Question

Hey everyone.  I have this palm (that I don’t do anything with) but I trim it back and within a week it’s grown back again.Hey everyone. I have this palm (that I don’t do anything with) but I trim it back and within a week it’s grown back again. Any advice on how to make it look neater please? Do I trim the top? I’m clearly no good at shaping it when cutting it back but open to any suggestion that might make it look neater. Thank you in advance. Have a lovely day  

Answer 1

Not a fern . It's palm

Comments

@magnific18 ah that’s what I meant to say ‍♀️

Answer 2

When you say neater . what do you mean? it's a plant and will grow best in it's own fashion. If you take out the top it will get bushier, you could try snipping off more dead bits.  

Comments

@pedro9 without random bits sticking out. It seems the more I trim it back, the more 3 or 4 of the palms will just jump out. then I give up lol. I’ve tried to cut those at the bottom but they’re so thick I’ll need a saw (which I don’t have)

---

@ataliah yes that's the effect of cutting back shoots, plant makes 2 or more to replace the one you cut. cutting more like this will do the same. Could try shading out the lower bits, put some pots round it with plants in. where it gets less light it will die back, this will be messy at first, but long term might have the effect you want.  

---

@pedro9 ah okay. Thank you  

Answer 3

It's not meant to look neat , its beautiful by the way

Answer 4

Its gorgeous as it is

Answer 5

I think you chop the bottom leaves off

Comments

@seventh those bottom ones are thicker than all the others. I can’t cut them unless I have a saw I think.  

Answer 6

Its very beautiful. Theres one in a front garden near me and it's as high as the house!  

Comments

@headstone oh so they can grow pretty big then?  

---

@ataliah oh yes. Its huge.  

Answer 7

It’s a palm not a fern and I had one the same which I just cut the bottom leaves off of, it will leave it looking more like a tree than a bush  

Comments

@chandelier yes that’s what kind of look I’m going for I think. The bottom branches are so thick. I’ll need to get a saw to cut those back.  

---

@ataliah I used to do mine with a sharp knife but I never had branches so a saw will probably be needed!  

Answer 8

Its lovely as it is

Answer 9

I like it as it is.  

Answer 10

It’s lovely just cut bottom branches of gradually you will have a trunk

Comments

@smokejumper that’s what I mean when I say neater, thank you. I was just worried of cutting it too much and killing it because we do love it in the garden.  

Answer 11

It looks lovely xx

Answer 12

My parents have one of these, i got quite brutal and cleared a good foot or so of branches from the bottom, it promoted it to grow upwards and now we have a good looking trunk  

Comments

@smaltite I’ve already hacked at it quite a lot. It was taking over the garden like an Afro - up and sideways growing  so I trimmed it back but hate those thick branches at the bottom. Guna get a saw and try tidying it up a bit more.  

---

@ataliah I found that cutting it a few inches up the stem and letting it go a little scruffy helped produce the nice furry trunk that you see on them abroad.  

---

You may have to suffer the scruffyness for a year or two before it really starts taking shape

---

@smaltite oh I know  Well, I’ll saw back those bottom ones and see how it goes  Appreciate all your advice, thank you.  

Answer 13

It’s fabulous

Answer 14

A pruning saw  will be useful to get. Take off the bottom stems and anything brown or dead.  

Answer 15

Leave it alone it's the way nature intended

Comments

@stilly8 it takes over my very small garden. We love it and don’t want it gone, just to tidy it up and trim it back.  

---

@ataliah I didn't know your garden was small, get a saw and cut of the lower branches to make a trunk and if more grow keep taking them off, best of luck take care they are sharp

---

@stilly8 Oh Yes I’ve ended up with many thorns stuck in my hands after cutting it back. I’ll trim those trunks back gradually and see how it goes. Thank you.  

Answer 16

I’ve just brought one of them, it’s only 3 ft, it says after 10 years it should be 6ft by 6 ft, yours looks very happy there, it’s beautiful  

Comments

@parapet602 is this the Mexican palm? (Washington robusta) xxx

Answer 17

Its lovely as it is.  

Answer 18

Its a palm pull off dead leaves dont cut them and leave the green to flourish. They have their own style.  

Answer 19

I have just bought 2 of these for my garden :) they will only be 3ft when they arrive though. How quickly do they grow? Xx

Comments

Make the most of what we do have really lol xx

---

@donaldson no hun garden bargains/ideal world xx

---

@angy354 are they the Mexican palm (Washington robusta)? Xxx

---

@donaldson i also have two potted fushia trees on delivery too aswell as a few other bits xx

---

@angy354 oh I’m renting too, luckily my landlord said we can do what we like with it, but planning to buy in the next year or two, I can’t justify putting that money into someone else’s home. I’ll just keep it clean, tidy & decorate with ‘removable’ objects  

Answer 20

I wouldn't touch that it's fabulous  

Comments

@disrelish I absolutely love it, my garden is very small tho, just wanted to tidy it up and let it grow up more than it does out.