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Caring for your Trees
Plant a tree and nature will take care of the rest, right? Not necessarily. The trees
in our yards, neighborhoods, and along our streets are a valuable asset, and require
our help to keep them healthy. Proper tree care is based on science and research,
not wives tales and myths. There is a “right way” and a “wrong way” to care for
trees. Here are some tips you need to know to keep your trees healthy and working
for you.
- Keeping Your Trees Healthy
- Think Before You Top Your Tree
- Pruning Trees
- Learn How to Prune Properly
- Safety First
- Fruit Tree Pruning
- Mulch - Too Much Can Harm Your Tree
- Dealing with Drought - Keeping Trees Healthy
- When Does a Tree Become a Risk?
- Frequently
Asked Questions about Tree Care from the Tree Care Industry Association
In order to assure safe, reliable, electric service the utility companies must prune
branches away from high voltage electric lines. If branches make contact with these
lines they can cause power outages. Worse yet, if a tree that has branches growing
up into energized lines is climbed by children or adults, electrocution may occur.
Every year people are severely burned and killed when they climb trees and make
contact with electric lines.
In the past, utilities obtained line clearance by “topping” trees or “rounding”
them over every few years. These techniques give little consideration to tree health
or structural integrity. Current research shows that topping or heading cuts create
entry points for wood decay. This slowly weakens the tree internally, shortening
its life and in many cases causing future storm damage.
Directional or through pruning is the most appropriate way to prune trees for electric
utility line clearance. Trees are no longer “topped” or “rounded-over”. Directional
pruning involves the removal of branches that are growing towards the conductors
in favor of those growing away from the conductors. These branches are pruned properly
back to a lateral branch that is 1/2 to 1/3 the diameter of the branch being removed.
This allows for good wound closure and reduced water sprouting.
Directional or through pruning removes less leaves needed for food making, pruning
fewer branches thereby reducing internal decay. Trees growing directly under conductors
will appear ‘U’ or ‘V’ shaped. Trees growing alongside a conductor may appear ‘L’
shaped from side pruning. At first the tree may appear misshapen, especially when
looking down the curb-line, but it changes over the years as the tree grows. Looking
at the tree perpendicular to the lines (straight at the house from across the street)
the tree appears natural with lines running through it. Directionally pruned trees
stay healthier than topped trees and result in less pruning in the future.
Questions about Trees and Utilities - PA Community Forestry Fact sheet
Questions about Trees and Utilities
Pruning for Utility Clearance
Trees & Utilities: Cooperative Management Strategies for Success
http://www.rcre.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.asp?pid=FS1006
Rutgers University Tree & Shrub Fact sheets
http://www.rcre.rutgers.edu/pubs/subcategory.asp?cat=5&sub=41
Before You Dig - Look Up and Look Down
Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc.
Pennsylvania Utility Choice
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