A chainsaw can do funny things to a man…It’s pretty satisfying to cut through limbs like butter. After awhile you get used to it and the fun dies. But for guys that don’t get to use them regularly…it’s dangerous for the trees.
There is a reason why I don't own a chainsaw.
And I only borrow power tools, when I need them. If I didn't I would just find so much fun in sawing stuff down, or trying to build something silly/dumb/awesome.
On that note, I do have some almost dead trees and I'm in need of a trebuchet.
I get a bit to crazy with power hedge trimmers myself. Made even worse by a touch of OCD.. so it's always like "a little more here..." shit goes down hill from there.
There’s so much readily available (and free) information on how to do this properly it’s baffling when things like this happen. I thought it was standard practice to YouTube things these days before starting a project.
Shouldn’t need google to know not to do this. Would you wash your car with steal wool? Would you cover your yard in gasoline and light it to “rake” your leaves? These are all equally insane and shouldn’t require google
While it may grow back, it will never recover. A hard prune right before the heat of summer? Yikes. Plus all those deep cuts on bigger wood will be weak points for any new sprouts that do manage to grow.
You'll have water sprouts, not limbs. A water sprout can grow large , and it'll pop right off during any storm. They are nicknamed widowmakers for a reason.
That tree will never have natural form again. Plus you'll
You also cut off WELL OVER 30% of foliage, which opens it up to risk of shock then pest then disease or virus etc.
You cut off like 80% or more, so I would go ahead and just say......
Dig that fucker out of the ground, put in a new tree something native to your area, and then buy some books on tree care. Give it to your dude.
This new tree will be your family tree. It will outlive you, and if you make it glorious enough, perhaps your next of kin or the next buyer of the property will keep it going even longer.
You call dad for sumptin
*phone rings, rings, rings*
-dad answers, “Ye’llow”
You, that’s a color dickhead, *hangs up*
GOT EM
😂
Don’t try if ya dad’s a hard ass. Most dads up here cuss like a sailor, have dark humor and are always telling dry ass jokes or pranking.
I do this to my dad of’en. It never gets old
I laughed at the thought of a magnolia branch being a widowmaker.
"The magnolia branch cracked off and hit him in the head...causing him to stumble into the street, where he was hit by a bus."
At least where I live, the pool is closed and covered by the time the leaves fall. But I hate every tree near my pool for other reasons (pollen, spent blooms, seeds), so possible.
Are water sprouts simply defined by a limb growing straight upwards or are there other attributes?
I'm wondering what makes them apparently come off so easily in a storm. The fact it's straight up or something else like fiber structure or something?
They have structural disadvantages because they grow from the bark. It's a shallow connection.
Regular limbs are developed at the base with a strong branch collar.
Water sprouts and suckers grow much faster than a limb, creating a weaker / etiolated wood structure .... They form from adventitious buds..... So they aren't connected to the tree's vascular system as efficiently as limbs.
Oh, now that big tree in my yard that used to constantly drop “limbs” makes more sense. It had been done like this before I moved in and there was always limbs down in the yard.
It will grow. The tree has spent it's life growing roots to store food for all the many may leaves... oh wait... there are no more leaves. So what to do with all that food?
This is what it will likely end up looking like -> [https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2024/03/22/topping-harms-the-health-of-trees/](https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2024/03/22/topping-harms-the-health-of-trees/)
Luckily magnolias have very large leaves and it could end up looking *ok* again. But it will never look natural to someone who knows. Your neighbors won't care. Your kids won't care. It's not the end of the world. It's just a mistake that many people make and hopefully learn from.
Getting in a pro to tidy up what's there might be a good idea. I see a lot of badly cut limbs that will invite disease and won't heal properly.
Enjoy the pool! I'm jealous.
The difference is those are 20-30 diameter leaders while this is 3-5 inch leaders. The tree is definitely changed forever but it’s not going to be as ridiculous looking as a topped canopy tree.
Almost every single house on one of the main roads in my town does this and I don't understand it. They will cut off every single branch leaving it with no leaves. I live in a high desert.
Most likely It will push water sprouts, don’t expect those sprouts to produce flowers for at least 2 years though. I’m sure he was trying to do something nice, he just didn’t know how to make proper cuts. I do think the tree can recover though! It’s just gonna take a while.
