Hi gardening forum! How to waterproof a tree, urgent

[mommyB]

hello. I'm so glad to have found a gardening forum!! GardenWeb looks devastated, I was gone for awhile, and omg....I feel devastated that it no longer is what it was.

I have this beautiful Quercus Lobata, Valley Oak tree, it is lovely. The photo (my avatar) shows it last May 11, 2014. THEN, last September, 2014 the neighbor next to me butchered it, even reaching 2-3 feet onto my side to prune it severely, and applied something like Roundup (maybe diluted) to the cuts and selected branches, which all died. It was still 90 degree weather for 2-3 more months after the pruning/butchering. I deep watered it for months, despite the drought, to try to save it. It can grow new growth only on unaffected branches, and it did show mass new growth all during the fall into December.

I am certain the neighbor has launched an attack to kill it starting this spring. Al new tender growth is sprayed with round-up, my guess, and the entire young branch dies. It's not the tip drop due to insects, but all young branches, and the interior of the tree has been targeted, and is EMPTY, with mass young branches hanging bare and dead. I'll furnish a recent photo of it tomorrow,been out of batteries for the camera.

IS there any way to waterproof leaves, that anyone knows of? This is the only thing I can think of to save it from likely daily spraying of targeted branches and all new growth--it went from glorious full and spectacular last year to a scarecrow of hanging dead young branches, with only a top canopy of green, but that's steadily decreasing. The tips out of his reach are full and weighing those specific branches down. I fear the following scenario I copied from an oak Arborist's tree health page: ..." As the end weight continues to develop, there are no viable “leads” to trim back to in the future", this is exactly what is happening. The city says I have to get a Consulting Arborist out to prove it's been vandalized, sine it's not in public view (cost $150-$300) they won't use their own arborist since it's not in public view or a historic tree.

I can't afford the arborist right now, but I know I can't wait. Take photos, trim the dead wood and excessive tips off, is what I was thinking. But unless I can waterproof the leaves, the neighbor will continue destroying this tree. Please, IDEAS NEEDED!

 

[grouie]

Worst pests can be bad neighbours. A conversation could solve the problem if that is possible. May be they donot like your tree bending towards their property. Is that it?

 

[mommyB]

No groulie, the answer is so complex, but at the root is bullying and hatred. Many shrubs and some trees have been killed, and my front landscaping was round-uped a few years ago. Part of it is that this person hates and needs to feel superior and act out their hatred. This neighbor is like a 1,000 pound Japanese beetle, a bad pest for sure. They want some of my land and are trying to drive me away. Also, vandalized both vehicles, the fence, poisoned the dog, throw broken glass and weed and palm tree seeds onto my property all the time, throw food to attract crows, who displaced my songbirds from nesting on my porch eaves. And so much and more. I never knew how much terrorism could be done using plants!

 

[grouie]

No groulie, the answer is so complex, but at the root is bullying and hatred. Many shrubs and some trees have been killed, and my front landscaping was round-uped a few years ago. Part of it is that this person hates and needs to feel superior and act out their hatred. This neighbor is like a 1,000 pound Japanese beetle, a bad pest for sure. They want some of my land and are trying to drive me away. Also, vandalized both vehicles, the fence, poisoned the dog, throw broken glass and weed and palm tree seeds onto my property all the time, throw food to attract crows, who displaced my songbirds from nesting on my porch eaves. And so much and more. I never knew how much terrorism could be done using plants!

Too distressed to read this. Is there no law in your country to book such nasty neighbours? You should quietly record their wrong doings - may be a video clip and then use it as witness.

 

[mommyB]

Video evidence is the only thing the police care about, if you don't have it, you're out of luck. I'm working on that...

 

[Beth_B]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with that. I really don't have any advice except document everything you possibly can and try to come up with the funds for an arborist.
Horrible neighbors are the worst. I've had the best luck with the "kill them with kindness" and getting very friendly approach. Is that an option for you?

 

[Trellum]

So sorry to read you have to deal with people like that it sounds awful, even more awful after reading your other answers, wow! So a lot plants have already died because of this! I had to deal with someone like that when we were younger and it is super difficult, we had to move in order to solve that

 

[zigs]

That's bad.

I'd be tempted to wait till they were out and then pump their house full of cavity foam insulation, see how they like it.

 

[Sheal]

Welcome to the forums MommyB. I'm sorry to hear you're having such a difficult time.

 

[Becky]

Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry to hear about what you've been going through! I agree with the others that you should try to take action against them - putting a camera up to record their actions would certainly be a good idea. There's nothing I know of to waterproof your tree, but could you put up a barrier of some kind? eg a fence?

I really hope you manage to find a resolution to your problem

 

[Becky]

Oh and welcome to our group!