When and How to Prune a Palm Tree
Palm fronds are falling as the city performs it's seasonal pruning. Shane Wilson thanked the city for waiting till the "pups" (bat babies) were gone. If you are not aware of it, these dead palm fronds are vital habitat for our bats that are now appearing on the "threatened" list. Just search "bats and palm trees" and you will find some very informative sites. One of them is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Site discussing the Yellow Bat which is common to Cameron County. Mosquito spraying and pruning were sited as reasons for their decline.
If we are going to prune our palm trees then it is essential that we all learn when bat season is and at least wait until it has ended. According to Shane there are bats that live year-round in some of these palm trees. If we want to protect our bat population then we will need to create sites (your own backyard could be a start) where we leave the palm trees unpruned. I really don't have that much knowledge on the subject of bats so that is why i'm posting this blog. It would be good to have the nesting dates and to mark these on the city's calender of when not to prune.
The second issue is how to prune. It is certainly not uniform on this island. Some trees are shaved, some look like pineapples. I'm sure there is vocabulary describing the different pruning techniques and once again I claim ignorance. But from observation, I think the "shave" technique leaves the tree very vulnerable to termites and weather. The "pineapple" technique that leaves a protective shield on the trunk seems healthier for the tree.
Palm fronds are falling as the city performs it's seasonal pruning. Shane Wilson thanked the city for waiting till the "pups" (bat babies) were gone. If you are not aware of it, these dead palm fronds are vital habitat for our bats that are now appearing on the "threatened" list. Just search "bats and palm trees" and you will find some very informative sites. One of them is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Site discussing the Yellow Bat which is common to Cameron County. Mosquito spraying and pruning were sited as reasons for their decline.
If we are going to prune our palm trees then it is essential that we all learn when bat season is and at least wait until it has ended. According to Shane there are bats that live year-round in some of these palm trees. If we want to protect our bat population then we will need to create sites (your own backyard could be a start) where we leave the palm trees unpruned. I really don't have that much knowledge on the subject of bats so that is why i'm posting this blog. It would be good to have the nesting dates and to mark these on the city's calender of when not to prune.
The second issue is how to prune. It is certainly not uniform on this island. Some trees are shaved, some look like pineapples. I'm sure there is vocabulary describing the different pruning techniques and once again I claim ignorance. But from observation, I think the "shave" technique leaves the tree very vulnerable to termites and weather. The "pineapple" technique that leaves a protective shield on the trunk seems healthier for the tree.
