Palm Tree Trimmer Jobs
By Eric Hammer
If you are from the Northeastern United States, you probably
have never heard of a palm tree trimmer. However, if you live
down in the Sunbelt around Florida or in the Western part o the
country, specifically places like California, Arizona and Nevada,
palm tree trimmers are quite common and the job is a perfectly
reasonable way to make a living.
Palm tree trimmers do exactly what the name implies - they
trim palm trees. It's basically not a very different thing from
tree trimmers of all kinds, including those who work all over
the United States. Dead fronds need to be trimmed away in order
to keep the trees healthy. In addition, it's important to trim
palm trees simply because they look nicer when they have been
trimmed.
You can usually find palm tree trimmer jobs in the Southern
and Western United States as well as in several Mediterranean
countries, including places like Spain, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus
and Israel.
How Much Can You Make?
Most palm tree trimmers charge anywhere from $50-$100 per
tree for doing this work. If you choose to work for a salary
rather than on your own, expect to earn a little over minimum
wage as a palm tree trimmer.
Ways to Make More | Related Opportunities
| Tips
Remember that a palm tree trimmer is really just a specialized
version of a tree trimmer or a gardener. Consider learning more
about gardening in general if you want to work in this industry
as the information will help you in the long run in becoming
a palm tree trimmer.
It goes without saying as well that if you want to work as
a palm tree trimmer; you'll need to live in areas where palm
trees grow, so if you are in Minneapolis, you're probably going
to want to move in order to find work like this.
Another interesting thing regarding palm trees, though the
jobs are rare in this country, is harvesting a lulav. The lulav
is a closed palm frond and they are harvested during the summer
and early fall to sell to Orthodox Jews. The lulav (it's a Hebrew
term meaning which literally means "branches of palm trees.")
is used on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which takes place sometime
in the fall every year. Very few lulavs are harvested in the
United States though. Most are grown and harvested in Egypt and
Israel with some growing in Spain.
Qualifications / Requirements
You'll need to learn about gardening and tree trimming in
general. You can generally take courses at your local community
college to teach you about these things. Beyond that, there is
generally no requirement that you be licensed, though you will
want to work with a professional palm tree trimmer before you
take on the job all on your own so you can learn the ropes.
First Steps
Start by taking some classes in tree trimming in general.
Then, contact companies in your area that offer palm tree trimming
services (obviously, if none are in your area and you really
want to do this job, you'll have to move). Ask them what they
are looking for in a candidate and if they have openings. It's
best not to try to striking out on your own at first since you
need to learn the ropes before you do this job.
Resources
Check out these helpful resources to find out more about becoming
a palm tree trimmer:
eHow: How to Trim Palm Trees - A good introduction
to what it means to be a palm tree trimmer.
Garden Guides: Tools for Trimming a Palm Tree
- A guide to the tools of the trade.
My Jewish Learning: Lulav and Etrog - This is
just a general introduction to what lulavs are and why they are
important to Orthodox Jews.
|
