Palm and tree questions
Should palm trees be trimmed before a hurricane?
Take the dead fronds off before June 1, prune to the 9-and-3 line, and cut nothing above it. A "hurricane cut" that strips green fronds weakens the palm and does not make it safer.
Reviewed by Jeff Kaulbars, ISA Certified Arborist FL-10118A, Ptolemy Inc.
Why the fronds above the line stay
The fronds above the 9-and-3 line are the palm’s reserve going into storm season. They store potassium and magnesium. Strip them and the palm feeds on what is left. Dead fronds off before June 1 cuts storm debris. Cutting above the line does not.
After the storm
Do not rush a damaged palm out. A storm-damaged palm that is structurally intact deserves at least 6 months before anyone writes it off. The wait does not apply to a split trunk, a root ball out of the ground, or disease confirmed apart from the storm.
A palm or tree that is an immediate hazard is made safe first, and the written determination follows.
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Sources: UF/IFAS EP465 (hurricane-damaged palms).