To my horror…
I deliver the monthly news letter for my civic club on my street. Last Monday, after passing out the stack, I headed home. The view on foot is very different from inside my car. As I approached my house, I almost became ill from what I was seeing on my neighbors side of the tree, on our common property line. Our beautiful Water Oak had a huge chunk of bark missing. There were many small hole in the tree, above the barkless spot. I wanted to cry. We had to cut down this trees twin, 4 years ago. I snapped a bunch of pictures and sent them off to Jack Fitzgerald
(Treeco Tree Service 281-356-2754). Jack and his crew trimmed my trees after hurricane Ike. I asked “Hey, is my Water Oak salvageable?” when I sent the pictures. When he called, he didn’t hem and haw about it. He just said “No” (which I had already guessed was going to be his answer). He didn’t seem too concerned about doing “the deed” in a “It must be done ASAP, before it falls on your house” kind of way. I could probably put it off…for a while.
So , I need to decide a couple of things, just as you would in my place. When to cut this down, should I replant a tree and if I do, what type of tree do I want?
If I cut it down now…I loose some shade on my front yard, which is very shady…but the grass grows great. So great in fact, that I wonder if I could have mutant grass. This particular tree doesn’t shade my house, so it won’t affect my utility bills. If I wait, I can enjoy this tree and its shade a few months longer.
I love my yard. Even on the most brutal summer days, it offers some relief. The neighborhood kids play on the street in front of my house, because of the shade. It’s been easy for me to keep an eye on my own kids…they stayed in our front yard. So, I definitely want to plant another tree. As to what kind of tree, I am leaning towards a Saw Tooth Oak or a White Oak. Saw Tooth (Quercus acutissima) grows VERY quickly(2 to 3 foot a year). We have to keep repotting them because they grow so fast. They turn canary yellow in the fall. My other option is a White Oak (Quercus alba), which grows 1 1/2 to 2 foot a year and turns red, red, red in the fall. Yellow…red…yellow…red, decisions, decisions, decisions…one of each would be nice…yard too small…
I really can sympathize with all of you who lost trees last year. It is hard to put down a good friend. One who has been there, doing you favors year after year, asking little in return. I know I will have to make the call, a thing I truly do not want to do. So, I won’t…for today.