Power Lines and Palms - cut, leave, butcher?

[DoomsDave]

The responses to my post about my rather giddy delight at the removal of a stupidly planted C. gigas indicated a wide range of attitudes among power companies in the U.S. about palms and ohter plants growing up in them. Some utilities cut down (or try to cut down) anything anywhere near the lines; others ignore a jungle that engulfs the lines.

Here in La Habra, Southern California Edison ("SCE") is relatively aggressive, once the palm starts to produce leaves that might poke into the lines. ZZZZIP! off they come. Often, as they did in my case ,they butcher the palm with the intention of, if not killing it, then impairing its growth badly. Sometimes, as the infamous Rum Swilling Cavaliers did, they come in the middle of the night, give the palm a Sir Walter Raleigh (or Anne Boleyn)* and scatter big pieces all over the yard.

So, what are your experiences, and what's the background? Some utilities' approaches vary a lot from place to place, others don't.

Also, I know that at least one Palm Talker is a lineman himself! Perhaps he can share his experiences and observations from Europe?

 

* They beheaded it.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Interesting DD, but in my case all the power lines are underground so no issues!

It would seem that your last experience was quite good.....except for the trees!

[Pal Meir]

16 minutes ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Interesting DD, but in my case all the power lines are underground so no issues!

Same in (most parts of) Europe.

[Laaz]

Here they send crews around & cut down "anything" growing into the power lines.

 

https://www.sceg.com/for-my-home/manage-my-service/landscaping-tree-trimming/tree-trimming-program

[Butch]

I live next door to Dave, in La Mirada( well not next door, but nearby)..I have had two experiences with SCE and a Foxtail...1st one, about a year ago, very good, a great crew that gave plenty of notice, offered to remove entire tree (including the stump), or trim....I went with the trim job...They used a ladder (no spikes) and did a nice clean job...Quick and easy...A few days ago I got another visit, different crew, used spike to climb the tree, butchered it, and left...Quick, clean but not so painful...I will have to remove the tree at some point, but for now it is the focal point behind my swimming pool...My fault for planting there, but I didn't believe it would get that big...Probably should have gone with the offer of removal last year...

 

Butch

[DoomsDave]

13 minutes ago, Pal Meir said:

Same in (most parts of) Europe.

But, there's an exception, here on palmtalk . . .

[rprimbs]

On my street in Escondido, they let the trees grow more than they probably should.  My neighbor commented that he paid to have some trees next to the street pruned -- when the city should have done it.  I am going to let the city take care of the trees on the street.  I did work for two years as an electrician -- but I was not an outdoor linesman -- and I don't honestly know how dangerous it would be if the power lines on the street touched the wire.  I suspect it would be bad.

[palmfriend]

Well over here there are still a lot of powerlines NOT underground and as a result: power blackouts almost

all the time when a typhoon rushes over the island.

Back to the topic:

I have seen whole streets with aggressively cut trees right under the power lines - the trees are always getting

a full crown back within two, three months - and at other places palms growing almost literally through the lines

with no cut back or trimming. There is just one electric power company on this island and so it is hard to say if

there is a general agenda or not. There are streets with endless lines of beautiful Satakentias, I am wondering

what they are going to do with them when their height gets into a closer distance to the lines - taking them all out...?

I can`t imagine that...

In my case we got lucky. The powerline stopps right at the border of our property and then goes underground.

No cable spoils the view to the south - I am really thankful for that.

Btw, today I planted a Xeroxylon quindiuense at the edge of the property...

best regards

 

Edited October 19, 2016 by palmfriend
misspelt

[rprimbs]

I meant to say "when the tree branches touch the power lines".   When I lived in Logan Utah an eagle touched it's wings to two power lines, caught fire, and fell to the ground -- causing a big wild fire.  Acres of hillside burned.  It was oddly very entertaining to watch as it burned itself out in the evening in the dark.  And I sat out on my front yard with neighbors and we drank beer and talked as we watched it burn.

[Pip]

Due to the occurrence of bush fire here the company that maintains the powerlines is ruthless, keeping vegetation trimmed well away from the powerlines. Although it isn't uncommon to see a Washingtonia robusta growing right through them in urban areas. 

