Palm tree trimming in Four Corners, FL
Galapagos trims palms in Four Corners as they mature: flower and fruit stalks come off before they drop on drives and lanais, fully brown fronds are removed, and the green crown stays to carry the palm through storm season. Feeding plans follow your county’s rules, which differ across the four counties here.
Growing palms, growing mess
Many Four Corners neighborhoods are only a few years old, and the palms the builders planted are now reaching flowering size. As palms mature they start flowering and fruiting. Removing stalks early keeps fruit off driveways and lanais, where it stains pavers and draws insects.
Storm season ready
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. A full, healthy crown handles wind better than a stripped one: UF/IFAS found palms cut down to a few fronds were more likely to lose their crowns in the 2004–05 storms. Before the season, we take off dead fronds and fruit — the parts that become debris — and leave the green.
Feeding palms by county
Yellowing lower fronds often mean the palm is short of potassium, common on sandy soil, and UF/IFAS advises leaving them on. The fix is palm fertilizer, and here the county matters: Orange County’s ordinance covers landscape plants as well as turf, so on the Orange side a nitrogen-containing palm fertilizer waits until October. We check your parcel before we suggest a product or a date.
Palms planted close to the lanai
Builders often set palms a few feet from the lanai or the pool cage, where they look right on closing day. As the trunk grows and the crown widens, fronds start brushing the screen and dropping into the pool. We trim what is brown, and when a palm is clearly going to outgrow its spot, we tell you early so you can plan a move or a removal before it damages the cage.
What palm trimming includes
- fully brown fronds removed
- flower and fruit stalks removed before they drop
- a check of the crown, the trunk and the lower fronds, with notes on deficiency or damage
- debris lowered near roofs and pool cages, and the drive and deck blown clean
- all fronds hauled away
How we work
- Ladders or lifts; never climbing spikes, which leave wounds that never heal.
- No cuts into the trunk.
- Green and yellowing fronds stay on.
- Dead or leaning palms are flagged, with a separate palm removal quote.
What affects the price
- number, height and species of palms
- clustered palms with many trunks
- fruit and stalk load
- access past fences, pool cages or roofs
- haul-away volume
Related services in Four Corners
Shade trees need different care: see tree trimming. For the whole yard, landscaping in Four Corners and the Four Corners service area page. The full guide is on palm tree trimming.
Watering rules here
St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
Phase III water-shortage order: odd addresses Saturday, even addresses Sunday, nonresidential Tuesday; no irrigation 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; no more than one hour per zone.
Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)
Water-shortage order (Modified Phase III) through March 31, 2027: one day a week by the last digit of your address — 0–1 Monday, 2–3 Tuesday, 4–5 Wednesday, 6–7 Thursday, 8–9 Friday — midnight to 4 a.m. or 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. Your city may be stricter.
South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
Year-round rule: odd addresses water Wednesday and/or Saturday, even addresses Thursday and/or Sunday, never between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Checked October 7, 2026. Rules change during droughts — confirm with the official source.
Fertilizer rules
Unincorporated Lake County and Orange County: no nitrogen or phosphorus June 1–September 30. Polk and Osceola: no summer ban, but no fertilizing before heavy rain or during storm watches, with setbacks from water.
Questions about palm tree trimming
My young palms started dropping fruit. Is that normal?
Yes. Many palms start flowering and fruiting as they mature. Removing the stalks early keeps the mess off your drive and lanai without harming the palm.
Can my palms be fertilized in summer in Four Corners?
It depends on the county. On the Orange side, nitrogen and phosphorus are off-limits from June 1 to September 30 for landscape plants too. On the Osceola and Polk sides there is no summer ban. We check your parcel first.
What should I do with my palms before hurricane season?
Remove dead fronds, fruit and seed pods, and leave the green crown. Cutting palms down to a few fronds makes them weaker in wind, according to UF/IFAS.
Will you climb my palms with spikes?
No. We work from ladders or lifts. Spike wounds never heal on a palm and can let disease in.