About to make some neighbors unhappy

That should have said nut pines, not but pines.

1 Like

About 80% done. That went quick.

8 Likes

Lookeslike then neighbor’s trees will provide sufficient screening

When does the play set go?

1 Like

I was going to say the same thing.
It doesn’t look like you really lost much in the way of privacy screening, especially considering the slope and height of the surrounding houses.
As was said earlier, several of your neighbors can see your property no matter what is planted, and vice versa.

1 Like

Haha. With small kids, I’d get in big trouble for that

1 Like

I do not understand why the playset has to go? As a young family with small kids, everyone form the family can enjoy something. Not only just the man “in charge”. I do not seem to hear any opinion from the wife and children. I only hear this is a young family and OP is planning for the long haul…

I remember the days when we bought the last property. I chose the one with big backyard for kids to play baseball. Kids and family were the first consideration, not my own hobby…

1 Like

To me the play set becomes part of the orchard!

3 Likes

Some of the same people who don’t want you to remove the evergreens will complain when you spray for the cedar apple rust the evergreens harbor.

I just doubt anyone would “complain” anything. None of this affects anyone personally. The same thing some homeowners clear 2 acres of woodland to make room for lush lawn or whatever they desire…

This is the place where members share experience and help each other.

3 Likes

As far as I can tell, our native Junipers are the only cohost for CAR. Just for the record based on my quick search.

It may not affect them personally, but he said he had to get approval from the HOA and he thinks some neighbors will be unhappy.

I’m late to this topic, but was initially surprised so many people wanted to keep the evergreens. I personally have removed every non-fruit tree in my yard and just about all the ones at any of my rental properties as well. As far as I can recall, the only ones left at the rentals are along borders (or from over borders) with neighbors. Aside from the benefits for fruit trees, it also means less leaves to cleanup in the fall and less risk of property damage. Not just from falling, but when they are at all close to the house, they can cause growth/mildew on the roof/siding or provide a path for animals to get to the roof. And they could fall on property or people. One of my friends (who doesn’t remove trees) had one at a rental which fell on a neighbor’s car (while they were in it from what I understand, though that seems like an unlikely coincidence) and is being sued.

Maybe I place a lower value on privacy than most. The way the land slopes puts most of my yard in full view to just about everyone in the area (5 intersecting neighbors). I don’t really like curtains either, though I generally try to avoid too much naked time in front of the windows, for the sake of any inadvertent viewers :slight_smile:

In jest, my wife said I’d like to live in a glass house. Which actually sounds kind of neat- at least during the winter. Except for a place to sleep, as you’d want absolute darkness there. While I don’t like curtains, I did cut to size some foam board insulation and permanently cover my bedroom window to ensure a good sleeping environment.

I’m a bit surprised by that as well- it looks huge. Well over my 0.55 acres.

Later in the thread, it was mentioned that some neighbors didn’t build fences, so maybe not everything in the picture part of the OP’s yard.

I’ve never heard of that term. But, then I haven’t been that concerned with making any lawns perfect. Though lawns do have their place- keeping tall weeds down and helping to avoid mud when it is wet and dust when it is dry. But that’s about it- no need to spend a ton of time or effort beyond mowing.

I wouldn’t do that, except if they assured me that they’d be planting it far from my property line. It doesn’t really help if they take the tree and move it just over the line. When I got tree work done recently, I went around asking the neighbors if they’d let me take out trees in their property which are close to the line. Most agreed, though there are still a few pesky sun stealers…

If you have permission now, act while you can. It may be harder to get it in the future, especially if you try to do things slowly and gradually, giving people a chance to complain to the HoA. I’ve had one of the above neighbors change his mind while the tree crew was working. Thankfully, the tree he decided he wanted to keep doesn’t look very healthy (leaning and a partially healed crack over half its length), so I’m hoping nature will eventually claim it.

It takes some time, but you could drill holes in them and wait for them to rot away. Maybe add either potassium nitrate or epsom salts to help speed the process. This is what I’ve started doing recently, though I may pay to have a big one (3+ feet wide) ground in the front yard at a rental.

Yeah- you can make a trellis out of it for grapes or kiwi! :slight_smile:

3 Likes

Hey Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration right? I’m sure you get that a lot from The Office fans.

Yeah at my last house I only had .3 acres. When I cut down a tree in my yard, I also asked a neighbor if I could cut down his large birch shading a good deal of my yard. He said yes and I was ecstatic.

2 Likes

Just my perspective, but I could care less about privacy. As long as there isn’t a large apartment complex behind our house, I’m fine with neighbors looking in. I don’t sunbathe naked and I don’t conduct illegal activities in my backyard so who cares. I like having neighbors and would happily show off my orchard for anybody interested. We actually are in a bit of a valley so about 20 houses can see what we are doing, but we can look up and see what they are doing. Good job knocking out those obstructionist trees.

1 Like

Yup, though I was named before the show!

It’s a good start, but now he needs to work on the neighbor with the crepe myrtles :slight_smile:

1 Like

What I forgot to mention is that some landscape contractors would be happy to dig out those trees for free to replant elsewhere- if it’s not too late, of course.

Maybe Craig’s list could help you reach one or you could simply make a couple phone calls to local landscape contractors. Lots of work going on right now and a demand for evergreens.

2 Likes

I bought the vacant lot next to my house after the owner died. it is in an area of subdivisions but not part of a subdivision. It is about 0.6 acres and similar in size to my lot. I have an order of 100 Pawpaw and 100 Persimmon on order so I can make my orchard by grafting my Asian Persimmon cultivars.
I hired a forestry mulcher and then rented an excavator to take out what the mulcher left. I did leave a native mulberry and a native persimmon (male I suspect) that I will graft too. I have access to tons of wood chips and also beer grain (compost).
All the neighbors who live near or walk by seem to love the idea. Two asian ladies are becoming friends since they also love my Jujube.
The only sort of complaint was a next door neighbor who said he was surprised the church across the street has not complained about the mess.

1 Like

A real church would offer to help you clean up the mess, not just complain about it.

2 Likes

Actually it was a neighbor who said he was surprised they did not complain. I took it as his way of complaining but shifting the blame of complaining.

1 Like