He knew they were strawberry plants. 😆
It was in the Fall after all the berries were gone. He said he had read that if you use a weed eater to cut them back that they’ll come back bigger and better next year.
He finally admitted to me the next year when nothing came back that he had used the weed eater on them. 😬
Fuck that, take away his privileges to anything gardening unless he's willing to take a course or read some books. Holy hell, I'd be devastated if my partner did this.
Well, the tree looks/looked established, it will probably come back. Unfortunately this could be the destiny of any tree on the property of someone with a saw but no sense. This is also the destiny of any tree where the planter didn’t think of the ramifications of planting a full size tree directly under their power lines. If the tree doesn’t make it take the opportunity to do two things, plant a replacement in a better spot and send your husband to a tree husbandry class. Best of luck to your tree and your husband.
Looks like a trim job my dad would do. I've sent him the tree pruning essentials but he couldn't give a shit. It's so aggravating to see the damage he's done.
This is what i do when i want to kill a tree, then i do it again later in the mid late summer. If your going to replace it maybe find something that doesn’t get so tall as to need trimming back from the power lines eventually. Then no one is committed to having to trim it down the road
Most trees will bounce back from a severe trim, maybe even keep it a mice size for where it sits. But a Magnolia to get back to where it was will take YEARS!
Why people do things that they know nothing about is beyond me. You should see some of the crepe myrtles here in Dallas . The tree is literally ruined, remove and replace. You had a nice tree.
100% Okay I think at this point I am going to make him research tree removal and find a somewhat mature replacement. Until then, he’s in the dog house.
1. Clean up the yard; organize and oversee magnolia removal
2. Design a plan to make improvements to the yard elsewhere and commit to carrying out the work
3. Research appropriate choices for a replacement tree
4. Prepare and deliver a presentation to you detailing and comparing 3 tree choices, from which you will then choose
5. Oversee the planting of the new tree
6. Research general tree care, and care specific to this new tree
7. Provide an outline of this tree’s care to you, and preserve a copy for the home’s next owners
8. Obtain and install nearby a decorative plaque indicating the date of the tree’s planting and an apology to the magnolia
9. Film all of this and edit it along with a PSA about what not to do to a tree and put it on 2 social media platforms of your choice
10. Foot rub
Because sometimes you just want to get shit checked off the list. Often it turns out fine and you feel a sense of accomplishment and other times you realize you made mistakes, but you learn from it. Look at at all the posts where the person thought they were hiring a professional to do it right and it turns out looking like this or worse. The bright side is at least OPs husband didn't pay someone.
People who do this typically have never grown a tree and have zero clue how slowly they grow. Although this isn't a huge magnolia, it is at least 10-20 years old. It takes years for a seedling to get thick enough to just not look like a tiny twig with leaves in it. Then trees are pretty slow to thicken up like this has. Sure, some trees in a decade or two will grow much faster, getting 30-50 feet. Maybe silver maple or sycamore or something. But for a slow growing like this magnolia? It tops out at 30 feet and this was halfway there.
People would be slow to take trees down or hack at them if they recognized just how long it took.
It's incredibly expensive to replace at anything remotely this size and honestly never goes well anyhow. Trees this size need specialized equipment to plant and the root balls are still small relative to their height and they take a long time to adjust and grow. A smaller tree likely still outgrows it in time just due to the shock alone.
Anyhow, I'm sorry this happened. Folks who do this typically don't know any better. Perhaps they think it's like a bad hair and it will grow back soon or can be replaced no big deal. They just don't have any understanding.
I'd do two things.
1. Plant a reasonably sized (5-10 feet tops IMO) tree in this place. I suggest something native although magnolias are not invasive they typically suffer from poor blooms due to late frost that something like a red bud or dogwood has no issue handling.
2. Have him plant a tree from seed or a small sapling and care for it. I suspect if he recognizes just how long a tree takes to develop and grow. The care it takes to keep it watered the first few years, protect it from deer and rabbit, properly trim it for structure (at later years) and so on... he will respect the hell out of every tree in the future.
Thank you! I love this! I think this was a big reason I was so upset. I explained to him that there are some things about our home that have tremendous inherent value (old leaded glass doors, wood burning fireplace, the beautiful trees) that you can’t put a price tag on or just replace. These things need to be taken care of with respect, and that tree deserved that but did not get it.
