Power Lines & Harshly Pruned Trees

Q: There are power lines running along the back of our property. The previous owner planted a variety of trees along the back fence. Some of the trees have reached the power lines and the power company pruned them harshly last year. They look terrible. Can we have them pruned to look better or should we remove them?

A: That is a difficult decision that many property owners have to deal with. You will spend a lot of money having the trees shaped. When tree trimmers have to work around power lines, they charge more due to the high risk of electrocution. We hate to lose the screening of established trees, but on the other hand, harshly pruned trees are unsightly and expensive to maintain. Generally, I recommend removing the trees and having them replaced with suitable low-profile trees or large shrubs. Consider Ginnala Maple, Hawthorne or Viburnum varieties.

Written by Kelly Grummons, who writes our Q & A column, is co-owner of the mail order nursery businesses, coldhardycactus.com and dogtuffgrass.com