As you learned in my last blog, Dr. Alex Shigo is a renowned authority in arboriculture. I have excerpted an interview done with him and hope you find this informative. I will be continuing this series of questions by Dr. Shigo in future posts.
Question: What is the best time of year to prune a tree?
Dr. Shigo - If cutting is made at the branch collar, the tree can be pruned at any time of the year. Back when people did not know of leaving the branch collar, the timing of pruning was more important.
Question: What do you say about utility companies and their opening of trees to let wires pass through?
Dr. Shigo - I respect utility companies; they have made great improvements. I recommend not considering pruning as "line clearing." In most cases, the removal of 3 branches will provide 90% of the needed clearance. It is better to do this than to cut half a branch only to have it resprout and grow again into the wires. It is important not to plant trees under utility wires.
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