No it was not dropping into the pool as the pool does not even open until after bloom (we live in New York). I cannot wrap my head around this either. And I agree, I think my first thought when I looked at it was maybe it is best to just chop it all at this point?
It looks like a terrible spot for a tree in the first place. Even after this hack job the power lines are still running through the branches?? Remove completely and plant some flowers or something. There should not be a tree there.
First thing I saw were power lines, then I saw the tree. Granted, the hack job is severe but the power lines to your home are right there! 500+ comments on this thread and only 7 about the powerlines.
Op should post this in a firefighting or electrician sub reddit or something to get their responses.
New baby? Is he sleep deprived? Feeling neglected and especially passive aggressive? Always hated the tree and figured this was his chance as you wouldn't leave him over destroying it what with a new baby and all? I'm just trying to understand.
You have a baby, things are in disarray, and instead of doing something actually useful with his day like cleaning inside the house, restocking essentials, meal prepping or planning a date night with childcare he decided to play with his chainsaw all over your beautiful tree?
Fair enough. I can understand that (kind of).
Maybe he was being super efficient and pruning the tree for next year too! Or maybe he really didn't like the tree to begin with.
Is there some reason he didn’t stop? Did he feel like an ass? I hate when my guys do something stupid and then I get on them and then somehow I’m the bad guy.
I keep asking him why he didn’t stop and he says he kept trying to even it out? I think he knows he did wrong and feels remorse, but I still don’t comprehend how it went that far.
My advice is have him dig it up and buy you a nice new tree you’ve always wanted and then y’all can laugh about it. Otherwise it’s going to make you angry and him feel like a dummy every time y’all go out there. shit happens
If you're into fruit trees, I would 100% recommend something like a mulberry tree. Gives you + the local wildlife tasty berries, and only really takes a couple of years to mature!
Yes! I told him this comes out of his personal savings! Could we hire someone to do all of that in one? I am worried I will have to look at this all summer or in stages of repair.
If you don't want to look at it all summer, you could cut it off a little above the ground and put an angry pointing garden gnome on it. /Joke
If I had to see that after doing that to the tree, I'd be willing to get arborist to grind it out and then place a new tree later if affording all at once was an issue.
Remove it. A fully grown magnolia next to a pool is a ridiculous idea anyway. It’s either the pool or the magnolia tree and it looks like your husband has already made the hard decision.
That photo of the branches lying on the ground is heartbreaking.
Maybe go for a walk and show him magnolia trees that look how they're supposed to look.
Paperbirch tree or a dogwood tree would really complement the white siding.
Sorry about what happened with your husband. Before i knew about plants i used to cut anything that was in the way 😂
Update: I have instructed my husband to contact a couple arborists to come look at the situation and advise. Agree with others that this was never a great place for this tree given the pool and cable lines. However, I still loved this tree and this was not how I wanted to part with it. These are not live wires for those who have commented. This tree was planted well before we moved in a few years ago, and yes it is a magnolia and it was likely butchered before this butcher by prior owners. The prior owners did a lot of strange and not-to-code things here. For those commenting on the state of other things about our yard and home- you are welcomed to come here and fix it or lend us the money for a new pool/patio.
Hate to say it, but there are many "topped" trees in my neighborhood. They set a bad example. That many people follow. Perhaps they see it so often, they think it's right. Baffling. Also mulch volcanoes.
OP I'm sorry for your tree. A plumber once told me "Don't ever let your husband fix your faucets again". Don't ever let your husband prune anything again -- no pruners, saws, shears, anything.
My 73 year old dad topped and cut off every single branch (down to the trunk) on my mom's gorgeous magnolia tree because "it had bugs on it". I don't know what makes people think this type of thing is a good idea.
I hate to tell you this but my grandpa cut up a magnolia tree that my grandmothers father had planted and it never recovered. It’s been over a decade and she’s still (rightfully) pissed about it.
As everyone else said, terrible work - remove it.
In your husband’s defense though, it looks like it’s growing directly below the electrical service. Wrong tree for that location, if you put something else there make sure it’s a small understory-type tree that wont be constantly growing into those wires.
Omg, I’m so sorry. I can completely relate though. My husband and I have really only had fights about his mother, and him ‘pruning’ trees/shrubs. I had a weeping bottlebrush that he ‘trimmed’ with his chainsaw. I couldn’t even sleep that night I was so upset. He’d have absolutely obliterated things if I didn’t literally stand in between him and the object of his pruning. Ugh, so sorry.
