IF IT WERE ME ....

i would plant some trees on your property ... instead of the power line easement ....

so in a couple years ... when the power company comes through again ... you can have them remove the other trees in their entirety ... for free ....

or call the power company .. and nicely complain about the pruning job..... and ask if they will come back and just remove them all ....

you are complaining about trees that are technically not on your property ... they are in the easement ... they are large trees not conducive to being under power lines ....as such .. topping is not really going to solve the problem ... besides the fact .. it will eventually kill the trees regardless ...

i doubt you will find anyone here .... who will support a decision to top the trees ....

good luck

ken

We do have trees on the property - we have actually cleared a lot out because they were in bad condition, and have vastly improved the lot in doing so. There isn't room for any trees in front of the home in between the house and power lines. We want trees in front of the home for privacy, as we are on a fairly busy road.

The power company will NOT cut down the trees, they will ONLY trim them. We asked. Also, believe me, they don't care at all about an ugly pruning job, and complaining will do nothing. We actually called about the one dead tree when we moved in, asking them to come cut it down. They came and even after my husband talked to them, they just trimmed it (which was pretty much useless, since we cut it down the next week anyway). I do have some connections though, so having the trees cut down is not a problem, I was just wondering if there was a viable alternative.

I realize that these are not good trees for being under the power lines - they were there when we moved in. The trees we chose to plant along the rest of the front of the property will be ok under the lines - the crape myrtles.

I realize topping is probably not the best solution, but I am wondering if it is a workable solution. If doing this will kill the trees as you suggest, then I guess that partially answers my question. A relative of mine has managed to keep a large maple pruned to under power-line height and it's beautiful, healthy tree. This was of course pruned this way from the start though, not topped and started over.

Also - not trying to be rude, just genuinely curious - why do so many people on these forums use ellipses (...) between sentences/phrases instead of actual sentences?? It's weird/funny!

For the cherry, I'd consider cutting it to the ground and letting it re-sprout entirely rather than topping it since it is such a young plant. It should send up new shoots and then you can have a bushier plant. Keep all the new growth or select just a few branches to keep. This kind of pruning is best done when dormant, however.

A picture might help people comment on this better - I think you are just talking about the cherry, right?

The sassafras is definitely one to keep, you're right about that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Good article about pruning

Thanks. Maybe I will try that this Fall/Winter. It is a pretty tall tree - taller than than house (though this is a bit of an illusion, since it's on a hill). If it comes back funky, I'll get rid of it and plant something else. I'll take some pictures and post them.

Now, if only I could get my maple/locust stumps to STOP sending up shoots. We have a lot of stumps to grind!

Hey, I like ellipses (because they help me make my point).

But back to the subject (topping trees), there are other ways (drop-crotching/reduction) to reduce the size of trees. Removing the trees might be the best answer (but not the only one). You should be able to find tons of information on the web about proper tree pruning techniques. One excellent source is www.treesaregood.com ( http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/pruning_mature.aspx ) and another source is the University of Florida Extension (linked below).

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning Trees and Shrubs

haha - nothing against ellipses, I just see them a lot on here and it always seemed odd. So anyway... :)

I'll check that out. The pdf from esh_ga also looks very helpful. Thanks - I will try to post a picture when I get home, and let you know what we decide to do.

Some photos...
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Oh those poor trees! They are truly right in the way, aren't they?

Yup! Of each other and of the power lines. I know at one time our lot was totally covered in trees - I have no idea why previous owners chose to leave these 3!

Should we maybe cut the 2 down and replace with crape myrtles or dogwoods, and try and save the sassafrass (still mad at the way they pruned that one!)?

The cherrys could be Prunus serotina, Black cherry. Nice native tree, do they make clusters of little white flowers in the Spring? If you topped them, I suspect they would sucker tremendously, and the shape, such as it is, would be even worse. You could thin them out and remove any dead, broken or stubbly branches the tree trimmers might have left.

The Sassafras is a lovely tree, and the Pine looks okay from on the side that didn't get butchered. Too bad whoever planted them didn't space them a little better.

If it were me, I would leave the trees, with perhaps a bit of judicious pruning - for the time being. This adds some greenery to the yard and some screening from the road and power lines. I would create a nice mixed border along the road, particularly around the trees, with shrubbery and a few perennials, perhaps a small tree or two. Then, when the new plantings start to fill in, remove the pine and cherrys if you decide to.

Utility companies are notorious butchers of trees. Given all the training the crews need anyway for equipment use and health and safety, I think they could also get some arboriculture training without too much more effort.

Tree topping is VERY BAD pruning practice! You're better off cutting a tree down rather than topping it. Topping stimulates dormant buds that "sucker" at the ends of the cut branches. The suckers look terrible and if they grow to any size, their weak attachment to the main branch makes them structurally unsound. There are ways to reduce the height of a tree's crown with skilled pruning. What works for a hedge does not work for a tree!

I also don't recommend cutting the tree down for stump suckers. You seldom get a good quality tree from stump suckers. If you are going to cut it down, grind the stump out or paint the freshly cut stump with a garden-variety herbiciude to prevent suckers, then plant a new, small form tree that will stay below the wires.

From what I see in the photo, the cherry is off to the side of the wires so I don't think it needs alot of height reduction. I do recommend a professional arborist to give all three trees some remedial pruning to fix the butcher job and bring some balance back to the crowns.

I wish I could say, then send the bill to the power company!!

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Prune a Tree