Needle Palm needs tamed

[OhioTodd]

I have 2 needle palms in southern Ohio.  Both are over 10 y old.  The largest is about 8 by 6 ft high.  They are getting too big for the front of our

home. I have no place else to move them to.  Can I completely deadhead them so they will foliage out again?  I presume it would take a few years to get back to their former size.  I know it’s not ideal but would it do the trees in?  Thank you

[knikfar]

I might try cutting off the lower fronds to reveal the trunk, making them appear like a more typical trunking palm. That shouldn't hurt them and should remove some of the fronds that are encroaching into your space. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Deadheading is the butcher's way of solving your perceived problem. I'd like to see photos because the palm sounds magnificent but I'd probably cry at the thought of what you will do to it. Aside from the possibility of killing the poor thing, you will end up with a crewcut palm that will look like garbage for eons and never regain its former glory.

I agree with @knikfar. You should don leather elbow length gloves, eye protection and patiently prune away excess leaves and offsets to bring it under control.

[EastCanadaTropicals]

You can transplant it elsewhere

[OhioTodd]

[GregVirginia7]

Personally? I’d expose the trunks by removing the lower leaves...this will clean out some of the older, tattered leaves and change the look of the palm in a dramatic way...guess you want to be, what’s the word, prudent...but your needles look great and a little cleanup won’t hurt...as far as moving them...nothing I would try. They really are nice needles!

[Alex High]

31 minutes ago, OhioTodd said:

Wow, that's in Ohio?! Those are some stunning needle palms, looks more like South Georgia or North Florida! They are flawless and massive, they remind me of the massive needle palm at the U.S. National Arboretum here in D.C. Thank you so much for sharing, those are some beauties! Take care!

U.S. National Arboretum needle palm, D.C.:

 

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, OhioTodd said:

Why not remove a few of the suckers and root them?  Start some in a different area away from pedestrian traffic.  A member in South Carolina says that it's pretty easy to do.  But I would wait until it gets warmer to do so.

[Chester B]

There’s a big needle palm at a winery here that was pruned to expose its trunk. It took me a minute to recognize what it was. It looked awful, yours look amazing. Wish I had a couple that nice. 

[Manalto]

I don't see the problem.

[Joe NC]

I have a similar problem.

I didn't imagine the large blob of palm I would have between my walkway and door when I planted the cute little plant a decade ago.

Like others, I do not recommend "dead heading" them.  they will look bad, real bad for quite a while.  Especially by your front door.

It looks like yours (as is mine) are clumping, and not a single trunk "bull needle".

I suggest getting in there with long handled loppers (and gloves for good measure) and start removing the offending lower fronds that are encroaching your walkway.  Go slow, you can always cut off more, but it is really hard to re-attach if you take too much.

Work from the bottom up, cutting off the oldest fronds (as close to the base as possible) first.

If you have multiple "trunks" in there (looks like you do have a clump), you can try and carefully pull some out for transplant.... or you can just surgically remove them with a reciprocating saw and pruning blade.  Be careful to not damage the larger trunk(s) you want to keep.

I have brutally removed many of the multiple trunks from my front door needle, with limited success at keeping them from coming back.  I thought I could maintain it as a large single trunk.... not so much.

I now just give mine an annual trim of ~25%  (all lower fronds), and remove any other walkway encroaching material as it flops over.   It seems to keep it sort of in bounds.  However, I will probably have to saw off a few of the offshoots here soon.   

 

[OhioTodd]

Thank you all for the input. I won’t be dead heading them but will try shaping and thinning at the bottom.  Thanks again, Todd