----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Snipes"
Subject: [IBC] It's Power Line tree trimming time again.


Dale,

As someone who oversaw the power line reclearing division of a contractor
here for a number of years, I have heard these very complaints many times.

Snip, mostly since the majority of notes told me what I already said THEY
said. But, I do disagree with the later part of this statement.


Many years ago the round-over trimming method was the standard approved
pruning practice when reclearing lines in urban areas. However when a
tree
is rounded over as you describe, it subsequently puts out a mass of wild
growth (think trunk chop or drastic pruning in your bonsai), which soon is
back into the power lines,

and is weakly attached to the tree and prone to
breaking off.

This is where I disagree.

The latest accepted standard pruning practices for line clearing are to V
out the center of the tree leaving the outside untouched, or trim half of
the tree away, leaving the other half untouched, depending on the location
of the lines in relation to the tree. While this makes the tree look
terrible, it is actually much healthier for the tree, and it avoids
stimulating the tree to shoot out wild uncontrolled growth all over. The
remaining apically dominant growing branches that are left do their thing


In my opinion these "Y" shaped trees with sides ( or one side) left full
length but center trimmed down to trunk is a huge "snap-off" in a wind storm
waiting to happen and where will the power company be when a side of a tree
is laying in your yard for YOU to pay ( possibly the same guys who butchered
it to begin with!) to have it removed and cleaned up. You, or they, cannot
convince me that a nicely rounded smaller tree is either unhealthy or weak,
WHY, because you aren't cutting huge portions right down to the trunk which
is where the rotting starts. I've noticed this in MANY local trees trimmed
thusly or snapped off at one time.
Associating thgis same idea with bonsai....what is weak and/or rotting away
on your deciduous bonsai, the outer branches you trim to increase
ramification or the "chop" jobs and areas where large sections were removed
to increase taper or remove large sections you don't want??

BTW Roger, you sound like you were well trained by the power companies! :)

Regards,
Dale

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