I know that (in most jurisdictions) you’re generally allowed to prune or harvest from branches that overhang your property line, but what about grafting onto them?
My next door neighbors moved out recently and their house is for sale, no new neighbors yet. They have a mountain ash tree (probably planted by the birds) along their side of the fence line, which mostly hangs onto my side. I understand that mountain ash work as rootstock for some pears at least, maybe apples? I haven’t looked into compatibility that much yet.
Obviously the new owners might decide to remove the tree, but other than that risk, does this seem to be within my rights? I’d just ask them but for the moment it’s a vacant house with no one to ask.
I would graft it… Most people know nothing about grafting, so most likely they wouldn’t even notice it until it start producing(if they notice!). And by then “it was done few years ago before you got here, do you want I graft your side too? ” . My neighbors allowed me to plant raspberries and flowers on piece of their land they didn’t use. When they sold the house I came to the new neighbors and asked, if they plan to use down portion of their land and if they want me to continue to maintain it in exchange of the allowance to plant things there, and they happily agreed.
If you’d like to try any of the following: Honeysweet, Aurora, Madame Boutant, Blake’s Pride - I have scions of these in refer waiting to graft. The scions are from Cummins Nursery and they are beauties…1/4" diameter and 2’ long. Since there’s no way I will be using more than 6", the rest of the length will go to waste!
Btw Shipova should work fine since it’s a Euro X Mt. Ash cross. I sent off some Shipova scions last month but now the tree is flowering- so not right time for scions. Would be interested to see if scion from an established Shipova grafted onto an established Ash rootstock would take less that the 7 years I waited for Shipova to fruit!
In this specific circumstance it may be fine, but discretion would be critical.
Imagine if you had a tree you cared about with a branch crossing a property line. Sure, the neighbor could trim it if it bothered them, but what if they put a graft on it instead? What if that graft happened to be some cool old heirloom variety that was carrying viruses? Now those are transferred to your whole tree.
It’s cool to make frankentrees at your own risk, but in this case the tree owner isn’t given the opportunity to decide if they’re willing to take that risk.
i can say pear grows very well on mountain ash. got 6 cultivars on mine. the tree literally doesnt have a ash branch on it. ill be adding shipova this spring from scions taken from my aronia/ shipova tree. i say go for it! what do you got to lose? they are weeds here too. might as well get something edible out of it.
I focused on the ones I will be able to reach from my porch once they grow out. Most of the rest of the branches on my side are higher up (that’s my porch roof on the left):
” . My neighbors allowed me to plant raspberries and flowers on piece of their land they didn’t use. When they sold the house I came to the new neighbors and asked, if they plan to use down portion of their land and if they want me to continue to maintain it in exchange of the allowance to plant things there, and they happily agreed.
