A tree-trimming fiasco has a concerned renter wondering about a tree's chances of survival.
A Reddit post on r/arborists explains that their landlord needed to clear the tree branches from hanging out onto the street and included photos of the aftermath.
Two photos show close-ups of the trunk, one with a tape measure to display the enormity of the cut, which was 19 inches long. A few shots capture the scope of the tree's position in juxtaposition to the power lines above.
"Can this kill the tree? Will it become diseased because this is so large? Should I spray something on it to protect it (see photo for example)?" the original poster wrote.
Most of the comments agreed that the hacked tree would naturally heal itself.
"Ouch. It's not good. Could be worse, but looks like the best case of a hard 'right tree, wrong place' scenario forced upon it by the utility company," one comment read.
"It won't kill the tree unless there are other severe stresses, but that doesn't look to be the case. It has definitely reduced the tree's lifespan. There's nothing you can do to stop the decay. But decay issues are years in the future. Don't spray the wound. Sprays can, in some cases, speed up decay. Most sealants would have compounds that may be toxic to the tree," an arborist wrote.
"Used to work with an old boy who swore by using bees wax to seal any cut, I still use it and it seems to work," a third advised.
Landlords are notorious for making executive decisions that aren't always in the environment's best interest, such as hacking away trees or botched maintenance jobs that ignore safety protocols. Particularly when it comes to money-saving, eco-friendly lifestyle changes, like gardening or hanging clotheslines to dry their laundry, landlords can be a blockade.
🗣️ What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 Mowing the lawn 🏡
🔘 Controlling weeds 🌿
🔘 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
The good news is that there are methods and guides to help you find ways to work with your landlords to foster change.
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