Sanitizing tools for palm tree pruning?

[DBaty]

At the March plant sale, I listened to a presentation on palm trees by a local master gardener. She said your palm tree trimmer should sterilize tools after trimming each tree. I raised the issue with the service that trims our palm trees and he said he had never heard of this. Am I dealing with an incompetent tree trimmer or is sanitizing tools overkill?

[DonH57]

At the March plant sale, I listened to a presentation on palm trees by a local master gardener. She said your palm tree trimmer should sterilize tools after trimming each tree. I raised the issue with the service that trims our palm trees and he said he had never heard of this. Am I dealing with an incompetent tree trimmer or is sanitizing tools overkill?

More than likely most probably don't and don't care. It is possible to transmit diseases on palm trees the same way humans can get infected. I trim my own. I won't let them touch mine.That's my take.

[Normal]

Don’t people sanitize chain saws and branch saws when they live up north? It likely equates to about the same thing. I do wipe my branch snips with alcohol (now) because I “saw it in a video”. My rational may be different than yours though, I’d rather cut myself with something clean. The prickers are enough to worry about.

[Papa_lecki]

Your grass cutter should also sanitize their mower between each lawn, so the weeds don’t come to your grass.

Just don’t complain when it costs $75 a week to get your grass cut.

[kcrazorbackfan]

At the March plant sale, I listened to a presentation on palm trees by a local master gardener. She said your palm tree trimmer should sterilize tools after trimming each tree. I raised the issue with the service that trims our palm trees and he said he had never heard of this. Am I dealing with an incompetent tree trimmer or is sanitizing tools overkill?

I ALWAYS sanitize my palm trimming tools with alcohol on a paper towel before I trim them; never have had an issue in the 8 years I’ve been doing it.

[Rainger99]

I have never done it (actually hadn’t even heard of it) but the University of Florida recommends it.


https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/baker/docs/pdf/horticulture/DisinfectingPruningTools.pdf

[Ozzello]

Any experienced tree trimmer has heard of this, has done it, and most WILL do it, IF you don't wait till AFTER you get your price. Wait till the crew is there and the saws are coming out, and they may just leave. Kinda depends on if you grabbed the door knocking fly by night crew or the big guys... let's beat the dead horse again... you get what you pay for.

Myself, I ask to see this done prior to the start, but I told them at the bid this was going to happen. If they say they do it after every job, I ask to see the stuff they use. Now if you would prefer to get your job done and aren't REALLY concerned about this, I suggest you don't open this can of worms just because you want your tree guy to think you know more about his job than he does.

If I am using a cheap small company that I don't normally use, I don't even bring this up... BUT If I have a diseased tree in the job, I have them do that tree last.

It takes a LOT of alcohol to properly sanitize a chain saw, I would suggest if you are REALLY worried about this, or do have diseased trees in the mix... get a large stainless dog bowl and a bunch of bottles of alcohol. Also a good fresh 4x4 to run the blade in after each dip.
If you don't make them try to figure out how to do something they don't know how to do, and go get the supplies they don't know they should already have, they will gladly use your stuff, you will get your job done, and they can pretend like they do this all the time, but ran out of alcohol.

[coconutmama]

At the March plant sale, I listened to a presentation on palm trees by a local master gardener. She said your palm tree trimmer should sterilize tools after trimming each tree. I raised the issue with the service that trims our palm trees and he said he had never heard of this. Am I dealing with an incompetent tree trimmer or is sanitizing tools overkill?

