Pruning a clumping palm - a necessary evil sometimes

[Tracy]

Sensitive viewers may not want to look at the photos attached.  Yes, sometimes we have to do the unthinkable and prune a palm.  In this case, it was a Chrysalidocarpus rufescens that is planted near a walkway.  This clumping palm can produce a lot of trunks and one was reaching for light by leaning out over the walkway.  My wife and I both grew fatigued of having to duck to pass by.  It didn't help that a few leaves of my Encephalartos nubimontanus tend to reach across to the edge of the walkway on the other side, leaving little room to pass.  Step one was to remove pups from the E nubimontanus on the other side of the walkway.  That only resolved part of the issue.  So Saturday, I did the evil deed, documented below.

It is one of the challenges more common to smaller gardens like mine, but it must be done.  Anyone else running into similar problems or struggling with a difficult decision with access and a prized palm?  This being a clumping palm, fortunately I still have plenty of trunks so am not losing the entire palm.  Perhaps your challenge is more difficult and it isn't a clumping species?

[Matt in OC]

Sometimes, your kid on a bike makes that difficult decision for you. 😂

[Billeb]

Bummer @Tracy, that was a nice example of a clumping Dypsis. Still is actually. The fact that it had so many stalks is a good problem to have in this case. Unfortunately it appears to be the largest stalk of the group. 
 

-dale 

[realarch]

C. lutescens, definitely a utility palm in the garden which is pruned with a vengeance. The Sawzall makes quick work of it. 

Tim

[Darold Petty]

Tracy, I would cut the stump closer to the soil level, then use powdered sulfur over the wound area.   

I had to cut off a C. baronii stem growing at a 45 degree angle over the public sidewalk.

[Tracy]

3 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Tracy, I would cut the stump closer to the soil level, then use powdered sulfur over the wound area.   

I had to cut off a C. baronii stem growing at a 45 degree angle over the public sidewalk.

Yes, I didn't show the final cut.  I did take it down lower, but had put away the camera by then.  It reminds me of a movie from my childhood, The Man with X-Ray Eyes.  It is a classic, sci-fi flick from that era directed by Roger Corman.  As I recall, there is a citation near the end of the film from the bible:   "If thine eye offends thee, pluck it out!"  Well the same goes for an offending palm trunk.  You have to watch the film to see why I reminisce on that line.

[Harry’s Palms]

Fortunately I have not had to trim my C. Lutescens but I did divide a Rhapis palm that was growing closer to a path. I do this from time to time and usually give the palms away but this time I put a nice clump in a pot for my patio. I have a few more in the front that need to be potted up. With the Rhapis , you can actually divide the clump . Not with the C. Lutescens, luckily mine are just branching out a bit and that isn't a problem for me. Harry