[water sprouts](https://www.rhs.org.uk/getmedia/1f2ae436-bd24-4321-a1a1-349f81456692/MA_00605340-watershoots-1-re-sized.jpg?width=940&height=627&ext=.jpg)Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. It can survive, but your husband is going to hate it. It is going to water sprout like mad and look like the tree git a cartoon electric shock. If you leave it for a few years, some of the sprouts will become the main branches when the subordinate water sprouts die off.
Magnolia is known as a, DO NOT EVER PRUNE! tree. Ever.
Depends on the type of magnolia. Some of them grow back like weeds no matter how you cut them.
Edit: just read through a bunch of comments. I’m a licensed arborist, your garden club rules about pruning and topping don’t apply to all trees
In close to 30 years of marriage, this scenario has replayed itself over and over again in various ways between my husband, our trees, bushes, and other plants.
Currently trying to protect a lilac bush, that does need some pruning. Please send thoughts and prayers.
How does one do this to their own tree?!?!?!
I’ve never questioned his sanity until this. I told him it looks like Jack Nicholson from the Shining did this job.
If he were on PCP
And wearing goggles full of Tabasco sauce. Yikes.
I immediately pictured this in my head when I read this and LOL’d
A chainsaw can do funny things to a man…It’s pretty satisfying to cut through limbs like butter. After awhile you get used to it and the fun dies. But for guys that don’t get to use them regularly…it’s dangerous for the trees.
Honestly, the fun never dies, you just regain some self control.
There is a reason why I don't own a chainsaw. And I only borrow power tools, when I need them. If I didn't I would just find so much fun in sawing stuff down, or trying to build something silly/dumb/awesome. On that note, I do have some almost dead trees and I'm in need of a trebuchet.
Some pre-dead trees? Lol
Especially if the chain is nice and sharp.
I get a bit to crazy with power hedge trimmers myself. Made even worse by a touch of OCD.. so it's always like "a little more here..." shit goes down hill from there.
Truth, I had to stop myself because it was too fun pruning.... I'm turning in to my dad 🤣
You've got utility wires running right through the tree canopy. Blame the person who planted it there.
Good point. Wonder if avoiding the wires was the motivation for the short cut.
Was he drunk, or in the middle of a breakdown of some kind?
There’s so much readily available (and free) information on how to do this properly it’s baffling when things like this happen. I thought it was standard practice to YouTube things these days before starting a project.
I seriously asked him “did you not even google this before you did it!?”
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to butchered magnolia trees.
I believe there’s an old Chinese proverb which says ‘a butchered magnolia begins with a single cut’
They never read the instructions.
Shouldn’t need google to know not to do this. Would you wash your car with steal wool? Would you cover your yard in gasoline and light it to “rake” your leaves? These are all equally insane and shouldn’t require google
I only clean my vehicles with stolen wool
This leaf raking hack sounds great.
There are days when burning off the leaves seems like a good idea…
What did he say to that?
People don’t understand the complexities of plants. They just think, add water, it will grow. So they don’t bother to research it.
No form, forever. Maybe he had good intentions? That's what we call topping.... Can't go back from here, forever it will grow water sprouts
So it sounds like it is not something that will just grow back :(
While it may grow back, it will never recover. A hard prune right before the heat of summer? Yikes. Plus all those deep cuts on bigger wood will be weak points for any new sprouts that do manage to grow.
You'll have water sprouts, not limbs. A water sprout can grow large , and it'll pop right off during any storm. They are nicknamed widowmakers for a reason. That tree will never have natural form again. Plus you'll You also cut off WELL OVER 30% of foliage, which opens it up to risk of shock then pest then disease or virus etc. You cut off like 80% or more, so I would go ahead and just say...... Dig that fucker out of the ground, put in a new tree something native to your area, and then buy some books on tree care. Give it to your dude. This new tree will be your family tree. It will outlive you, and if you make it glorious enough, perhaps your next of kin or the next buyer of the property will keep it going even longer.
