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Got into it with a homeowner in Bend over topping a 40 ft maple, and I can't stop thinking about what he said
He told me his dad topped the same tree in 1988 and it came back thicker than ever, so why should he pay $1,400 for a proper crown reduction when the free hack job worked fine. I tried explaining the rot and weak sprouts but he just nodded and said the tree 'wants to live.' Do you push back hard on these folks or walk away and let the tree teach the lesson?
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alexe7525d ago
I see this same thing with folks who swear by the old ways on everything from truck maintenance to home repairs. My uncle ran straight 30 weight in his 84 F150 for 300,000 miles and never had a problem, but that doesn't mean it was the right call, it just means he got lucky and engines back then were more forgiving. Trees are the same deal, that 1988 topping might have looked fine for a while but a 40 foot maple can take 30 plus years to show the real damage, hollow limbs and all. The "tree wants to live" line gets me though, because yeah it does, but surviving isn't the same as being healthy, and the guy will probably be dead before that tree finally gives out and drops a limb on his roof. I usually give it one honest shot with the science, then walk if they won't hear it, because you can't out-argue a guy who's already decided his dad knew everything. Some lessons only land when the tree does.
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