Where Palm Tree Trimmings Go: Coachella Valley Turns Fronds Into Useful Mulch

It’s a familiar sound across the Coachella Valley each summer—chippers and chainsaws working through palm tree trimming season. While those towering trees define the desert landscape, arborists say maintaining them is necessary to prevent clogging drains, dirtying pools, and ensuring public safety.

Frank Kelty, who manages Desert Breezes, says trimming is a yearly task that residents often question. “The pools are dirty. Why are the pools looking like this? People think we can just call the pool service every day, but it doesn’t work that way,” Kelty explained.

Many local cities require palm trees to be trimmed by specific deadlines—date palms by the end of June and Washingtonia palms by the end of July.

But what happens to all those fronds? Most are brought to SA Recycling in Coachella. The facility receives as much as 250 tons of palm fronds per day during the busy season—up to 80% of the valley’s trimmings.

Rather than being wasted, the fronds go through a month-long process of chopping, filtering, watering, and turning. The end product is organic mulch used by farmers to control weeds without chemical sprays.

“It’s 100% organic,” said a recycling plant representative. “It helps farmers cut down on the labor costs of pulling weeds by hand.”

Palm mulch is also used along highways and roadways to control dust. Once laid down, the intertwined fronds form a blanket-like layer that can withstand winds up to 35 miles per hour.

Officials say the good news is palm trees typically only require trimming once a year, making the process both manageable and sustainable.

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