The Tree Butcher Returns...

...or how not to prune an avocado tree as well as tick off the neighbor. As I said in a previous post, let a man get his hands on a chain saw and say goodbye to every tree and bush in sight. I don't understand this mindset at all. The tree butcher has returned and is hacking the living daylights out of an over hanging avocado tree on the other side of the property. Just amazing. All the lower branches have been removed so when the tree fruits next fall, no one will be able to pick any of it, even with an extendible fruit picker basket.

In the last few days, I found out that the property had fallen into foreclosure and was sold. Obviously the new owner must be completely anti-foliage. Reminds me of a period about 15-20 years ago when a number of cities in the area had to institute stricter rules about tree cutting because people moving into those neighborhoods were cutting down every tree in sight on their properties. Old, beautiful tree-covered blocks were suddenly total barren of any greenery other than grass.

It's not that I'm a tree-hugger, but I believe in using trees for shade and beauty. They need to be properly trimmed so they grow in a formation conducive to their on-going health. Since moving to LA ages ago,  I've noticed with few exceptions, that the men who are gardeners here have very little knowledge of how to properly trim trees. Often times you see trees devoid of leaves and limbs cut back to just a few feet in length but no real shaping...just brute hacking. Every now and then you find one who "gets" it but they're few and far between.

The problem with this kind of butchery is that the tree turns into a malformed bush on a trunk and eventually will be so ugly, it'll get cut down. I find this totally infuriating since it takes so little to understand how to prune the average tree and yet so long for them to grow into shade trees. Fruit trees are a different story and require more care and thought when being trimmed. I found this out when I planted two peach trees at my last house. They require a vase-like shape so the fruit will get sun evenly. That's why the apricot and other stone fruit trees in the yard behind this rental never bear any decent fruit. They're essentially a bush on a trunk, so all the fruit is hidden among the branches, leaves and cobwebs. So it just rots, never ripening, which is sad.

Untrimmed, unshaped apricot tree (center)

What's also odd about this unknown new tree hating owner is how much care was taken in the painting and color choices used on the two houses. The house in the front has an historical designation and is a craftsman style. It looks great in the colors that were chosen, but cutting down all the foliage just doesn't fit with the architectural style of the house. Well, after three hours of chain saw noise, they're done and now painting the newly installed front fence. They're also gracing the neighbors with Banda music blaring from their truck.

Well, that's my pontificating for the day. I'm just glad the avocado tree on this property isn't overhanging their yard!

P.S. It's about 4:45 p.m. and I just looked out the back door. Apparently the windmill palm in the corner of this yard had the audacity to extend two fronds peeking over their fence a few inches, because they've been hacked off and tossed into my yard. The guy is a real $&^#@ jerk.

Funny, I told my friend that I was going to put aluminum foil up on the west facing windows to help block some of the heat and she laughed saying, now they're really going to think you're a crazy old lady. Frankly, I don't care, maybe I am. Lol!