Aibu to think we don't need more fruit trees?

[PandaLady]

UKIP posted a leaflet through my door which promised me and fellow locals that together we would 'plant more fruit trees' if they get elected.

I live in Stevenage, a fairly industrial new town with a bad rep and plenty of deprivation. Not the 'Old Town' which is rather lovely and leafy.

I really love where I live but from my window I can see two huge chimney things with steam coming out the top and a massive high rise block of flats. My neighbours are mostly people who live in bedsits and a minority of families who occupy a whole house which doesn't have a garden.

Out the back of my house I have a car which has been dumped and fuck knows how, because the wheels are all bent out of shape.

To the front there are two trolleys which someone has piled up with rubbish.

If you are with me so far, can you understand why the priority for the people of Stevenage might not be planting fruit trees?

AIBU to think that we used to have the Monster Raving Looney party for this sort of 'alternative' idea?

It's not a bad idea. Free healthy food, improve air quality, increase pollinating insects and other wildlife.

If the environment has things in it people care about, they are less likely to trash it and more likely to work together to maintain it.

It's a positive campaign as opposed to negative- I'll stop people dumping trolleys and cars, and get them cleared up quicker.

It's a bit optimistic- which could be a good thing or a waste of time and effort.

I guess if they are promoting community gardens it would be beneficial to those who are living in the flats and bedsits?

Agreed, @picklemewalnuts. Though it strikes me as hilarious that UKIP even has any form of environmental policy. Is this some kind of radical new venture or just time off from bewailing the imaginary 'Islamification' of Britain? Are fruit trees constitutively British or something?

'You can threaten our freedoms but you will prise our Cox's Orange Pippins from our COLD DEAD HANDS?'

Not a fan of ukip (see my username) but...
I am with this one on the trees and promoting community getting tucked in. Community gardens and projects are a great thing. It promotes more care for the area in general.

Honestly, I prefere that to unrealistic promises, which tackling some of the points you raised would be.

So you’d prefer to keep the rusting wreck of a car in your back garden and the shopping trolleys filled with rubbish in your front garden instead of it being cleared away and replaced with few fruit trees? Odd.

I can't believe I am actually saying UKIP leaflet is alright and makes sense😂😂😂

@PlanDeRaccordement

So you’d prefer to keep the rusting wreck of a car in your back garden and the shopping trolleys filled with rubbish in your front garden instead of it being cleared away and replaced with few fruit trees? Odd.

I wouldn't vote for them just because they happen to have one decent policy for a change. They are simply trying to jump on the current tree planting bandwagon IMO. UKIP and Nigel Farage have previously done quite well out of rundown working class towns such as Stevenage...

@ichundich
That’s your right to do so. I’m not saying OP should vote for or against UKIP. All I’m saying is that the fruit tree idea isn’t a bad idea....

Not proofread and reads like a teenager wrote it for a school project. Utterly bizarre.

Though I am all for more fruit trees stares lovingly out window at my quince and cherry trees

Hmm. I don't know Stevenage but from your descriptions some parks/public areas wouldn't go amiss.

There was a thread on here a while ago about / touching on fruit trees in common areas and the consensus was that they were a pain / that kids were just picking and chucking the fruit at each other / that nothing got eaten. And actually in the (park-filled, community minded) area I live in we have a community garden that is really neglected - 1.5 volunteers involved, and stuff frequently going to waste.

On a UKIP leaflet it sounds a bit "That sounds nice, bung it in" imo.

@NCNCNCNCNCNCNCNCNC

Not proofread and reads like a teenager wrote it for a school project. Utterly bizarre.

Though I am all for more fruit trees stares lovingly out window at my quince and cherry trees

This actually applies to many political leaflets I got. I was quite gosmacked at some. I know it's not parliamentary elections, but some good wuality of presentation should be a standard

that kids were just picking and chucking the fruit at each other / that nothing got eaten.

We wouldn't dare to waste fruit like that. Maybe that should be a sign for the parents to talk about food waste... 😱

Also as someone with an actual orchard for a garden (5 apple, 1 pear and 2 plum trees), I can assure you that they are a pain to maintain because they require skilled pruning, removing fruit (apple) from the tree during spring to encourage bigger and healthier fruit, pest control, etc. If apples aren't picked they rot and will attract thousands of wasps. Councils are already strapped for cash - have you noticed the increase of weed killer on grass verges and around roadside objects and the reduction in grass cutting services where you are? Stevenage would probably benefit from a cleanup and refurbishment, but it actually has a lovely and very big park (Fairlands).

My local labour councillor is obsessed with bin collections we get recycling and general waste collected once a week plenty for me.
We live in an urban ish seaside area commutable to London with a rising county lines problem where teenagers keep stabbing each other and sexual exploitation of women (street prostitution and brothels) are on the rise. There are pockets of huge social and economic deprivation.
I've asked every canvasser who has knocked what are their policies on these and other matters that actually affect our local communities and they don't have an answer they just want to talk about parking permits and bins. It's depressing. So no you don't need fruit trees but local politicians don't seem to get what actually matters.

