causing damage to property (such as a home, driveway, or sidewalk) or is producing too much shade.

Removing a tree is not an easy job, and it is best left to professionals who have the equipment, skills, and knowledge to do it properly. There are many news stories of untrained people attempting to cut down trees and causing serious damage to themselves, their homes, or property. Using a professional tree service is the safest way to have a tree removed because it uses trained arborists, specialized equipment such as cranes and aerial lifts, and follows safety standards.

A professional tree company will assess the situation before starting to determine if there are any issues with power lines, nearby structures, or other trees that can be damaged by the removal of the tree. The company will then plan out the best way to remove the tree and minimize the impact on the surrounding property.

Fall and struck-by hazards are the leading causes of death and serious injury for workers in the field of arboriculture, including tree care services. These hazards can be caused by falls from trees or from aerial lifts/boom equipment, falling branches or limbs, and falling hand tools. A reputable tree service company will employ a thorough worksite assessment and safe operating procedures to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of their workers. They will also follow ANSI A300 tree pruning standards and provide consumer resources.