Our tree shading neighbour's garden

[Willo776]

We have lived in our house for 4 years. Our neighbours have lived in theirs for about 20 years. We have a very large willow tree next to the fence. A fair bit hangs into their garden. Their garden is narrow and doesn't get much light. Our tree shades part of it in the late afternoon, and there are other trees which shade it at other times of the day. Our garden is much larger and wider so we're not affected by lack of sun.

Two years ago we paid about £600 to get the willow pollarded. It was cut right back almost to the trunk. The neighbours were delighted as the man who'd owned our house before us hadn't had the tree pollarded for years. Unfortunately two years on and it's enormous again. We didn't realise quite how quickly willows grow.

The neighbours have let is know that they're going to cut the overhanging branches on their side, which of course is absolutely fine. We have a perfectly amicable relationship with them, but the tree is a source of contention with them (passive aggressive comments about lack of light in their garden etc) and I'm not sure what's reasonable. Should we be offering to have it cut down? We really don't want to - it's a beautiful tree where lots of birds nest and will have been there for decades - probably longer than the neighbours. It would also be extremely expensive - I'd guess close to £2k.

Would be good to hear others opinions.

I think you just need to have it pollarded again - if you keep a tree its important to maintain it so sort of goes with the territory?

Assuming you have a means to use it I would pollard it every few years for the wood. If it’s been done reasonably recently you should be able to do it yourself.

Please don't cut it down.

We will pollard again, but it's only been two years and the tree surgeon recommended every 5 years.

Perhaps they’re more bothered by the willow because it casts shade in the evening/late afternoon when they most want to sit out? Personally I value evening sun in the garden more than morning sun.

It’s difficult because the neighbourly thing to do and the environmental thing to do are total opposites!

I’d reckon on getting it pollarded annually, and ask tree surgeon if root-pruning would be feasible or effective - just to restrict further growth - I don’t know if you can do that with willows or not.

Cross posted!

Sounds too big, needs to come down

I'm your neighbour in this situation. We have a
Tiny garden, theirs is probably 20 times the size of ours and it's a big ugly tree also filled with ivy so very dense. We don't know them so we put a note through their door explaining it affected our light and asked if they would consider removing it (we offered to do it) but they never replied (left email, phone number, address etc). Since then I saved their bikes from being burgled - felt like I should have held the bikes ransom! We do chop the overhanging branches off but it's their tree so not going to ask again.

No need to cut it down just keep it trimmed on one side or let them do it.

I have beautiful silver birch trees in my garden that are home to birds and quite possibly the fattest squirrel in the UK. They shade my neighbour's garden and after taking legal advice I was told that there is no automatic right to light for a garden, for a property yes but for a garden, no. I was absolutely thrilled because my neighbour is an absolute dick and it makes me happy every time the sun shines his garden is in the shade. If he was a decent person instead of a foul mouth bully, I would have cut them down by 20 feet or so but he's not. I suppose it depends how much you like your neighbours?

If it was my tree, I’d be inclined to say to the neighbour that we’re only planning to pollard it every 10 years as we like it and it isn’t causing us a problem and pollarding is too expensove to do more often that that. But we recognise it is a big tree and we want to be helpful, so if they really don’t like it we’d be open to them hiring a tree surgeon to remove it.

Basically I’d be shrugging and saying the tree doesn’t bother us but if it bothers you we won’t stand in your way if you want to remove it.

Neighbours can’t remove a tree on your land they can only trim to the boundary.

@Neverreturntoathread

If it was my tree, I’d be inclined to say to the neighbour that we’re only planning to pollard it every 10 years as we like it and it isn’t causing us a problem and pollarding is too expensove to do more often that that. But we recognise it is a big tree and we want to be helpful, so if they really don’t like it we’d be open to them hiring a tree surgeon to remove it.

Basically I’d be shrugging and saying the tree doesn’t bother us but if it bothers you we won’t stand in your way if you want to remove it.

^^This is sensible advice

I inherited a Grey Willow when I moved into my house last June. A haven for birds and wildlife, but, its been planted 15ft from my house and next doors house. Minimum for Willows is 40ft, due to their water seeking roots. I really really didn't want to kill it or chop it down. Tree surgeon pollarded one of the main trunks, which means it's energy goes into growing on top again, rather than increasing its root size. The other two trunks were cut to the ground and will sprout and be maintained like bushes. With Willows close to the house, killing them results in the opposite to subsidence called heave, which means the ground swells due to the excess water no longer being sucked up by the Williws roots.

I'm really sad to have done this, but I needed to minimise any potential structural damage to my house or my neighbours. But I partly keep the tree, just vastly reduced in size.

If the tree was 40ft plus distance from either house I'd just have it pollarded now and again if I were you, but keep the tree. Wildlife is so important.

If I was your neighbour I’d happily pay to have it cut back every year or two. Is it worth asking them if they would want to do this?

Having been on the receiving end of a massive tree blocking out light, I’d say be a good neighbour and chop it down.
You could always plant a smaller tree if you need one there.

I had a willow, cut it right back & it just grew back so fast. Took it down last year and replaced with more garden friendly trees.

Oh no, now I’m worried by the comments here! Are all trees on garden boundaries anti-social? I’m planning to plant a Himalayan birch on the north boundary of my garden, so it would be the neighbour’s south boundary. Both are reasonably big gardens. Does that make a difference?

Not all trees on boundaries are anti social, especially ones that have been there a long time. Deliberately planting something that you know will block light in your neighbours garden is very anti social, and quite selfish.

Not all trees are anti social but willows (and lleylandi) do top the list due to their characteristics. We didn’t suffer but two doors down have a huge one that swallows not only their backyard but makes life miserable for their neighbours either side.

Apart from the subsistence issues, willows have enormous horizontal spread and make a mess. I’d be inclined to take it down and plant something a bit more slow growing eg birch or even a plane tree. Both grow big but can be controlled. Or, install a pleached beech hedge?

Trees belong in a forest, not a back garden.

Cut it down.

@Notthedeadparrotsketch

Probs the most ignorant thing I’ve read on here in a long time… and that’s saying something