[DoomsDave]

1 hour ago, rprimbs said:

I meant to say "when the tree branches touch the power lines".   When I lived in Logan Utah an eagle touched it's wings to two power lines, caught fire, and fell to the ground -- causing a big wild fire.  Acres of hillside burned.  It was oddly very entertaining to watch as it burned itself out in the evening in the dark.  And I sat out on my front yard with neighbors and we drank beer and talked as we watched it burn.

One morning I was sitting at home when suddenly

WHOOONKK!

All of the power went dead in the whole neighborhood. A hawk had crossed two sources of power, electrocuting itself, and shutting the grid for about 100 houses. It took the better part of a whole week to get back up again.

[Palm Tree Jim]

45 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

One morning I was sitting at home when suddenly

WHOOONKK!

All of the power went dead in the whole neighborhood. A hawk had crossed two sources of power, electrocuting itself, and shutting the grid for about 100 houses. It took the better part of a whole week to get back up again.

Wow...an entire week with no power?

 

[DoomsDave]

1 hour ago, Palm Tree Jim said:

Wow...an entire week with no power?

 

Yes, or close.

[Kim]

In Leilani Estates on Hawaii Island, it was very common to see masses of vines growing over the power lines along the roadside, with huge tree branches from beautiful but highly invasive albizia trees looming over the streets, and every sort of vegetation (including many palms) growing up into and over the lines.  Cut to August, 2014 when Hurricane Iselle, downgraded to a tropical storm, hit the area, and hit it hard.  Damage was severe and widespread, and the power was out for about 2 weeks.  As a result, the power company, HELCO, has become far more proactive about cutting trees, poisoning the invasive albizia trees, and keeping vines clear of the lines.  All their delayed maintenance turned out to be extremely costly in the long run. While it may have been the responsibility of the property owners to control the vegetation, (I'm not sure), the problem ultimately belonged to the power company.  I noticed they are even keeping the ground around the poles completely clear of any sort of vegetation, even grass, definitely a new trend.

There was a very low-hanging telephone line on my property when I first bought the land, and after a tree fell and brought down that line, they agreed to route it to a pole, keeping it higher and out of the way, no charge to me.  Near the lines, some trees are now dying, and that could be a problem.  If the wind begins to blow hard, I become uneasy...

[topwater]

Two of the best looking Phoenix palms in town, but in a really bad spot. I doubt the tree trimmers will let them get much bigger. 

[topwater]

Most look more like this one, a block away. 

[GottmitAlex]

Oh. That is unfortunate,

[Palm Tree Jim]

1 minute ago, topwater said:

Two of the best looking Phoenix palms in town, but in a really bad spot. I doubt the tree trimmers will let them get much bigger. 

That is very close in the picture.....you would think they would have been there by now.

[GottmitAlex]

Looks like they're 6-8ft short. Seems the camera angle is a tad bit deceiving. 

[topwater]

Yes, they're a few feet short of the top three lines. The one on the left may be okay, but the one to the right is aimed dead center into the lines. 

[DoomsDave]

2 hours ago, topwater said:

Two of the best looking Phoenix palms in town, but in a really bad spot. I doubt the tree trimmers will let them get much bigger. 

Ouch.

I see an Anne Boleyn/Walter Raleigh party soon.

When I was a kid, I liked to climb trees and sometimes you could sit right over people and watch and listen to them and they'd never notice you were there (as long as you were quiet and didn't fall on them. ). No one looks up unless something makes them.

Maybe signs under the lines with an arrow pointed skyward, saying "Look up"?

 

[GottmitAlex]

4 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Ouch.

I see an Anne Boleyn/Walter Raleigh party soon.

When I was a kid, I liked to climb trees and sometimes you could sit right over people and watch and listen to them and they'd never notice you were there (as long as you were quiet and didn't fall on them. ). No one looks up unless something makes them.

Maybe signs under the lines with an arrow pointed skyward, saying "Look up"?

 

Love the references.   Yes I figure a phone call will do the trick. But of course, I figure they still have a couple years before the palms cross the verboten threshold.