Dwarf fan palm: when and how to prune

Dwarf fan palm: when to prune it?

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It does not really need pruning. In May, after winter, do cut off brown and damaged leaves.

What else to prune in those months? May

Dwarf fan palm: how to prune it?

1. Cut off dead and discoloured lower leaves a few centimetres from the trunk.
2. Leave healthy green leaves: the palm needs them to grow.
3. Never cut into the heart of the palm: that is where new leaves grow.
4. Remove spent flower clusters if you do not want fruit.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: May.
• Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in May can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Apricot tree
• Fig tree
• Japanese flowering cherry
• Leyland cypress
• Olive tree
• Peach tree

Plant profile: Dwarf fan palm · Pruning calendar and basic rules