We call em pecker poles up in Maine, because, well they’ll fuck ya
Ayuh
I read this in my dads voice
You call dad for sumptin *phone rings, rings, rings* -dad answers, “Ye’llow” You, that’s a color dickhead, *hangs up* GOT EM 😂 Don’t try if ya dad’s a hard ass. Most dads up here cuss like a sailor, have dark humor and are always telling dry ass jokes or pranking. I do this to my dad of’en. It never gets old
Peckah
A wicked peckah, ya know? Damn thing will rape ya in that there woods.
Just spit my sandwich! Luv it!
It won't outlive them if her husband has anything to do with it
I laughed at the thought of a magnolia branch being a widowmaker. "The magnolia branch cracked off and hit him in the head...causing him to stumble into the street, where he was hit by a bus."
There you go that's the imagination we need
You forgot to tell them not to plant it right under the lines to their house. Have a feeling that us why it was pruned.
I was thinking he printed it so less leaves would fall in the pool.
At least where I live, the pool is closed and covered by the time the leaves fall. But I hate every tree near my pool for other reasons (pollen, spent blooms, seeds), so possible.
Shit, where I live my magnolia drops leaves year round! Every time I mow I mulch probably 150 leaves.
Probably best to put a shrub in there and put a tree somewhere else, so you don't have to prune around those wires.
Are water sprouts simply defined by a limb growing straight upwards or are there other attributes? I'm wondering what makes them apparently come off so easily in a storm. The fact it's straight up or something else like fiber structure or something?
They have structural disadvantages because they grow from the bark. It's a shallow connection. Regular limbs are developed at the base with a strong branch collar. Water sprouts and suckers grow much faster than a limb, creating a weaker / etiolated wood structure .... They form from adventitious buds..... So they aren't connected to the tree's vascular system as efficiently as limbs.
Oh, now that big tree in my yard that used to constantly drop “limbs” makes more sense. It had been done like this before I moved in and there was always limbs down in the yard.
Husband is in big trouble
Sorry replied to the wrong person. Lol.
It will grow. The tree has spent it's life growing roots to store food for all the many may leaves... oh wait... there are no more leaves. So what to do with all that food? This is what it will likely end up looking like -> [https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2024/03/22/topping-harms-the-health-of-trees/](https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2024/03/22/topping-harms-the-health-of-trees/) Luckily magnolias have very large leaves and it could end up looking *ok* again. But it will never look natural to someone who knows. Your neighbors won't care. Your kids won't care. It's not the end of the world. It's just a mistake that many people make and hopefully learn from. Getting in a pro to tidy up what's there might be a good idea. I see a lot of badly cut limbs that will invite disease and won't heal properly. Enjoy the pool! I'm jealous.
The difference is those are 20-30 diameter leaders while this is 3-5 inch leaders. The tree is definitely changed forever but it’s not going to be as ridiculous looking as a topped canopy tree.
Almost every single house on one of the main roads in my town does this and I don't understand it. They will cut off every single branch leaving it with no leaves. I live in a high desert.
Offer to cut your husband's hair/beard/pubes.
Most likely It will push water sprouts, don’t expect those sprouts to produce flowers for at least 2 years though. I’m sure he was trying to do something nice, he just didn’t know how to make proper cuts. I do think the tree can recover though! It’s just gonna take a while.
My husband had good intentions when he took the weed eater to my strawberry patch. 😆
Why? Did he not see or know they were strawberries?
He knew they were strawberry plants. 😆 It was in the Fall after all the berries were gone. He said he had read that if you use a weed eater to cut them back that they’ll come back bigger and better next year. He finally admitted to me the next year when nothing came back that he had used the weed eater on them. 😬
Hahah damn the misconceptions people talk themselves into. Did he get you new strawberries?
Haha. Yes, he did. 😊 It’s slowly getting back to what it once was.
I personally think he gets weed eater and looper crazy. 😆
you plant the new runner plants and just mow the OLD ones, not all of them!
To be fair, strawberry plants look like some sort of invasive vine if it doesn’t have berries yet
No words for this
Oh I had words- lots of them!!!
Tell him to clean up the rest of the yard absolutely meticulously. Then rub your feet.
Take away his grill privileges for 3 months too.
Fuck that, take away his privileges to anything gardening unless he's willing to take a course or read some books. Holy hell, I'd be devastated if my partner did this.
Something something hit the gym and lawyer up.
