My parents are victims of cowboy tree surgeons who are now blaming my mother.

[rbx1453]

We are renters and for the last 8 years a wild cherry tree has grown out of control to the point it was causing the roots to grow out into the neighbours garden and cause a structural threat to nearby buildings. The estate agents finally hired tree surgeons to cut it down, and they finally did.

 

However, the tree trunk has still continued growing roots out, and the estate agent told the tree surgeons that they didn't do their job properly. They then proceeded to blame my mother for 'feeding the tree by planting and watering her garden flowers around the tree' and claimed they told her not to do that (they didn't).

 

Now, I am not a tree surgeon or a gardener, but I passed high school biology, and I know that a plant (including a big one like a tree) doesn't require water to grow roots. In fact it will grow more roots to look for water if it doesn't get fed. It is the same concept as putting an onion top of a half full glass of water; the onion will grow roots down to the water, it doesn't need to be watered to grow roots. The whole point of roots is to look for water.

 

There is a massive stump left, the tree is quite clearly still alive, and will continue to grow roots unless it is completely and totally killed. We recently dug around the stump of the tree that the surgeons 'removed', and there is still a massive stump left.

 

How on earth can they claim that the tree is growing roots out because my mother is watering it?

 

Am I missing something here, or are these guys just cowboys trying to avoid responsibility?

 

My mother is a heart transplant patient and my dad is a 77 year old with high blood pressure. I want to be sure about these people before I have a strong word with the estate agents because I can't afford to have my parents subjected to this.

 

[Stubby]

10 minutes ago, rbx1453 said:

We are renters and for the last 8 years a wild cherry tree has grown out of control to the point it was causing the roots to grow out into the neighbours garden and cause a structural threat to nearby buildings. The estate agents finally hired tree surgeons to cut it down, and they finally did.

 

However, the tree trunk has still continued growing roots out, and the estate agent told the tree surgeons that they didn't do their job properly. They then proceeded to blame my mother for 'feeding the tree by planting and watering her garden flowers around the tree' and claimed they told her not to do that (they didn't).

 

Now, I am not a tree surgeon or a gardener, but I passed high school biology, and I know that a plant (including a big one like a tree) doesn't require water to grow roots. In fact it will grow more roots to look for water if it doesn't get fed. It is the same concept as putting an onion top of a half full glass of water; the onion will grow roots down to the water, it doesn't need to be watered to grow roots. The whole point of roots is to look for water.

 

There is a massive stump left, the tree is quite clearly still alive, and will continue to grow roots unless it is completely and totally killed. We recently dug around the stump of the tree that the surgeons 'removed', and there is still a massive stump left.

 

How on earth can they claim that the tree is growing roots out because my mother is watering it?

 

Am I missing something here, or are these guys just cowboys trying to avoid responsibility?

 

My mother is a heart transplant patient and my dad is a 77 year old with high blood pressure. I want to be sure about these people before I have a strong word with the estate agents because I can't afford to have my parents subjected to this.

 

The roots wont suddenly go away just because the tree has been taken down . You need some one in with a stump grinder if you want the stump to be gone . The roots will be dead but still there .

[richyrich]

It looks a bit like it has been grinded a bit- if not then cut very low. It's no big issue. Some glyphosate on it and cover it up??

[rbx1453]

4 minutes ago, Stubby said:

The roots wont suddenly go away just because the tree has been taken down . You need some one in with a stump grinder if you want the stump to be gone . The roots will be dead but still there .

So even with the tree gone, the roots will continue to grow right? It isn't anything to do with my mother's watering.

[rbx1453]

2 minutes ago, richyrich said:

It looks a bit like it has been grinded a bit- if not then cut very low. It's no big issue. Some glyphosate on it and cover it up??

Sorry I do not understand what that does aha, like I said, I have zilch experience with this stuff. Has the tree been cut insufficiently?

[Stubby]

Just now, rbx1453 said:

So even with the tree gone, the roots will continue to grow right? It isn't anything to do with my mother's watering.

No . They wont grow but they wont magically vanish . 

[Stubby]

From the little bit I can see it may have been a conifer of some sort . If it was then it won't recover from that ! If it was a willow there is an out side chance it would coppice ( sprout from the stump ) but doubtful .  A stump grinder will get rid of whats in the photo .

[rbx1453]

Just now, Stubby said:

No . They wont grow but they wont magically vanish . 

I see, that makes sense. Since the tree surgeons left, the roots continued to grow, so the tree is currently still alive, as we can see the state of the tree in the picture. So has my mother's watering got anything to do with the tree roots continuing to grow? As far as I am aware, plants grow out roots to look for water as long as they are alive. They don't need watering to do that. But I want to be sure.

[Bolt]

14 minutes ago, rbx1453 said:

Sorry I do not understand what that does aha, like I said, I have zilch experience with this stuff. Has the tree been cut insufficiently?

I don't think so.

 

The ‘cowboy tree surgeon’ label seems a bit harsh. 
 

That being said, it also seems unreasonable to point the finger at your mother for simply watering her plants.

 

As has been said, depending on the species, it should be pretty buggered by now.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by Bolt

[rbx1453]

1 minute ago, Stubby said:

From the little bit I can see it may have been a conifer of some sort . If it was then it won't recover from that ! If it was a willow there is an out side chance it would coppice ( sprout from the stump ) but doubtful .  A stump grinder will get rid of whats in the photo .

Oh no it's a cherry tree.