Okay, here’s my blog post about pruning my Majesty Palm, written in a casual, first-person style, using basic HTML tags:
So, my Majesty Palm was starting to look a little, uh, majestic. As in, it was taking over my living room. It was time for a haircut, and honestly, I was a little nervous. I’ve killed plants with kindness (overwatering, mostly) before, so I didn’t want to mess this up.
First, I gathered my tools. All I really needed were:
- Sharp, clean pruning shears. I wiped mine down with some rubbing alcohol just to be extra sure.
- A trash bag for the discarded fronds.
- Maybe some gloves, though I went without.
Getting Started
I started by inspecting the palm. I looked for any fronds that were completely brown or yellow. Those were the obvious ones to go. I also looked for any that were bent, broken, or just generally looking sad. The goal is to create airflow, and remove things that look ugly.
Then, I made my first cuts. I started with the lower fronds, the ones closest to the soil. I cut them as close to the main trunk as I could without actually nicking the trunk. I just snipped right through the stem of the frond. It was surprisingly easy!
I kept going, working my way around the plant. I took off the obviously dead or dying fronds first. Then, I stepped back and looked at the overall shape. I removed a few more fronds that were crossing over each other or just generally making the plant look crowded.
Stepping Back and Assessing
This is important: don’t go crazy! I kept reminding myself that I could always take off more later, but I couldn’t put them back on. I’d prune a few fronds, step back, look at the plant from all angles, and then decide if I needed to take off more.
I also made sure to rotate the pot as I worked, so I could get a good view of all sides. I didn’t want to end up with a lopsided palm!
The Final Touches
Once I was happy with the shape, I cleaned up. I gathered all the cut fronds and tossed them in the trash bag. I also wiped down the pot and the floor around it, because there were a few bits of soil and leaf debris.
And that’s it! My Majesty Palm looks so much better now. It’s still full and lush, but it’s not quite so overwhelming. And I feel pretty good about myself for not killing it. Success! Now, I just need to resist the urge to overwater it…
