It s time to. the trees. We will soon be in your area, pruning trees, to provide safe and reliable electric service. Save this guide.

Transcription

1 It s time to trim the trees We will soon be in your area, pruning trees, to provide safe and reliable electric service. Save this guide.

2 Trees are among our community s most beneficial, valuable and beautiful assets. They grace our landscape, provide cooling shade from the hot sun and give food and shelter to birds and wildlife. And they reduce our energy needs when they are planted in the appropriate places. When they are planted without regard to surrounding space or are not properly maintained, however, they can cause problems that grow worse each year like unwanted shade, expensive removal fees, property damage, hazards to people and other plantings and disruption of utility service. Keeping power lines clear helps keep your lights on. Trees are directly responsible for the majority of our electrical power outages. This is one of the major concerns we face. By trimming these trees before they cause an outage, we help create a safer environment and provide you with the reliable service you expect.

3 Trees in your neighborhood are scheduled for pruning in the coming weeks. This guide is designed to answer your questions about the pruning process. We employ certified arborists who oversee the experienced tree professionals contracted to perform the work. You will not be billed for this service. How trees cause power outages Tree branches don t have to break to cause problems. Limbs swaying into power lines can cause widespread outages or short circuits. Branches that extend over power lines need to be removed before high winds, snow or ice cause them to break and fall, causing a power outage that could affect an entire neighborhood. Correct Cuts Cutting at nodes Trimming away from power lines After top trimming After through trimming After side trimming Incorrect Cuts Between nodes Topping or shaping How much to prune? Our crews prune only the trees that may interfere with power line safety and reliability. The amount of pruning required depends on several things: Trimming cycles Tree limbs are trimmed far enough back from power lines so they won t grow back into the lines before the next scheduled pruning. Our region s typical pruning cycle is four to five years. Tree location Trees near high-voltage power lines must be trimmed more extensively. In cases where trees are especially close to these lines, it may be preferable to remove the trees altogether. Growth rate Faster-growing trees need to be pruned more extensively than those that grow more slowly. Fast-growing trees include black locust, willow, silver maple, mulberry, or yellow poplar, which can grow 15 to 20 feet in just four years. Right and wrong ways to prune Your trees will be pruned by experienced professionals, and the work will be supervised by KU s certified arborists. While our crews prune trees specifically to ensure power line clearance, they use pruning methods designed to protect healthy trees. Branches are pruned where they join with the tree trunk or parent branch, and cuts are made along the same natural lines where a tree would normally shed a branch. The process involves cutting as close as possible to the branch collar without injuring or removing the collar. This directional pruning offers many advantages over traditional tree topping: Tree growth is directed away from power lines. Fewer sprouts and suckering require pruning less often. There are fewer wounds created, and any wounds that are made heal better. Pruning can be started when the tree is young, and it is encouraged to grow naturally. While some tree owners say they prefer topping or shaping trees, this requires numerous cuts between nodes, which can lead to weak suckers, cracks, rot and disease. Topping ultimately shortens the life of the tree.

4 Recognizing Tree Hazards and Determining When To Remove A Tree We occasionally find trees that seriously threaten our power lines and, thus, our ability to provide safe and reliable service. These trees may be diseased, weak, dying, leaning or damaged. In these instances, removal of these hazardous trees may be the best solution. The trees may be within or outside of the right-of-way. While it is the ultimate responsibility of the property owner to provide for the safety of trees on their property, evaluating the seriousness of some of the common defects is best done by a professional arborist. Regular tree care will help identify hazardous trees and the risk(s) they present. We also prefer to remove trees that are in very close proximity to our power lines, especially if they would require severe or extensive trimming if they are not removed. Removal in these cases is preferred because intense trimming will drastically alter the tree s normal appearance. Other candidates for removal are volunteer saplings growing under power lines. These weed trees have no room for future, natural development. Removal of a tree is determined on a case by case basis. Be assured that we will not remove trees without written permission from the property owner. The one exception is during an emergency situation when the tree poses an immediate threat and the property owner cannot be reached. Free Mulch Small branches are made into wood chip mulch, which is available free to KU customers (in truck load quantities only). It is ideal for use in pathways and established woody plantings, but it is not recommended for annuals, perennials or vegetables until it has aged for at least a year. Contact us to learn more about our wood chip giveaway program. Removal of Storm Debris During severe weather and emergency situations, our efforts are focused on public safety and restoring electric service to all impacted customers as quickly as possible. In these situations, our crews do not haul away debris, fallen trees and broken limbs. Such debris is left on site.

