This blog has many notes describing different types of
trees, their usefulness to the planet and on promoting the growth of more trees
around the planet published over the last decade or so, as well as elsewhere and in books by the author. In this effort, this author has been inspired by the present
Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, from a time much before he was the
PM. It has been described in an earlier post of this blog in the twenty-twenty
initiative. In turn he too may have gathered a few ideas from this blog as the
buried pitcher near trees idea. Links of interest to him from the author’s
various blogs are often tweeted to him.
However trees create
problems on occasions when grown in home gardens and near buildings. While trees in a forest or a large park may be allowed to
grow freely to their full potential, those in home gardens and streets have to
be pruned from time to time, especially when they crowd into each other and
interfere with the functions of the building or street. This hurts tree lovers
like this blogger but it is an unavoidable necessity. This need becomes acute
when tree branches interfere with overhead electrical wires if any or jut into
walls so as to damage them. While city authorities organize pruning of trees on
roads, those inside homes has to be done by the home owners themselves.
When a tree grows near the boundary of a home, branches may
extend into a neighbors home. Since one cannot go into a neighbors property at
will and does not know if those branches are producing pain or pleasure for them,
the understanding on this in neighborhoods around the world is that one may
freely prune tree branches that project into one’s property without informing
the neighbor if one felt it was necessary to do so. It is the right of a
property owner to do so. In case the problem is severe a neighbor may be
requested to remove that tree altogether.
Since I have lived in my present home, off and on for over
twenty five years, many such trees have been pruned by me over the years in my home.
The garden scenario is an ever changing one, at times like a dense forest, at
others, somewhat sparse, at times full of flowers, at others with just a lot of
foliage in their varied hues. One enjoys the changes over the years as one
enjoys the change of seasons with the grace of Mother Earth.
The Two Trees
Let me now come to the tale of two trees that created
difficulties for me recently. Both of these trees grow on the front south side
of my home. The first is an Indian Black berry (Jamun) tree and the second a
drumstick tree. The building construction is close to the boundary wall on this
side and an overhead electric wire also runs into the home here. Therefore, I
was a bit worried about the trees from the day they were grown. However, I
decided to enjoy them for a while and prune or remove them if and when it
became necessary. Moreover the plot on the South side was a vacant lot to begin
with at the time these trees were grown and one could easily enter there to
prune from that side too.
Even giant trees can be kept very small in home gardens with
proper pruning and root confinement as we learn from the Japanese art of
Bonsai. I have grown many such over the years and continue to including gifting
a Bonsai Peepul tree (a huge tree in full form), a tree of good fortune and blessings, in 2007 to a neighbor who appears
in this story again.
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| A seven year old Casia tree growing as a miniature in author's garden |
In time the neighbor just mentioned purchased the adjoining
plot on the South side it seems and began to develop some parking spaces and a
garden in it. They grew a handsome row of the slender Ashoka trees along their
northern wall (my southern side). Those of the trees that got full room for
their roots to expand have grown tall and erect now but others that were hemmed
in by paving and other trees remained slender and weak. Nevertheless they
managed to stand erect either tied to or supported by the two trees just
described.
Those two were going large with time, especially now because
the advantage of being able to prune them from both sides was gone as soon as
the other plot got occupied. However, I kept them pruned from time to time on my
side of property so that they do not interfere with overhead electrical wiring
since that is dangerous and can cause electric current to spread, especially
when it rains. The drumstick tree has to pruned also because if allowed to grow
tall, its branches can break and fall in a gust, it being a soft wood tree.
I suggested to the neighbors that may do so similarly if
they like but since they had no electrical wiring on their side and the black
berry fruit was good they let these two trees expand on their side while
removing branches from another Neem tree
towards the back of the property because they built a temporary garden shed
there.
The First Tree
However, last year a crack appeared in the boundary wall
because of the Jamun tree. Immediately I informed the neighbors that they must
remove the portion of the tree on their side and I similarly on my side so that
the threat is removed and the boundary wall repaired in time before repair work
became more extensive. However they let it go until in a recent gust a branch
from that tree fell and the crack in the boundary wall became larger.
Immediately they acted and that tree has been pruned down to size and the
boundary wall repaired with the grace of the Lord. But a lot of surrounding
bushes had to be removed for the pruning on my side to make this feasible. The
area that was once lush green now looks barren. It has saddened me and it seems
the neighbors too but it is only a matter of time and a monsoon or two and lush
greenery should return, God willing.
Further, one of their Ashoka trees that was supported by the
Jamun tree has either broken or been cut down by them because it began to lean.
In time it will grow again, and this time hopefully stronger, since it would
have more room around it. With the grace of the Lord, the entire matter was
settled amicably. However this was not to be the case with the second tree described
next
The Second Tree
As every year this year too, two days ago, because the
monsoon rains were about to arrive, we proceeded to prune the drumstick tree,
because of danger to overhead electric wiring and because of danger of its high
branches breaking and falling in a gust. However, this year when the upper
portion of a branch was pruned, two of the neighbors Asoka trees that were
leaning on it bent over. The neighbor lady was very upset about it and
expressed her anguish in a manner that was not pleasant. It upset me too. The
gardener who was pruning and some of the neighbor’s staff retied the Asoka
trees in the middle to the branches of the remaining Drumstick tree on my side
temporarily to support them in the middle. While this prevents them from falling over, they
still lean from near the top as shown in the top picture. The trunks are just
too slender to support their weight.
While this problem is not yet fully solved, this tree is
creating a bigger problem. It is only an inch or so from the boundary wall and
unless pruned right down to the bottom that wall too would crack soon, perhaps
as soon as in a few months. The
drumstick tree although not strong, grows fast. Its wood is filled with water
to a high extent and only a few strokes of an axe can cut down a branch. For
the same reason its branches are not strong and it should never be allowed to
grow too tall in a home near where people move because it may easily break and
branches fall down in a gust of wind.
With the Grace of Mother Earth who provides all the green
and Joy in our lives, praise upon her, this second situation too would be
solved soon, and when that happens this blogger shall post an update here.
