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While trees can grow in the curb strip between the sidewalk and the street, this placement often poses the problem of interfering with overhead power lines. It’s best to consult your local utility provider and tree planting service before transplanting a tree that might grow into power lines. Also, you should never work within 20 feet of a live power line to avoid the risk of electric shock. Tree branches should never touch nearby power lines, so it’s essential to ensure your tree isn’t in danger of growing too close to them.

Generally, you’ll want to prune back the trunk by 1 to 2 feet each year to promote bushy growth. Doing so concentrates vegetative buds closer to the bottom of the tree, where you can easily harvest fruit. For side shoots that are a year old, leave at least six leaves. 

Never remove more than 30% of a tree’s foliage during pruning—even if your tree is really overgrown. Removing this much foliage at a time could kill your tree.

In the short term, you’ll have a lot of fallen trees to deal with. Tree removal services costs typically start at $200 per tree and increase based on species and size. Then, you’ll have to deal with the loss of trees: That means a loss of shade and a greater risk of rain runoff and erosion. Also, you’ll miss out on the health and aesthetic benefits of having trees on your property, which could even affect the resale value of your home.

That being said, cutting down a tree it’s not always a bad idea. Trees growing too close to rooftops can present fire hazards or debris problems. You may need to remove diseased or dying trees to prevent future issues.

It takes anywhere from three to seven years for a stump to decompose on its own. This timeframe can depend on the kind of tree and your climate. The lower to the ground the stump is, the faster it rots. If you kill a tree stump with salt, boiling water, herbicide, light deprivation, or burning, the tree stump decomposes faster.