Proper pruning can help trees thrive and prevent safety hazards, but one landlord got a bit too enthusiastic about the process, to say the least.
In the subreddit r/gardening, a devastated tenant in the Netherlands shared how several branches from their fig tree were encroaching on their neighbor's property, so their landlord stopped by to amend the issue.
Sadly, he "massacred" not only the fig tree but also an apple tree that was far from the neighbor's yard, taking what appeared to be a chainsaw to the branches and leaving no greenery whatsoever.
"Completely obliterated the apple and fig trees (both fruiting and healthy) in the garden," the tenant wrote on Reddit. "... Can the trees even survive with no branches or foliage? How long until they are likely to fruit again?"
"Your landlord's hack job is ridiculous," one person replied, noting that the trees were more vulnerable to pests and fungus.
In addition to being good for mental and physical health — as well as our wallets — gardening and cultivating food at home are amazing for the environment, reducing the amount of asthma-causing pollution in our atmosphere.
According to the European Union, the transportation of fruit and vegetables alone creates 36% of pollution from food miles, which is "the distance traveled multiplied by the mass of the transported food item."
Renters and homeowners alike, however, have experienced setbacks to their eco-friendly, money-saving efforts via actions taken by their landlords and homeowners associations.
Bans on gardening food aren't the only complaints. Rejected requests to install solar panels, attempted evictions for hanging laundry out to dry, and battles over landscaping with native plants have also occurred.
Conversations with HOAs to enact change have been effective in more than one instance, though, and knowing where to begin can help.
This Redditor didn't indicate they had plans to talk to their landlord, but commenters provided hope that things would be OK.
"My neighbor has a fig tree and they cut completely in half, it is regrowing very rapidly. So I have faith your fig will be just fine," one person said in encouragement.
"The fig will totally rebound next season to a larger size and will produce more fruit," another Redditor wrote, sharing that they lived in a location that also had cold winters. "... The apple tree will recover but it will take two seasons."
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