Question
I have over 20 palm plants(I don't want to say palm trees because I don't have
that) around my backyard fence.  The plants are huge maybe 10 feet, and are
taking over the space. I can't see the lawn under them and I have seen a rodent
or two go under there.   How do I trim them, or how should I expect them to be
trimmed and at what price?

Answer
Hi Lucy, I am assuming they are either Areca Palms or maybe Majesty Palms, in either case they will need to be addressed from the bottom up for proper pruning; many people just go in and begin shaping or trimming the top in an attempt to reduce their size. This is not proper pruning for this type of plant; beginning at the bottom, the key is to begin removing entire canes from the soil level, (a cane is the stem that the fronds come off..) and as you remove entire canes, you will see the palm beginning to come into proper shape, eventually you will have a aesthetically pleasing 5-8 stemmed Palm that you can actually see through, and there will be no coverage of any of the area under it. This is however a tedious job, and can warrant a pricey expenditure on your part; many landscapers would probably charge $20.00 an hour minimum (providing they are worth their salt) to do it, and depending on how excessive the over growth is, could be an all day event. Nick