Hi experts! New to this forum and very much need your advice!
We have a 70+ year old gorgeous and huge Southern Magnolia (the evergreen one) that is the centerpiece of our front yard (see google image for perspective - the street is along the top and it's the big tree in the top center).
Unfortunately it lives under power lines so every bunch of years it has to get hacked by the Asplundh guys (no offense to them) who work with the local power company (Dominion Power). Every time it looks terrible because they cut a huge 'L' out of the thing right it in it's most visible spot from the street. Well, today was apparently the day and they started out on the gruesome task again. I had a friendly chat with them (in which the guy said he wished every customer was as friendly as me about their trees) but end result is they are coming back tomorrow and they seemed open to whatever I wanted to ask but I therefore urgently need to know from both an arborist's aesthetics and health of the tree perspective:
-Should I have them leave it in as minimal a trim as possible (i.e. the dreaded and ugly "L" shape)
-Should I ask them to cut it more straight (or angled) down the street side) all the way down as it sticks out too far into the street anyway
-Should I see if they would cut off any portion of the top
-Should I ask them (if they'd be willing) to even out the tree in any other way
I was reading these things don't take a pruning very well, especially a hard one. But I do know this tree is pretty old for a southern magnolia, and it's taken this same power line trimming lots of times in the past (including several since we've been here). I just happened to be around this time with the ability to potentially wield some influence and special requests.
Please help! They are expected to return tomorrow and I need to give them my best request for the health and good looks of the tree!
See photos of current state
We have a 70+ year old gorgeous and huge Southern Magnolia (the evergreen one) that is the centerpiece of our front yard (see google image for perspective - the street is along the top and it's the big tree in the top center).
Unfortunately it lives under power lines so every bunch of years it has to get hacked by the Asplundh guys (no offense to them) who work with the local power company (Dominion Power). Every time it looks terrible because they cut a huge 'L' out of the thing right it in it's most visible spot from the street. Well, today was apparently the day and they started out on the gruesome task again. I had a friendly chat with them (in which the guy said he wished every customer was as friendly as me about their trees) but end result is they are coming back tomorrow and they seemed open to whatever I wanted to ask but I therefore urgently need to know from both an arborist's aesthetics and health of the tree perspective:
-Should I have them leave it in as minimal a trim as possible (i.e. the dreaded and ugly "L" shape)
-Should I ask them to cut it more straight (or angled) down the street side) all the way down as it sticks out too far into the street anyway
-Should I see if they would cut off any portion of the top
-Should I ask them (if they'd be willing) to even out the tree in any other way
I was reading these things don't take a pruning very well, especially a hard one. But I do know this tree is pretty old for a southern magnolia, and it's taken this same power line trimming lots of times in the past (including several since we've been here). I just happened to be around this time with the ability to potentially wield some influence and special requests.
Please help! They are expected to return tomorrow and I need to give them my best request for the health and good looks of the tree!
See photos of current state
