What the heck happened to those trees?

I have had several calls and comments regarding the recent tree “pruning” alongside highways, byways, and right of ways in the Miami Valley. People are appalled at the raggedy results of pruning. Trees are ragged, torn up and just look plain awful.

Who in the world prunes like this? It goes against every pruning tactic I have talked about in this column. It goes against everything you have ever learned about pruning.

BUT, and it’s a really big BUT, it’s absolutely essential that these plants are pruned. It’s a public safety issue that must be addressed. And, the pruning method used is the quickest, least expensive way to do it.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is responsible for keeping our highways safe. It is a must to keep the visibility and sight line on our roads. The plants that you see totally obliterated are those that must be cut back so that road safety and visibility is ensured.

There are strict regulations for line of sight, planting trees and shrubs in right of ways, and for pruning and keeping plants out of the way.

The equipment used to “prune” these plants is sometimes a flail mower, which can be turned up on its side and run along the edge, or a machine that totally shreds the plant, quickly.

While I know that this type of pruning is painful to see, think about this. How long would it take to prune these trees, which are likely mixed in with a bunch of shrubs?

If you did this using proper pruning techniques, it would take a considerable amount of time and labor. This translates to tax dollars. So, to be most efficient, those responsible for this task use machines to do the job.

The result isn’t always pretty, but the job is completed quickly.

In addition, keep in mind that the plants, a mix of trees and shrubs usually, are almost always what we consider “weed” trees. They are a mix of honeysuckle, cottonwood, and others that are quick to germinate and grow.

In other words, no one planted them in these areas on purpose. If someone planted a tree or shrub in the right of way, well, they have to deal with the pruning consequences. This is always something to keep in mind when you landscape your property.

This type of pruning won’t kill these plants either. They are usually pretty tough plants and take just about anything.

Finally, while they may look pretty bad during the dormant season, wait until they leaf out. New growth this spring will cover all of the ragged edges and you won’t even remember how bad they looked this winter.

Electric line clearing is something frustrating for homeowners, particularly if you have an evergreen tree that has half missing. Again, this is absolutely essential for safety and continued power.

Always remember — don’t plant trees under power lines and you won’t have to worry about this.

If you want to see something really crazy, check out the videos of arborists using an aerial saw (attached to a helicopter) to prune trees along hard to reach power lines! It’s pretty incredible — and crazy!

Pamela Corle-Bennett is the state master gardener volunteer coordinator and horticulture educator for Ohio State University Extension. Contact her by email at bennett.27@osu.edu.