Our local elections results will be interesting with the massive corruption reveal which happened. I would say scandal, but imho scandal is something surprising...
Years ago someone said that people here would vote labour even if they put actual donkey as a candidate. Really curious how this will pan out now because people seem to be pretty pissed off.

Have you seen the guy in Blackburn?
twitter.com/HannahAlOthman/status/1389964348102225924?s=19

Big fan of local elections in UK. Big fan.

Well, it’s far from the worst policy that UKIP have ever had.

It might not be fruit trees that your community care about but finding something by that the community does care about will be key to there not being a car left outside your house. When the community starts to care about their area, they will campaign to get that car removed. They will create groups that talk to the relevant authorities until dumped items are removed. When the community cares, it offers its time and sometimes money to clear the area and keep it clear. Fruit trees might be a dead end, it might be a play area or dog park or nature reserve or duck pond that your community needs. However, until they try fruit trees they don’t know if it will work or not. It’s probably better than not trying anything and just hoping the community starts to care by themselves.

There are almost certainly things in the average UKIP leaflet that I’d be more concerned about than that.

I wouldn't vote for him if he can't even get spelling right.

On the subject of fruit trees though, anything which encourages bees is a good thing for the planet. I grew up in Stevenage, so I know it well. The Old Town isn't what it was.

Also as someone with an actual orchard for a garden (5 apple, 1 pear and 2 plum trees), I can assure you that they are a pain to maintain because they require skilled pruning, removing fruit (apple) from the tree during spring to encourage bigger and healthier fruit, pest control, etc. If apples aren't picked they rot and will attract thousands of wasps
As someone who also has an actual orchard garden (3 cherries, 2 pears, 2 plums and 4 apples) this is just not true!

For ‘optimal’ crops careful pruning and trimming is needed but actually, fruit trees tend to be pretty hardy and left to their own devices still manage a reasonable crop usually.

Pest control is a major reason why our environment is fucked!
If there is enough biodiversity and enough predators then actually, pest control often is not needed.
I do not use any pest control in my garden and still get good crops.

While fallen fruit will attract wasps I live by a park with loads and loads of apple trees and the wasp numbers are never biblical proportion.

**thinning, not trimming.

I think you have been very indulgent to the idea of planting fruit trees in a concrete landscape. It would be impossible! We do have a lovely park here but again, fruit trees are not needed there either because it already has some beautiful, well established trees.

The rest of the leaflet is the usual UKIP crap about letting too many immigrants in to work for low wages (how very benevolent of us) and stamping out 'over building' presumably so those languishing in emergency accommodation never have a chance at getting a decent home.

And to the op poster who supposed I was making a choice between dumped cars and trolleys and fruit trees, it doesn't work like that sweetie.

@DiddlyWiddly

Also as someone with an actual orchard for a garden (5 apple, 1 pear and 2 plum trees), I can assure you that they are a pain to maintain because they require skilled pruning, removing fruit (apple) from the tree during spring to encourage bigger and healthier fruit, pest control, etc. If apples aren't picked they rot and will attract thousands of wasps As someone who also has an actual orchard garden (3 cherries, 2 pears, 2 plums and 4 apples) this is just not true!

For ‘optimal’ crops careful pruning and trimming is needed but actually, fruit trees tend to be pretty hardy and left to their own devices still manage a reasonable crop usually.

Pest control is a major reason why our environment is fucked!
If there is enough biodiversity and enough predators then actually, pest control often is not needed.
I do not use any pest control in my garden and still get good crops.

While fallen fruit will attract wasps I live by a park with loads and loads of apple trees and the wasp numbers are never biblical proportion.

There are natural ways to control pests, you know (nematodes, ladybirds, etc.). Pest control doesn't have to equal chemicals.

There are natural ways to control pests, you know (nematodes, ladybirds, etc.). Pest control doesn't have to equal chemicals.

Tbh my family tried to go natural and our plums got ffffucked. Normally the plum tree had massive plums and was really generous in yield. That year was a disaster.
Even bio stuff and organic is allowed some amount of chemicals afaik. And I am not surprised why.

Only pests we couldn't stop were black bird and starlings descending on a cherry tree😂

There are natural ways to control pests, you know (nematodes, ladybirds, etc.). Pest control doesn't have to equal chemicals
There are, but most people on hearing ‘pest control’ will think of sprays, pellets etc.
And tbh, I still don’t agree with natural methods unless we are talking about British natives eg Ladybird larvae and even then, imo it shouldn’t be necessary.
If the environment is hospitable you should get a natural balance eventually without having to add anything.

my family tried to go natural and our plums got ffffucked. Normally the plum tree had massive plums and was really generous in yield. That year was a disaster
Because your garden isn’t in balance.
The pest insects outnumber the predators
Balance doesn’t happen overnight, you need to give it time.