Douglas L. Airhart & Guy Zimmerman III
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Topping Hurts- Power & Utility Lines: Topping is commonly seen on trees underneath utility (mainly electronic, telephone and cable) lines. Some utility companies have specifications showing this to be a prescribed technique, but we are encouraging changes to those specifications. One change is to prescribe that all trees planted directly under utility lines be removed and replaced with better trees planted an appropriate distance from the lines. Short trees with a mature height of 15 to 20 feet should be planted at least eight feet from the utility easement line. Medium trees with a mature height of 30 to 50 feet should be planted at least 15 feet from the lines. Larger trees should be planted at least 30 feet from the lines. An alternative to topping is height reduction using selective pruning to remove the tallest and widest branches while preserving the tree form and structure.
Another possible change affects the appearance of the trees, using a technique called “through pruning”. This lets the tree remain but removes internal branches in the center of the tree to provide clearance for the utility lines. Some Tree City USA cities have ordinances that prohibit topping of trees. In these cases, utility companies have been removing the trees that would normally be topped. However, those utility companies do not necessarily provide replacement trees. | ... |
Purpose Right Tree / Right Place Selecting Trees Transplanting Trees Mulching & Staking Summary Diagram Pruning Trees Topping Hurts! Protecting Trees Tree Root Myths Pine Bark Beetles Live Christmas Trees Glossary List of Figures List of Video Vignettes Related Links Bibliography
TLCforTrees.info is maintained by: Douglas Airhart, Ph.D. Certified Arborist & Jeff Plant, Ph.D, Last Updated on: 07/11/03 |