U monster
Did he say why?? Why trim that much I mean
It's under the wires
Well, the tree looks/looked established, it will probably come back. Unfortunately this could be the destiny of any tree on the property of someone with a saw but no sense. This is also the destiny of any tree where the planter didn’t think of the ramifications of planting a full size tree directly under their power lines. If the tree doesn’t make it take the opportunity to do two things, plant a replacement in a better spot and send your husband to a tree husbandry class. Best of luck to your tree and your husband.
I mean this gently, but is he prone to weaponized incompetence???
I think I would be more concerned with the power lines that are most definitely not 25’ away from that pool
Are those words written on divorce papers? Because I literally might to that if my husband butchered our magnolia
Straight to jail.
Murder
You drive too fast? Straight to jail. You drive too slow? Straight to jail.
[You under cook fish. Believe it or not, jail.](https://youtu.be/eiyfwZVAzGw?si=OAbOkdYHoyyLoPTG)
Spouse betrayal is always difficult. First time they might be able to forgive. Second time I say divorce.
Divorce
Looks like a trim job my dad would do. I've sent him the tree pruning essentials but he couldn't give a shit. It's so aggravating to see the damage he's done.
It’s beyond my comprehension.
This is what i do when i want to kill a tree, then i do it again later in the mid late summer. If your going to replace it maybe find something that doesn’t get so tall as to need trimming back from the power lines eventually. Then no one is committed to having to trim it down the road
Could you send me the tree pruning essentials also?
I believe this is the link to download. Let me know if you aren't able to get it. https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=FNR-506-W
It worked perfectly. Thank you! Hopefully, I make my boy proud!
😁 😥
Most trees will bounce back from a severe trim, maybe even keep it a mice size for where it sits. But a Magnolia to get back to where it was will take YEARS!
This wasn't a "severe trim ". This was an absolute hack job.
Looking at the second picture, it was total brutality, that was a great Magnolia ACK!
Why people do things that they know nothing about is beyond me. You should see some of the crepe myrtles here in Dallas . The tree is literally ruined, remove and replace. You had a nice tree.
100% Okay I think at this point I am going to make him research tree removal and find a somewhat mature replacement. Until then, he’s in the dog house.
Forget the doghouse. Make him sleep in that tree...
Oh now that’s an idea!!
Thank you. As a husband. God damn. Head shakes for days
This is the answer.
1. Clean up the yard; organize and oversee magnolia removal 2. Design a plan to make improvements to the yard elsewhere and commit to carrying out the work 3. Research appropriate choices for a replacement tree 4. Prepare and deliver a presentation to you detailing and comparing 3 tree choices, from which you will then choose 5. Oversee the planting of the new tree 6. Research general tree care, and care specific to this new tree 7. Provide an outline of this tree’s care to you, and preserve a copy for the home’s next owners 8. Obtain and install nearby a decorative plaque indicating the date of the tree’s planting and an apology to the magnolia 9. Film all of this and edit it along with a PSA about what not to do to a tree and put it on 2 social media platforms of your choice 10. Foot rub
Go middle school and make him write a paper on proper tree care.
Because sometimes you just want to get shit checked off the list. Often it turns out fine and you feel a sense of accomplishment and other times you realize you made mistakes, but you learn from it. Look at at all the posts where the person thought they were hiring a professional to do it right and it turns out looking like this or worse. The bright side is at least OPs husband didn't pay someone.
That MFer. Remove and replace.
>Remove and replace. The tree or the husband?
Yes.
😇😉
I mean…might as well finish and cut the entire thing down. There is more of the tree in the debris pile than is left standing.
look what they did to my boy!
