I need to vent

[NickHubbell]

Now, I need to start by letting everyone know that yard work is not my favorite thing. I mow the yard hoping it will be done soon an only trim when I have to.

Now, my neighbor has recently gotten a new boyfriend who has started to mow her yard and trim around her trees. This is all good and well. However, the other day, we noticed someone in our yard mowing and trimming. My initial reaction was to tell them to "Get off my yard!". But once I noticed who he was (not having actually met him) I figured it was ok. However, today I was looking at my two year old apple trees and noticed something different about them. The "bleep bleep" boyfriend ringed my trees with his weed eater. I now wish I had told him to get off my yard. Err, this makes me so mad. Why do people come over and do someone elses yard work for them? My yard is no worse than her yard is and there was really no reason for someone to come over and trim my trees. Let alone wack a ring all the way around the trunks. These are only 1 inch in diameter and are now wilted. I am so so so so mad right now.

Ok, there is my vent. Thanks for listening.

 

[Spectabilis73]

Nick, it is illegal for someone to trim anything on your side of the fence. looks like you got a lawsuit on your hands

 

 

 

[Spectabilis73]

Oh, and do you wanna go kill some people on starcraft? it really helps when you're mad (works for me anyways)

 

[NickHubbell]

I have a feeling he didn't know it wasn't her yard. Our houses are kinda odd here. Mine is the corner lot and hers is the next house down. It looks like our South side yard is here East side yard. So, it may have just been a mistake.

However, one should no not to use a weed eater right up against a tree or at least a very young tree as it stips the bark right off of them.

On top of this, I learned that a Ohio Buckeye tree a gave a cooworked got mowed over right after planting by her eldest son. His comment "I was wondering what those markers were for, I picked them up so I wouldn't move over them." Hmm, could those be markers to mark a tree?

P.S. Already did the SC thing...

 

[Copper]

Nick, I feel your pain. I now build planter sections around my new trees and bushes because my husband and eldest son just can not seem to see the difference between grass, trees, and bushes. After loosing about ten in one year I gave up.

 

[adnedarn]

Nick, I've heard of people using the floor wax "Future" in a spray bottle to cover plants and protect them.  I know it is done for bamboo (kinda like putting them in a big ole zip loc baggie)...  not sure about trees.  Contact me on IM and I'll get ya in contact with him...   It may help your trees...
Andrew

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Tell your neighbor about it, and ask for compensation. I would do this in a registered letter. If you don't get a response, send 2 more letters. If you want to go legal after this, you have a record of the offense and the refusal to compensate. Tresspass and property damage are crimes.

 

[fatboy]

Whoa there Nick, just slow down and count to 10.
Try and be a little positive first and consider that the guy was, in all probability, trying to be nice?
I have actually never heard of anyone doing something like that but I personally enjoy yard work and if I were to go and do someone's yard it would be as a nice favour for them. Maybe your neighbour knows you don't enjoy it and mentioned it to her new b/friend?

I agree with Tamlin but I'd take a less serious attitude at least to start.
Go and speak with them, maybe thank them for the nice "surprise" and then tell them about the apple trees and see what the reaction is.
If the trees are going to die then tell them and say you'd like them replaced.

I wouldn't start getting too heavy until you know what their attitude is. They may be apologetic and offer to replace them without your having to be too forceful in which place you will remain friendly with them. Isn't that much more preferable to storming over there and shooting the house down which will make things uncomfortable for both sides?

Cheers, Troy.

PS I just re-read your last post, what's the "SC thing"?

 

[lavenderdawn]

star craft
(I just got finished chatting with spec)

 

[peter]

Take it easy Nick! I'm sure it was a accident...

 

[PlantAKiss]

I'm sorry that happened Nick.  

  I know that will be hard if you lose your trees.

Maybe they were trying to be helpful.  I'd LOVE it if someone helped me with my yard without asking.  Or perhaps like you said the guy didn't realize it was your yard.

I know how you feel though...I hired a guy to trim out some dead limbs in the dogwood tree in my front yard.  DEAD LIMBS mind you.  I came home from work to find out he cut the dead branches ...AND cut the main trunk of the tree which was healthy.  I could SEE live branches with green leaves...wonder why HE couldn't!  To top it off...he took the "remains" and threw them all over my crape myrtle in the back...instead of putting the debris over at the trash cans only 7 yards away.  Needless to say...I now have a dead stump of a dogwood tree.  

 He was an idiot.  He got fired.

Hope your trees make it or your neighbor replaces them.

 

[droseradude]

If he knocked apples off your tree while trimming it, take them and throw them so they explode apple juice all over his driveway or wall or something, if you think that's legal. or play halo

edit: you'd probably cause a neighborhood feud if you did the apple thing, so just throw them into the street and watch them explode.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

I tend to be touchy about people wandering around on my property doing things to my plants. Fatboy is right, a more initial gentle approach would be best.

Always save the guns till the end.

Hope it all comes out nice as apple pie!

 

[Lauderdale]

Hey Nick, Get a Doberman, post signs "Perro Bravo" (this takes care of any legal ramifications) and hope the guy can't read Spanish.

 

[NickHubbell]

I covered the trunks with some wound sealer. One tree is still hanging on and appears to have enough of the cambium layer to make it. The second tree has stopped wilting, or at least recovered somewhat over night with the lower temperatures. There was alot of exposed wood and it didn't appear to have a cambium layer left. However, there may be enough left under a sucker shoot that protected a small portion of the trunk from the main force of the string.

I know he was being nice. We planted those trees when we moved in and planned on enjoying them for many years. It seems that ever time we get something nice, someone else has to ruin it.

Anyway, thanks for all the comments. I have calmed down.

 

[fatboy]

Hi Nick

Good to hear that the trees are looking are OK, that you have calmed down and that your neighbour was trying to be helpful.

I would still go over and have a friendly chat to him and mention the trees so that he doesn't unwittingly finish the job on another occasion. He may also learn something from you if you explain what has happened so you will all benefit.

Cheers, Troy.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Lauderdale,

You pixie, you!

 

[schloaty]

Arg, that's annoying. I think Tamlin and Troy are right, though, it was most likely a mistake...he probably doesn't even know he made!
I had that happen last year, when I planted some sunflowers....And the development landscapers chopped them down with a weed eater. You can't tell me THEY didn't know they messed up....The flowers fell over in front of them!

 

[Finch]

Quote[/b] ] tend to be touchy about people wandering around on my property doing things to my plants. Fatboy is right, a more initial gentle approach would be best.

Always save the guns till the end.

I dont like anyone doing ANYTHING to the yard without asking me first. Like mowing the crocuses poking between the grass. Like the nosy little neibor gril "gardening" in our yard(that is, ripping out the plants in the garden and replanting them upsidown OR burying them all togeather.) did i mention she also enters our house if its unlocked?

Or even if its outside the our property i get mad sometimes.

Like... oh i dont know... the builder of the house out back sloping the yard (it WAS originaly FLAT) so that the runoff drains into the yard. OR one of our neibors planting a spruce 10 feet ftom our garden, shading it out. We had to move the garden. Not easy with a raised bed.