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PraticalGardener
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Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:02 pm
Location: Potomac Highlands region, West Virginia, USA (Zone 6a?)

Pear near electricity line, pollard or start over?

In short, what are your suggestions or recommendations? I am also open to advice of how to properly prune, or not to prune, a pear tree.

This pear tree is about 9 1/2 feet away from the electricity line to the main trunk, which is about 4" thick in diameter. I attempted to prune the bottom third of it in 2016, after neglecting it for years. :? I also cannot reach all the way to the top with the tree pruner.

We have plenty of space in the yard to plant, away from any similar hazards, as long as we keep the deer and livestock (a llama and some sheep) from browsing on it. :roll:
Partly pruned pear tree near electricity line.
Partly pruned pear tree near electricity line.
Partly pruned pear tree near electric line resized.jpg (42.53 KiB) Viewed 11163 times

imafan26
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Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I don't think it is worth risking your life for it. It would be better to have it professionally done. Here, the utility company actually does the tree trimming near the power lines. But the trees are mostly on city property.

JONA
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Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

Take a deep breath and cut the top off to this level.
Then wait a year and see the extent of re growth before any more trimming.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FpUJ47jekEPMk9ry8

This is removing around a half of the trees top.
Do this in the winter once the trees dormant.
I think in a year one or two of the top branches left may have to go or you will finish with a ‘ bottle brush’ with all the growth at the top of the tree...but it’s quite possible to make a nice fruiting tree from this.
Pears are tough!

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PraticalGardener
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Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:02 pm
Location: Potomac Highlands region, West Virginia, USA (Zone 6a?)

Thank-you everyone. According to this utility company, in this case the tree falls to the landowner's responsibility, since it is along the service drop. The service drop is the electricity line between the last utility pole and the house.

I completely agree that it is not worth getting hurt, but I can eliminate one danger by first turning off the electricity to the house temporarily. If there is no electric current active, then there is no electric current to ground out, therefore no shock. Even so, I don't intend to make any physical contact with the electricity line.



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