Do you worry about trees?

a copper nail, discretely tapped into the trunk of a conifer [wink}

Pine tree at least twice (possibly three times ) as big as my house: 4 feet away. Would no longer be able to build a house that close to such a tree. I had to change insurers a few years ago as the one I was using refused to cover me. I don’t think anyone would buy my house because of the close proximity of such a tree. It is checked by a tree surgeon every so often and they take the odd branch off as most of the branches grow on the side where my house is, presumably growing towards the light. It sways horribly in the wind. I think the only person who would buy my house would be the farmer whose land the tree is on who would knock me down price wise ( he has bought other properties in my street). It’s a conservation area and the tree can’t be taken down. It’s roots are pushing up the bricks on my driveway: thankfully they don’t seem to be causing subsidence to my house. If I had my time again I wouldn’t buy this house but the tree was much smaller 45 years ago. I make sure I have legal cost cover on my insurance in case I have to claim off the farmer for any damage.

You might all be interested to know that we have a lot more trees now than we did 100 years ago. I have seen many photographs of views taken 70 or 100 years ago. In most cases the same view is not there today as it's blocked by hundreds of trees! I've seen this many times. I'm guessing the trees were cut down for firewood in the past? Now they're not, so there really are a lot more trees today.

There are lots of trees around me but none are near enough to be threatening. I do worry for some of my neighbours. But I love trees and would never want them cut down unnecessarily.
We need trees. But I can understand how some of you feel.

MaizieD

I'm curious. What is the 'maintenance' that people are supposed to carry out on their trees to keep the tree fearers happy?

The maintenance would involve checking for disease or dead branches, pruning, crowning.

I am not a "tree fearer" ... I love trees but when they are much taller than my house and close by, they are too much.

It is correct about the insurance, last property we had to make a list of type of tree, height and distance from the property. Luckily they were all medium sized apple trees in an orchard

I forgot to add that because of the wind direction, I too get the majority of the sycamore leaves in my garden - I already have my green bin and 3 ordinary dustbins full of leaves awaiting the first green bin collection in April. It also produces hundreds of two leafed seedlings in my lawn that I have to pull out by hand, before they get too deeply rooted.

I'm curious. What is the 'maintenance' that people are supposed to carry out on their trees to keep the tree fearers happy?

Don't misunderstand me, because I love trees, but I too have just had an enormous fir tree felled, although I've had the stump left to turn into a bird table. I think trees shouldn't be within 5m of the house for insurance purposes? My neighbours have 2 enormous trees - one a fir and the other a sycamore, which I understand is a dirty tree and gardeners consider them just a big weed! It blocks the light from my garden, but there's nothing I can do about either of them, so I'm actually hoping they fall (they will miss my house) but at least they'll be gone and I'll get a new fence into the bargain! I have several conifers and apple trees of my own, but all pruned and trimmed regularly to be of a manageable size.

Jaffacake2

I had a tall fir tree felled a few years ago after looking through my home insurance and reading that if a tall tree is within a certain distance of the house it invalidated the policy. Sorry I cannot remember the height and distance stipulation but was horrified that I had jeopadised my insurance for many years.
Please read your policy.

Oh good grief, that is shocking! I'd better check our insurance because these two trees are pretty close to the house. Now I'm even more worried.

Believe me, I love trees and these two trees are beautiful, but they should not be that close to a house.

Yes! We had some huge fir trees next door before we moved and I was always concerned that they would topple over. Just a branch that broke off one year caused a lot of damage to the fence and a shed.

I too would rather see trees than not, but there are garden-sized trees which do a great job of providing habitat for wildlife and shade.
Right plant, right place - or otherwise it's a weed!

looking for a new home, 3 years ago. I turned one down because of the large trees next door, ie I would have no control over them. The other I turned down because of the `small` leylandii planted 1m away from the property wall, in next doors garden

I have planted 7 lovely trees in my garden but they will all be the appropriate suitable size

We have a row of huge forest height trees within 50 feet of our house. They are well maintained, more importantly they run in and east/west row and we are just to the south of them.

As the prevailing winds in this country are westerlys, if they fall, they should fall parallel to the row and not to the south onto, not only our house, but several others.

But I am with BBbevan. I would rather see trees than not.

It's extremely annoying that the Council won't do anything Sparklefizz. I assume you have spoken personally to local councillors.
I have problems with leaves. I often feel my neighbour should come and sweep them up.
I do love trees though.

I had a tall fir tree felled a few years ago after looking through my home insurance and reading that if a tall tree is within a certain distance of the house it invalidated the policy. Sorry I cannot remember the height and distance stipulation but was horrified that I had jeopadised my insurance for many years.
Please read your policy.

Slightly. We have large trees all around us and most are regularly maintained. If they fall they will damage property. However I would rather see trees than not. Hate to see a stump where a tree has been felled unnecessarily.

We had one tree from our neighbours garden come down through our fence and onto the roof of our ‘soon to be ‘ home office. And their Eucalyptus tree is leaning alarmingly in our direction.
The house is unoccupied as the owners have died and the son is in Australia.
I’m trying to get his email address to contact him and get it all sorted, their Willow tree came down last year and it’s still in pieces on their lawn.
I expect that their 2 enormous walnut trees might be next to come down. but they should miss us!

Yes. Next door has a massive beech tree in the front garden. The house is rented out and the owners clearly aren't bothered by the height of the tree. If it came down, whichever way it fell, it would cause immense damage

Yes. I do. There's a stretch of grass opposite and alongside my house which is owned and supposed to be maintained by the Council, and on which there are 3 huge elms opposite my house and 3 huge plane trees at the side.

I have a constant battle with the Council over these trees and they worry me sick in a gale, let alone the recent storms. I've been here 26 years so the trees were much smaller then. Someone from the Council eventually came out to see me after all my complaints, and said cheekily "Well, the trees must have been here when you bought the house."

I said "Yes, but I had no idea that the Council wouldn't maintain them."

He had no answer to that..... and I have no idea what I can do, if anything, because they are not my trees. I have a massive problem with leaves in the autumn, especially the plane tree leaves which are the size of dinner plates and don't break down.