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Hawthorne

hippo741hippo741 Posts: 2
in Plants

I came home today to find that my new neighbour has cut down my 40 tear old Hawthorne tree.  I had pruned it into a perfect shape and topped it out at about 12 feet.  All that stands in my garden now is a three foot stump and a spur on his side if the fence if equal height.  It still had leaves so I'm concerned that there will be no recovery. There is currently no growth left. What are its chances?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,795

    You needn't worry - hawthorn can cope with any amount of brutal pruning. Farmers hack them virtually to the ground with tractor- driven flail bushwhacked and the hedges spring back up again. They're tough as old boots. 

    Whats more concerning is that your neighbour did something as radical as this without talking to you first. Was it done in innocence with good intentions or is this action the result of a dispute about the hedgerow?  

    Last edited: 07 October 2016 22:48:16


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,117

    I agree.  Hawthorn is very robust and really wants to grow.

    I also agree with finding out why on earth your new neighbour thought it OK to do this to your tree and without prior consultation.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053

    I would be having words!

    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • IamweedyIamweedy Posts: 1,364

    A previous neighbour cut down my Amelanchier. It might have been difficult to decide which side of the open front garden border it was on but I was very angry. I took my revenge by growing a whole hedge of it.




    'You must have some bread with it me duck!'

  • hippo741hippo741 Posts: 2

    He has just bought the house and it's currently being refurbished. He is from Poland and is using Polish tradesmen. I believe it was because they don't know the legalities and perhaps were just determined to finish clearing the garden before they lost the light that they weren't paying attention to the base of the tree. Therefore not noticing that it is growing on my property i will have a chat with him but the tree will never be what it was. I expect that it will be more of a bush.

    Last edited: 08 October 2016 00:22:57

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,117

    At the house we've just left we planted a hawthorn hedge which grew 6'/2m every year.   If you select branches to keep and prune others judicially you will end up with a tree like specimen again.    Do have a gentle word with your new neighbours about rules and courtesies tho.  

    Best to stay on friendly terms if you can and, as weedy says, you can always take revenge by planting another but, be warned, hawthorn gets huge so they may have inadvertently done you a favour by pollarding it. 

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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