[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[gplumb at cox.net]

Greg Plumb
85022
gplumb at cox.net

Several previously-trimmed frond stubs on my 20' tall Canary Island Date Palm which showed signs of dry rot were accidentally dislodged and broke off the trunk recently, resulting in a number of deep, unsightly voids.  In inspecting the damage, I noticed that a large number of stubs--some showing obvious signs of dry rot, some not-- beginning about half way down the 8-foot tall trunk, are very loosely attached.  I would like the trunk to look as uniform as possible, but I don't want to harm the tree in any way.  Can/should these loose and rotting stubs be removed from the tree or left alone?  Is this strictly an aesthetic issue, or are there reasons related to the health of the tree to remove or leave them?