Palm trees can be seen in warmer parts of Maryland. The common types grown in MD are needle palm trees, European fan palm trees, pindo palm trees, sago palm, saw palmetto palm trees, and windmill palm trees. Palm trees can give your yard more detail and shade. However, if you’re concerned about the health of the tree and want to know the signs that you should call in tree removal services, read this guide.

Signs To Remove Your Palm Tree

Rotting Palm Tree

Fungi attacks and other reasons can trigger the rotting of palm trees. Keep in mind that different fungi attack different types of palm trees. And in some cases, the attack from the fungi can lead to different diseases in different palm tree types. So, if you see signs of rotting, let an arborist inspect the tree to determine the cause of the rot and if it can be fixed or you should consider palm tree removal.

You should prune the rotting crown of the tree and the leaves (fronds). If you catch the rot early, you can remove it by cutting down the affected branches. However, if it affects a big part of the tree, you should be cutting the whole tree down instead of a few branches.

This is because a rotting tree becomes a hazard. It can fall down anytime. Moreover, rotting trees are more prone to damage by storms and strong winds. Therefore, cutting it down is the best option.

Infested Palm Tree

Insect infestations in palm trees are less compared to other tree species. There are still many bugs and insects that can attack and weaken it.

Bugs like coconut mites, palm aphids, mealybugs, palm leaf scales, royal palm bugs, spider mites, and palmetto weevils commonly attack palm trees. Moreover, if you have a weak tree, the possibility of insect infestation only increases.

Palmetto weevil is one of the most dangerous bugs for palm trees. It can attach weak or healthy palm trees alike. Adult weevils lay their eggs in leaf bases. When the larvae come out of eggs, they feed on the tree and make a tunnel into the internal parts of the tree causing huge damage.

Weevils are not easy to detect and when you do, they will have caused damage. For instance, if you pay attention, you may hear the sound of the larvae feeding on the tree if it’s infested by weevils. Therefore, you should inspect your palm tree regularly to detect bug infestations early. However, if the damage is done, bid farewell to the tree and cut it down as soon as possible.

Palm Tree Roots Are Too Big

Tree roots when extending too much can cause problems. Bear in mind that the roots of palm trees are different of other species. While the roots of other trees go deeper in the ground, palm tree roots remain on the surface level. However, they can extend up to 50 feet in some palm trees.

As the roots of palm roots are not deeper, so even if they extend towards your property, they won’t damage the foundation of your house or any other nearby structure. However, they can become a tripping hazard because they are on the surface.

Moreover, the extension of roots can damage utilities underground. If you have pipes underground near the tree, the roots will wrap around the pipes and will cause leaks and cracks.

If this happens, you will need to hire a professional to inspect the tree. They will let you know if you can control the issue or if you should proceed with tree removal. Moreover, if the tree roots haven’t caused leaks in pipes, but you’re concerned about this situation, you should talk to a tree service for controlling the roots or cutting down the palm tree.

Your Area Receives Frequent Storms

Palm trees don’t have heavy branches so they are not as damaging as other trees like oak trees. However, the danger is there. Strong storms can cause your long and tall palm tree to fall anywhere. It can your house, yard, or your neighbor’s property and cause serious damage.

So, if you’re concerned about potential damages that can be caused by a storm, you should consider palm tree removal.

For this, check if the tree is too close to your house or any other nearby buildings. Moreover, get it inspected by arborist services Bethesda to find out if it’s strong enough to withstand storms. If the tree is infested, diseased, rotting, or already sustained damages due to a previous storm, you should cut it down before another potential storm.

Your Palm Tree Bears Fruit And It Makes A Mess

Some types of palm trees bear fruit. This gives you another thing to worry about your palm tree. How is a fruit a worrying thing? The fruit of palm trees is dark and when it falls down on the ground, it leaves a lot of mess that you will have to deal with.

If you like your palm tree and can keep up with cleaning, you don’t need to remove it. You should keep in mind that fruit will fall on anything under it. For instance, if you parked your car under for the night, you may have to deal with a sticky mess on your car. Moreover, if you have pets, palm berries may not be the right food for them although they are not toxic.

You can avoid fruits from falling on the ground by harvesting them when they get ripe. However, if this sounds like too much, you should consider cutting the tree down to be free from cleaning the yard, sidewalk, or your car every day.

Your Palm Tree Needs A Lot Of Maintenance

Yard maintenance takes a lot of time and effort. For palm trees, you have to control the growth of roots, prune the branches and the crown, clean the mess of fruits, keep it safe from pests and rot, and carry out other maintenance.

If you think that your palm tree is requiring too much maintenance then you can allocate your time, it won’t be selfish if you wish to cut it down.

Your Palm Tree Is A Problem For Your Neighbors

Even if your tree is healthy and doesn’t have roots damaging the pipes, there is an odd reason you may have to remove your palm tree – the opinion of your neighbors.

Your palm may be big enough to block the sun for the neighbors, its berries fall on their yard, or its too close to their property and they are concerned about their safety. There can be many reasons neighbors can complain about your palm tree.

If you like the tree and it’s healthy, you may be able to calm them down. However, if they file a complaint and the tree violates rules of size, space, location, or another rule, you will need to remove the tree or pay a recurring fine. To avoid fines, you can cut the tree down.

Conclusion

Palm trees can add to the appeal of your yard, but if you’re noticing insect infestation, storm damage, root damage, or any other problem, consider removing the palm tree. Palm tree removal is difficult so always hire tree cutting services Kensington for the job.