Last weekend, I had the onerous task of trimming back an aggressive California Fan Palm in the back yard. I put this off hoping for a low marine overcast day to keep me cool while working. As luck would have it, the overcast burned off shortly after sunrise.
Anyhow, I got out the electric chain saw and started in on this beast. After having the chain jump off of the track once early on, I readjusted the tension and generated two green bins worth palm fronds.
The image is the before and after. Click to enlarge.
I mentioned that this is an aggressive tree. These start growing in cracks in the sidewalks, between ties in the local railroad tracks, out of the sides of other trees – places you would find hard to believe. In fact, most of the local gardeners and tree trimmers consider them as weeds.
Another ‘feature’ is the presence of extremely sharp spikes that line both sides of the frond stems. See this post from March 2007 (content warning – gross injury depicted).
The act of trimming this tree is only a prerequisite to taking it down. Damsel has asked me to get ALL of these out of the yard and I agree that it needs to happen.
I have nightmares about aggressive California Fan Palms. I was almost molested by one when I was a child. Luckily it also needed a good trimming and got stuck in the bedroom window before it laid a frond on me. Perhaps you “fixed” that tree with the chainsaw (several times – I hope it screamed) so it isn’t so aggressive anymore.
You..You are funny! I have had bad experiances with them reaching out and touching me. Been there have the scars to prove it!
Be sure you burn those remnants in the bins. IYou could start something like Mickey Mouse did in the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”.” Next thing you know millions of those stinking palms will be competing with illegal Mexicans for gardening positions.