Why do people trim their trees so funny around power lines?
I know. Some of those trees look pretty funny at times. Unfortunately, when trees grow near power lines, they need to be constantly cut back so they don’t touch the wires. If they were allowed to grow untrimmed, they could cause fires and power outages through contact with the lines. Most Towns have contracts with utility tree trimming companies that are trained in the proper way to cut the limbs. Some of the most common ways of pruning are to create a “Y” shape so the limbs grow away from the wires. Along some country roads, I’ve seen a tunnel created with the wires going through it. I’ve also seen some poor pruning where the tree has been “topped” or cut to just stubs. This just creates a mess that quickly grows back and requires more frequent pruning, not to mention a pretty ugly tree. The best way to eliminate these funny looking trees is either not to plant a tree under the power lines or to plant a tree that will not grow as tall as the wires. The Urban Forest Advisory Commission
