What to do with a Sycamore tree?

[IgglePiggle]

I hate the damn things, but was lucky enough to get a council house with one in Well I say one but its kinda a V shape so get 2, lucky me! Everytime I look out of the window its like its sticking its fingers up at me lol. I don't know what I can do with it, can't put a climber up it as there is nothing really for them to cling to. Don't want to put ivy up it as I hate that too! Not sure if I can get it cut down as its a council house, plus it costs loads to get a tree cut down don't it?

[/and breath]

Any idea's?

[SarzWix]

Sympathies... There's one a few doors down from us and it chucks it's ruddy seeds all over everyone's gardens I'm always having to pull the blighters up!
Why not get in touch with the council and ask what you're allowed to do with it? They might even come and do it for you if you're really lucky...

[starloc]

Chop them down before anyone notices, and sell the wood on ebay!, once the trees gone nobody will remember it was there!

Ive just started at the top of 2 sycamores, with a saw and chopped a bit off every day, mine were higher than the house, now about half that, ive bark ringed them now to kill the things before the rest grows any more leaves, im going to finish chopping them down over the next few weeks

[Two_Sheds]

I think urine kills trees.

Have a tinkle every day, or get a doggy to do it.

[pdblake]

Put on your best blank eyed stare, stick a pencil up your nose and use a chainsaw to cut the front lawn, then scream 'wibble', everytime you accidentally 'prune' the tree.


Seriously though. I think in a council house, the garden is your do with as you please, just like decorating inside the house. A tree is just a garden plant, but check with the council all the same.

[IgglePiggle]

Put on your best blank eyed stare, stick a pencil up your nose and use a chainsaw to cut the front lawn, then scream 'wibble', everytime you accidentally 'prune' the tree.


Seriously though. I think in a council house, the garden is your do with as you please, just like decorating inside the house. A tree is just a garden plant, but check with the council all the same.

Looked on their site and the tree is their property and you can't do anything to it without asking! Might ask them to chop it down as there is a 3rd smaller tree growing out of the old stone wall and it bends loads in the wind, if that goes over its going to hit next door's shed or the greenhouse the other way. If they wont do it, I might take the bark off the bottom of it and blame rabbits once its dead

[selfraising]

I sympathise. I've got a self seeded sycamore which is behind our shed and to access it I would have to go through next doors garden. It's in a really tight spot as well between a fence which is council owned and our shed and almost as tall as the house. Tree surgeons have quoted £300 which I can't afford. The seeds are a nightmare. I tried deep root last year chipping back some of the bark but it's still come back this year grrrr.

[janeyo]

We took one out of our back garden in the old house. Some idiot had planted it 6 feet from the house and butted up against nextdoors fence. I gave the wood to next door as they had a proper fire.

Not sure about council houses though. I gues if you can prove it's a menace they might pollard it or chop it down. It may well have a tree preservation order on it though or if it doesn't and you tell them about the tree they may well put one on it! They are sneaky like that.

The trouble is that with most trees the canopy size matches the root system so it could be a potential problem for walls foundations etc...

Good luck.

[IgglePiggle]

Does the copper nails thing really work?

[Alice]

Sycamore trees get really big IgglePiggle and I would think they are quite unsuitable for anything short of a huge garden. You could contact the Council listing it's unsuitabilities and see what they are prepared to do. It will be getting bigger every year and more expensive to deal with.

[Sweepster]

Put on your best blank eyed stare, stick a pencil up your nose and use a chainsaw to cut the front lawn, then scream 'wibble', everytime you accidentally 'prune' the tree.

No! Never stick a pencil up your nose whilst using a chainsaw, that's really dangerous

Now, the 'spaghetti hat' is much safer*, and, I would argue, more visually impressive


* as long as you let it cool down a bit after cooking it

[jacob marley]

Does the copper nails thing really work?

It is supposed to i know a old mate that did it and it worked .
But if you do it knock them in with a punch so as they cannot be seen from the outside....jacob

[IgglePiggle]

It is supposed to i know a old mate that did it and it worked .
But if you do it knock them in with a punch so as they cannot be seen from the outside....jacob

Or dig down abit and do it, then cover it with the soil

[IgglePiggle]

Sycamore trees get really big IgglePiggle and I would think they are quite unsuitable for anything short of a huge garden. You could contact the Council listing it's unsuitabilities and see what they are prepared to do. It will be getting bigger every year and more expensive to deal with.

Its growing out of the old stone wall at the top of my garden, the wall is holding muck up and there is 3 big tree's there. Maybe I should say I'm worried about the wall getting damaged and the soil falling into my garden! There is some stones missing up there and soil has fallen down as well as the junk people have put up there, so I could kinda back it up

[GrubbyGirl]

I always say it's easier to seek forgiveness than permission. One you ask the council to chop it down it is instantly on their radar and if they don't want to, you will never be able to because they'll be watching you.

I would chop it down, and if they complain say "sorry" and offer to replace it with another native tree, one more suitable that you can keep small.

Angela