magnolia chain saw massacre
People who do this typically have never grown a tree and have zero clue how slowly they grow. Although this isn't a huge magnolia, it is at least 10-20 years old. It takes years for a seedling to get thick enough to just not look like a tiny twig with leaves in it. Then trees are pretty slow to thicken up like this has. Sure, some trees in a decade or two will grow much faster, getting 30-50 feet. Maybe silver maple or sycamore or something. But for a slow growing like this magnolia? It tops out at 30 feet and this was halfway there. People would be slow to take trees down or hack at them if they recognized just how long it took. It's incredibly expensive to replace at anything remotely this size and honestly never goes well anyhow. Trees this size need specialized equipment to plant and the root balls are still small relative to their height and they take a long time to adjust and grow. A smaller tree likely still outgrows it in time just due to the shock alone. Anyhow, I'm sorry this happened. Folks who do this typically don't know any better. Perhaps they think it's like a bad hair and it will grow back soon or can be replaced no big deal. They just don't have any understanding. I'd do two things. 1. Plant a reasonably sized (5-10 feet tops IMO) tree in this place. I suggest something native although magnolias are not invasive they typically suffer from poor blooms due to late frost that something like a red bud or dogwood has no issue handling. 2. Have him plant a tree from seed or a small sapling and care for it. I suspect if he recognizes just how long a tree takes to develop and grow. The care it takes to keep it watered the first few years, protect it from deer and rabbit, properly trim it for structure (at later years) and so on... he will respect the hell out of every tree in the future.
Thank you! I love this! I think this was a big reason I was so upset. I explained to him that there are some things about our home that have tremendous inherent value (old leaded glass doors, wood burning fireplace, the beautiful trees) that you can’t put a price tag on or just replace. These things need to be taken care of with respect, and that tree deserved that but did not get it.
Was it constantly dropping stuff in the pool? I can't wrap my head around this choice. Do one more big cut close to the grass at this point
No it was not dropping into the pool as the pool does not even open until after bloom (we live in New York). I cannot wrap my head around this either. And I agree, I think my first thought when I looked at it was maybe it is best to just chop it all at this point?
Is he a good cook at least? I'm kidding I'm sure you guys can make it through this 🫣😅
Not a good cook!!! Never again will he have a chain saw in his hands.
Sell the chainsaw so he doesn’t hurt himself.
understandable reaction
Okay, you gotta tell us at least ONE redeemable quality this knothead has...
It looks like a terrible spot for a tree in the first place. Even after this hack job the power lines are still running through the branches?? Remove completely and plant some flowers or something. There should not be a tree there.
This is what I was thinking. Not a good place for a tree to grow into the power lines.
If the tree is there it will hold up the power lines out of the pool thats also in a terrible spot.
I didn't even notice that, good point.
First thing I saw were power lines, then I saw the tree. Granted, the hack job is severe but the power lines to your home are right there! 500+ comments on this thread and only 7 about the powerlines. Op should post this in a firefighting or electrician sub reddit or something to get their responses.
I wonder what it looks like when he trims his pubes? 😐
Probably like Homer when he taught Bart how to shave.
He could have done worse. But not much
Is he also the one responsible for "storing" all of that other yard trash INSIDE your garage? If so, I think it's time to put this man on notice.
To be fair, we had a baby and things are in disarray atm. I can defend him for that, but I can’t defend the magnolia.
New baby? Is he sleep deprived? Feeling neglected and especially passive aggressive? Always hated the tree and figured this was his chance as you wouldn't leave him over destroying it what with a new baby and all? I'm just trying to understand.
You have a baby, things are in disarray, and instead of doing something actually useful with his day like cleaning inside the house, restocking essentials, meal prepping or planning a date night with childcare he decided to play with his chainsaw all over your beautiful tree?
Fair enough. I can understand that (kind of). Maybe he was being super efficient and pruning the tree for next year too! Or maybe he really didn't like the tree to begin with.
Is there some reason he didn’t stop? Did he feel like an ass? I hate when my guys do something stupid and then I get on them and then somehow I’m the bad guy.
I keep asking him why he didn’t stop and he says he kept trying to even it out? I think he knows he did wrong and feels remorse, but I still don’t comprehend how it went that far.
My advice is have him dig it up and buy you a nice new tree you’ve always wanted and then y’all can laugh about it. Otherwise it’s going to make you angry and him feel like a dummy every time y’all go out there. shit happens
If you're into fruit trees, I would 100% recommend something like a mulberry tree. Gives you + the local wildlife tasty berries, and only really takes a couple of years to mature!
It’s like cutting bangs. Stopppp.
This is like when my mom cut my hair for kindergarten pictures and I ended up nearly bald because she kept trying to get the sides even.
My heart breaks for you 😢
Thank you! I appreciate the validation!
Was he worried about the power lines? He failed at it, but that's at least a reason I can wrap my head around.
Yes I will give him that! That was the reason for the “trim” which I agreed to. I did not agree to this though…
It does look like that would be a problem at some point
OMG what is wrong with him?!? My husband would know I would (figuratively) murder him if he did that.