I spray my shears with alcohol between every plant I trim, not just palms. It is important. We live in a humid climate with little frost to kill anything

[Lottoguy]

There is a palm disease called "lethal bronzing" that first started in Texas about 15 years ago. It eventually worked its way to Florida and has destroyed thousands of palm trees. I lost two of my beautiful palms in my front yard because of this disease. Once your tree gets it then there is NOTHING you can do to save the palm. This is why YOU MUST insist that all tools be santized before and cutting is done.
I now have one palm in the front that is still looking good. I did buy some palm tree fertilizer spiked and pounded them in a circle around my one good palm. Read the instructions on the box befor you use them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHQHzLQDJ1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9JRmLgpWCk

[Happydaz]

There is a palm disease called "lethal bronzing" that first started in Texas about 15 years ago. It eventually worked its way to Florida and has destroyed thousands of palm trees. I lost two of my beautiful palms in my front yard because of this disease. Once your tree gets it then there is NOTHING you can do to save the palm. This is why YOU MUST insist that all tools be santized before and cutting is done.
I now have one palm in the front that is still looking good. I did buy some palm tree fertilizer spiked and pounded them in a circle around my one good palm. Read the instructions on the box befor you use them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHQHzLQDJ1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9JRmLgpWCk

Unfortunately lethal bronzing disease is spread by a tiny insect and when it flies to your palm trees it may be infected with a type of bacteria that has no cell wall. When the insect feasts on your palm leaves it injects this bacteria into the phloem of the tree and eventually this kills it. It can then be spread to other trees when the insect flies away. The best way to stop more infections is to quickly remove infected palm trees and also if trees are dying in your area the trees can be injected with tetracycline by a professional or knowledgeable homeowner 3 times a year. Cleaning tree trimming tools with alcohol will not prevent this disease but will prevent many other types of diseases so it is a good policy to have tree trimmers spray their tools. Sterilizing a chain saw is not that effective. Hand tools can be effectively sterilized. I go out with a bottle of alcohol and spray all the saws the workers will be using. Probably only professional arborists do this regularly without being asked. All the rest of crews have no idea what you are talking about.

[Ozzello]

Was called TDDS, and is viral-ish. The saws WILL spread it, as well as flying palm feeding insects.

Annual injections to keep Lethal Bronzing (TDDS) from killing your tree should not cost more than 40-50 for the 1st one, and 20-30 for the annual boosters. Some spray companies were charging $100s, the shot itself is less than 5 bucks and you don't need a special license to purchase and use. They WANT you to use it, and it has to be affordable for the growers as well.

Seems the quarantine they were placing on the counties that TDDS was discovered in a few years back, came to The Villages to die.

[wisbad1]

More than likely most probably don't and don't care. It is possible to transmit diseases on palm trees the same way humans can get infected. I trim my own. I won't let them touch mine.That's my take.
They mow your lawn and then some other lawn. They spread stuff on everyone’s lawn.

[Happydaz]

Was called TDDS, and is viral-ish. The saws WILL spread it, as well as flying palm feeding insects.

Annual injections to keep Lethal Bronzing (TDDS) from killing your tree should not cost more than 40-50 for the 1st one, and 20-30 for the annual boosters. Some spray companies were charging $100s, the shot itself is less than 5 bucks and you don't need a special license to purchase and use. They WANT you to use it, and it has to be affordable for the growers as well.

Seems the quarantine they were placing on the counties that TDDS was discovered in a few years back, came to The Villages to die.

Good point on bacteria being spread by the saws. So I was wrong about that. Sterilizing saws CAN help stop the spread of the lethal bronzing disease between palm trees Anyone have information on the spread of this disease in the Villages? There are a lot of susceptible palm species around these neighborhoods. I injected my trees a number of years back but stopped doing it as I didn’t see any evidence of disease in my neighborhood.

[Happydaz]

I found out I was wrong again. I just checked University of Florida information and saw the following information:

“The good news to gardeners is that the Lethal Bronze Disease pathogen cannot survive outside of a living host. This means it cannot be spread mechanically on pruning tools, for example.”

Still important to sanitize tools as there are many other diseases it can help prevent, just not LBD.

If trees have LBD, though, they need to be immediately removed if they show any symptoms as the insect could fly to other trees in the local area.

[Ozzello]

The pathogen does live on the saw long enough to spread to the next tree.

Typical college ag testing.. just too many variable situations to test EVERY situation. They do great work at UF, but sometimes they make broader statements than they should. Awesome they (the college aggies) came up with the inoculation.