Tree and palm trimming in Miami

Coconut palms need their coconuts and dead fronds removed; both turn into heavy projectiles in a hurricane. Royal palms shed their own fronds and usually need little trimming beyond picking up what falls. Green fronds should stay on every palm. The so-called hurricane cut, which leaves a few fronds pointing straight up, weakens palms, starves them of the potassium stored in older fronds and leaves a thin, top-heavy crown.

University of Florida extension guidance is to remove only fronds that are completely brown, and never to climb a palm with spikes, which leaves trunk wounds that don't heal.

Black olive, ficus and mahogany grow dense, heavy crowns that act like sails in hurricane winds, and the thin soil over Miami's limestone gives them limited anchorage. Selective thinning, reducing end weight on long limbs and removing crossing or rubbing branches lowers the wind load without stressing the tree.

Ficus is the exception that often needs more than trimming. Its roots invade pipes and lift slabs, and a big ficus hedge or tree near a wall may be a removal candidate rather than a pruning one.

University of Florida researchers surveyed trees after a series of Florida hurricanes and grouped common species by how well they stood up to wind. Trimming helps any tree, but it can't turn a weak species into a strong one, so it's worth knowing which group your trees fall in before deciding how much to spend on them.

Miami-Dade County's Chapter 24 exempts selective pruning done to the ANSI A300 standard from permits, but treats hatracking, topping and other excessive pruning that effectively destroys a tree as unpermitted removal. Root cutting and girdling count too. Several cities in the county add their own rules, and condos and HOAs often need to approve work in common areas.

Limbs touching or near service lines are FPL's or a line-clearance-qualified crew's job. Before a storm is named is the time to ask; after, line crews are focused on restoration.