Question
Hi - sorry for yet another question about pygmy palms.  I too live in Houston and my palms look horrible after this unusually cold winter we just experienced.

My question is I have several triple trunk pygmy palms.  The small trunks now have new fronds coming out.  The taller ones do not. I think the "hearts" have come out of the tops.  Can one trunk survive and the others die ?  If so, how do we go about pruning the dead trunks without hurting or shocking the smaller ones ?

Answer
Hi Susan, be patient with the other two, but if and when you decide that surgery is needed, then cut the two non- responsive ones at ground level, the other will be unaffected; eventually the cuts will callous over and receed into the ground and you will have only the single left.