Readers go out on a limb for Bakersfield's butchered trees
Two weeks ago, Capt. Tree Hugger unveiled the new Opinion Section column, "Out on a limb." The occasional column will focus on the desire to expand Bakersfield's "urban forest," targeting those intent on cutting down trees before they can give us shade.
The first column featured the alleged butchering of trees at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel on California Avenue. (Drive by and take a look. Those trees are having a really bad limb day.)
The following are some of the reader responses to this first of many "Out on a limb" columns:
TREES NEED TO BE 'RESCUED'
I am so glad that someone is coming to the rescue of the trees in Bakersfield. There are articles from time to time, but the trees need a "mover and shaker!" Thanks.
I moved here from Oregon last year and was appalled when they built the median on Oswell Street and did not plant trees. What an eye-sore for our part of the city. Most other major streets have trees to provide much needed shade in the summer. Is there an explanation for this?
We need all the shade we can get. And the trees have to be cared for. I notice that people do not water the trees regularly. They need water and lots of it! They also need pruning and trimming each tree is different, so it is confusing to most of us!
JUDY THOMAS
Bakersfield
REPLANT CHRISTMAS TREES
As the owner of Interim HealthCare (home health), this will be our second Christmas in the office building we built at 4801 Truxtun Ave.
We have made a commitment to buy a potted evergreen to use inside for our December holiday festivities.
We will plant this tree on our office property every year. The one we planted last year is doing great, as we're sure this one this year will do.
This should really give us a nice canopy of trees as evergreens grow quickly! We have no plans of pruning them! Hope this is an idea for "Out on a limb."
DARLYN BAKER
Bakersfield
CITY CHOPPED TREES
While I applaud the newspaper's willingness to go "out on a limb" to support trees in response to the radical tree trimming on California Avenue, I am disappointed it has taken so long.
About one year ago, another "butchering" of trees took place just off Baker Street, "collateral damage" in the city's efforts to demolish International Square Park. While the debate raged over what to do with the "homeless" in Old Town Kern, these decades-old trees became the controversy's "victims."
In the end, the City Council followed Councilwoman Sue Benham's lead and voted to close the park. Did they realize this also meant chopping down all the trees? One day the bulldozers came, mowed the trees down, and hauled them all away. All that remains is a vacant weed-infested dirt lot.
If the city plans to pave the dirt lot over and turn it into a parking lot and plant trees around it, someone better warn them to plant them far enough away. Otherwise, once they mature, they might also be targeted for "butchering" to protect the parked cars.
Alas, the long shadow cast on Bakersfield is not from the trees!
JOAN DIGGES
Bakersfield
CLICK TO FIND TRIMMERS
A combination of ignorance and lack of due diligence destroys a lot of trees in our community. International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) has pruning standards posted at www.isa-arbor.com and certifies tree trimmers that follow their standards.
Property owners and managers who want good tree care should hire ISA-certified tree services. Click to find everything you need to know about tree care.
Many Bakersfield tree trimmers treat shade trees like fruit trees. Pruning fruit trees produces more fruit. Annually pruning shade trees produces less shade. Shade in Bakersfield is a precious commodity. Shade cools our neighborhoods and cleans our air. Why would we want to do that to ourselves -- and our environment?
DANA ADAMS
Bakersfield
A 'SICK TREE' STORY
This is a story about a "sick" tree and how it was cured.
In our front yard, there is a very old and very tall Sycamore tree. For the last few years, it has had leaves that fell all through the summer months because it was diseased with a virus and spiders.
Besides the leaves, the seed pods would drop and fall apart. Fuzzy stuff was all over the place. We had to sweep up daily.
First we tried having it sprayed. That did not work. Then we went to a tree guru, who sold us earth worms, a solution of fish guts and a spray device.
We put the worms into the ground and sprayed the tree with the other stuff. The worms were happy, but the fish stuff made a terrible stink. That did not work.
So, I called my son, who owns a tree service and knows all about trees. On looking at it, he said that the root system was too small to nurture the tree.
There was only 25 percent of the earth available around the tree, the rest of the ground was covered with concrete. Like humans, if you are not nurtured properly, you are likely to becoming sick.
He delicately "manicured" out the excess limbs and branches, leaving a well-shaped tree. Now the root system was able to supply adequate food for what was left.
This summer, it was a beautiful, healthy tree and no more mess. This winter, the leaves fell off just like a "regular" tree.
KENNETH CANNON
Bakersfield
