Mango tree - to keep or not to keep?

[StillHope]

My neighbor planted several trees on my property by mistake.All of them but mango has been replanted on his property.
Somehow the mango tree was left (he was not there).
I was going to pay him for the tree (I volunteered),but it is just a couple inches away from the chain link fence and it will probably ruin it eventually.
The neighbor is still willing to remove it.But it might not survive .
It's a small tree about 4 feet,leaning inwards(not touching the fence yet),but his base is right by.
I'd like to keep it,but don't want my fence ruined in the future.
Any thoughts?

[kani-lehua]

sad if you can't keep the tree. a little sadder if you can't share in it's bounty and even sadder if it ruins your fence.

side note: on our property in kailua, o'ahu, we have a 50 something year old mango tree that has not done any damage to either the hollow tile wall or chain link kennels. however, it is approximately 10' or more away from either one.

"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

w. james

[Rob Tucker]

Factually if it is on your land it is your tree. It could be transplanted to another part of your yard.

Assume the best and ask questions.

Punaweb moderator

[StillHope]

Rob,I am trying to be a good neighbor and avoid any hostile situation.
If not for anything else,replanting the tree will probably be very expensive.I don't have experience or the tools to do it myself.

Kani,I don't mind sharing,but my neighbor's place is a vacation rental
and I have a fenced yard with a big dog.

[kani-lehua]

hostile situation? seems as though both you and your neighbor are on good terms with his/her willingness to replant the other trees. what has changed to make the situation any different regarding the mango tree?

what i meant about sharing in it's bounty was that eventually the tree's branches will be on both sides of the fence, thus everyone would reap the rewards. however, if it would in the future ruin the fence, then it would be less costly to remove the tree now while it's still 4' tall than to replace the fence.



"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

w. james

[StillHope]

Kani,nothing changed.I am just assuming that he wouldn't be happy if I just keep the tree and move it within my property.I haven't met him,just e-mail communication.

[Kelena]

Mangoes get pretty big. I know, because I had a scrawny twig on my property. I mulched it, came back six months later and I had a very large mango juvenile mango. It is a full blown tree now. They need a pretty good spread. (Go check out the old growth mangoes near Honolulu Landing --gigantic!).

Here's what I would do:

1. Offer it to someone else (they remove)(Free mango -- you remove) OR
2. Request that your neighbor have it removed (removed, unfortunately, means killed -- it's okay. I killed a ficus on my property before it turned into a gigantic banyan-like monster). Shouldn't be too much. You could leave a stump and grow something in or on top of the stump.

You don't want anything that big near your fence.

[StillHope]

Thank you,Glen.
The neighbor doesn't mind removing it.
But someone else suggested that I leave it and keep trimming.

[Kelena]

I guess it depends on how close the tree is to the fence. Sounds like its close. Mangoes have a large, round canopy. You could remove that one and then plant one of these in a better location: http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/mang...0mango.htm

[kani-lehua]

ah, i see. i would continue to communicate your concerns with your neighbor. maybe it was left behind because you offered to pay for the tree; he thinks it's yours now?







"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

w. james