The 5 "C's" Of Trimming Trees Along Fence Lines
Trees along a fence line aren't necessarily a problem, but they do require care so they don't cause damage to the fence. Proper pruning is necessary so that the tree remains healthy and attractive.
1. Contact Your Neighbor
If your tree is overhanging the fence into the neighbor's yard, you may need to talk to them before you arrange to trim the tree. Laws can vary. In some municipalities, your neighbor has the legal right to trim back any branches that are on their property. There may also be laws that restrict you or your agent from entering the property to prune the tree without their permission. For these reasons, it's often easier to simply contact and work with your neighbor throughout the pruning project.
2. Check for Overhead Lines
Overhead utility lines often follow or cross fence lines, so verify that there are none that could pose a hazard while you are pruning your tree. If the tree is growing into utility lines, it is best to leave pruning to the professionals. They have the knowledge and tools to trim back the tree safely. Professional tree care services also know the local protocols that govern when a utility company must be notified prior to tree trimming.
3. Clear the Fence
The most important branches to prune off are any that are touching or poking through the fence. On dense evergreens, your pruner will often use hedge clippers to flatten the side of the tree that abuts the fence in order to create a wide space to allow airflow between foliage and fencing. Deciduous and branching evergreens should be limbed up. This entails cutting off the branches entirely if they are lower on the trunk than the fence line so that no branches are growing into the fence.
4. Cut Weak, Heavy Branches
Look up to see if there are any overhanging large, heavy branches that appear weak. Branches that show bark damage, or those with weak crotch angles that cause them to droop downward, are at high risk of breaking off and crashing down upon the fence. Your tree service can remove these branches while doing further pruning to maintain the symmetry of the entire crown. Proactively trimming these out before they break can save the headache of having to repair the fence.
5. Clean Up the Suckers
Suckers typically grow up from around the base of the trunk, or they may form low on the trunk just above ground level. Some species of tree, like cottonwood and lilacs, are more prone to growing suckers. This bushy growth can press against the nearby fence and cause damage. Fortunately, it's simple enough to cut these off as soon as they emerge as they are initially quite small and weak.
Contact a tree pruning service for more help with all of your tree trimming needs.