 Developers and Builders
Avoid Utility Conflicts Part of selecting the right tree for the right space is harmonizing desired landscape with overhead and underground utility lines and cables. Today’s live oak sapling will gradually outgrow the vertical space beneath power and telephone lines. In order to maintain clearance around these lines, utility companies are forced to prune and cut crowding trees, sometimes aggressively.
Long-term periodic cuts of that nature will not only distort tree structure, but render the tree increasingly vulnerable to pest and disease. Without clearance cutting, contact between trees and overhead utility lines can disrupt service, or pose public safety risks.
We encourage you to consider the unseen part of a tree, its root system, before landscaping a project. The root structure of a large tree often exceeds the volume of its branch spread. Although underground lines do not generally harm tree growth, servicing and repairing underground pipes and cables often includes digging and trenching. In either case, delicate root systems may be exposed or damaged, ultimately compromising the tree’s ability to sufficiently anchor or feed itself.
Check growth space guidelines for above and underground for the trees on the Tree Catalogue page.
To determine the existence of any underground utility pipes or lines, call SUN-SHINE or 1-800-432-4770, before planting trees. |