5 What happens next? In addition to this notification, we also will attempt to notify you by phone with a recorded message before we begin our work. After trees are pruned, small branches may be fed through a wood chipper for the crew s disposal. Larger branches are cut, stacked and left behind for the property owner. Let us know what you think After the pruning is complete, we may contact you to ask a few questions about your experience with our tree program. We appreciate and welcome your feedback since it will help ensure we provide a positive experience in the future. Contact us with questions If you have additional questions or need more information about our tree-pruning program, please contact us. What things should I consider before planting? Important questions to ask yourself When you plant trees, you are investing in the future. To protect your investment, you must ask yourself several questions including: How much space do I have? Is this the right type of tree for this location? How tall and wide will this tree be when it matures? Will this tree enhance my property aesthetically and financially as it matures? Will the tree be a positive energy conservation addition to my home? Where should I plant the tree to ensure it does not interfere with overhead power lines? Will the tree be able to beautifully mature and fully develop or will it require constant (and sometimes severe) pruning to exist in the spot I ve chosen? Answering all of these questions is essential to good planning. If you plan before you plant, you will be sure to plant the right tree in the right place. You ll have a beautiful landscape you can live with and one that will enhance your entire neighborhood. Consider the Tree Being Planted On the following pages, we have compiled a list of tree and shrub varieties and classified them - based on their height at maturity into three zones. These are only suggested varieties as there are many other good varieties available.

6 Cornelian cherry dogwood Smoke tree Winter king hawthorn Zone 1: Shrubs Royal star Zone1: magnolia Large shrubs or small eversweetbay greens and hardwood trees magnolia with mature heights Ann Magnolia ranging from 15 to 30 feet. Flowering Crabs 20 Yellow flowers early spring 30 Green- and red-leafed varieties Red berries in winter 20 White blooms in spring 30 Tulip-like blossoms in spring Pinkish-white tulip flowers in spring Choose disease-resistant Zone 2: tree lilac Japanese 30 White blooms late spring Intermediate-height trees with Red buckeye Red blooms mature heights ranging from Akebono fltoowering 75 feet. cherry Plant these trees Pinkish-white flowers in spring at least 30 feet away from Carolina silverbell White bell-like flowers in spring the nearest power line. These American varieties could be considered hornbeam Ky. native; beech-like foliage small shade trees or largeornamentals. Their width and height can be nearly equal. Paw paw 20 Tropical-like foliage, edible fruit Crepe Myrtle 15 Train into multi-trunk flowering tree Zone 3: Witch hazel 15 Winter bloomer Large shade trees with mature heights of 75 feet or more. Plant these trees at least Hop-hornbeam Good native ornamental tree 45 feet away from the nearest power line. Zone 1: Small Trees Zone 2: Intermediate or Medium Trees Species Drained Moist Katsura Sun Yellowwood Mature Shade Height (ft.) Value and Remarks 75 Aristocrat Pear Native; white, pea-like blooms 45 Best of the ornamental pears 60 Yellow fall color 50 Choose patented varieties Sawtooth Oak Honeylocust Good yellow fall color 60 Foster Holly Avoid exposure to windy locations Sourwood 75 Beautiful mid-summer bloomer 45 Berries range from red to yellow American Holly Zone 3: Large Trees Species Drained Moist Sun Mature Shade Height (ft.) Value and Remarks Red maple 80 Choose patented varieties Sugar maple Yellow-orange fall color River birch 90 Multi-trunk specimen Ginkgo Choose named varieties Tulip poplar Shiny leaves; yellow fall color Sweetgum 1 Maroon-purple fall color Blackgum 90 Brilliant red fall color White oak Wide-spreading; slow grower Bald cypress Ferny needle-like foliage Zelkova 70 Choose patented varieties American elm New disease-resistant varieties Pin oak Sensitive to high ph Willow oak 75 Excellent shade tree Red oak Rapid grower of the oaks White Pine Problems in heavy clay soils Norway spruce Short, dark green needles Hemlock Can withstand shearing

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