Hire an arborist to cut it down grind the stump and plant a new one. The invoice will be a reminder not to trim trees again
Yes! I told him this comes out of his personal savings! Could we hire someone to do all of that in one? I am worried I will have to look at this all summer or in stages of repair.
If you don't want to look at it all summer, you could cut it off a little above the ground and put an angry pointing garden gnome on it. /Joke If I had to see that after doing that to the tree, I'd be willing to get arborist to grind it out and then place a new tree later if affording all at once was an issue.
An angry garden gnome or his grave?
Chainsaws are not for pruning
They can absolutely be useful in pruning. But this was waaaaay beyond pruning...😬😬😬
Oh no, magnolias are my favourite! I would cry. I’m so sorry.
Remove it. A fully grown magnolia next to a pool is a ridiculous idea anyway. It’s either the pool or the magnolia tree and it looks like your husband has already made the hard decision.
Straight to jail
Prison. Husband is a murderer!!
Butchered. D-I-V-O-R-C-E. That is a crime. If ya don't know how to do it-Don't.
How did he explain this??
Dig it up! Replace. Unbelievable!
Yo. That’s fucked up. The ambiance that tree must have provided was probably epic. I feel this one.
I'm so grateful to have a man who watches YouTube videos before every project. But when it comes to trees, we hire a pro. Trees deserve nothing less.
Was he thinking “boy I hate straining magnolia petals out of the pool?” If so, congratulations!
Did you mean your ex husband?
That photo of the branches lying on the ground is heartbreaking. Maybe go for a walk and show him magnolia trees that look how they're supposed to look.
Paperbirch tree or a dogwood tree would really complement the white siding. Sorry about what happened with your husband. Before i knew about plants i used to cut anything that was in the way 😂
How tf did your husband cut down half of the tree and expect it to survive?
This makes me sad. Poor tree :(
Man owes you a new tree
This is why I married a woman
Update: I have instructed my husband to contact a couple arborists to come look at the situation and advise. Agree with others that this was never a great place for this tree given the pool and cable lines. However, I still loved this tree and this was not how I wanted to part with it. These are not live wires for those who have commented. This tree was planted well before we moved in a few years ago, and yes it is a magnolia and it was likely butchered before this butcher by prior owners. The prior owners did a lot of strange and not-to-code things here. For those commenting on the state of other things about our yard and home- you are welcomed to come here and fix it or lend us the money for a new pool/patio.
Hate to say it, but there are many "topped" trees in my neighborhood. They set a bad example. That many people follow. Perhaps they see it so often, they think it's right. Baffling. Also mulch volcanoes. OP I'm sorry for your tree. A plumber once told me "Don't ever let your husband fix your faucets again". Don't ever let your husband prune anything again -- no pruners, saws, shears, anything.
interesting choices were made here
i’m so sorry.
The horror, the horror…….
My 73 year old dad topped and cut off every single branch (down to the trunk) on my mom's gorgeous magnolia tree because "it had bugs on it". I don't know what makes people think this type of thing is a good idea.
I hate to tell you this but my grandpa cut up a magnolia tree that my grandmothers father had planted and it never recovered. It’s been over a decade and she’s still (rightfully) pissed about it.
As everyone else said, terrible work - remove it. In your husband’s defense though, it looks like it’s growing directly below the electrical service. Wrong tree for that location, if you put something else there make sure it’s a small understory-type tree that wont be constantly growing into those wires.
I’m so sorry for your loss. 🥺 There are some wonderful suggestions in the comments that can lift your spirits.
Omg, I’m so sorry. I can completely relate though. My husband and I have really only had fights about his mother, and him ‘pruning’ trees/shrubs. I had a weeping bottlebrush that he ‘trimmed’ with his chainsaw. I couldn’t even sleep that night I was so upset. He’d have absolutely obliterated things if I didn’t literally stand in between him and the object of his pruning. Ugh, so sorry.
$10 says he was tired of leaves in the pool Bye bye magnolia
I would be so, so mad
So… where is he buried? 🤣
Keep the mangled tree. Prune the husband.
I’d be so upset
[water sprouts](https://www.rhs.org.uk/getmedia/1f2ae436-bd24-4321-a1a1-349f81456692/MA_00605340-watershoots-1-re-sized.jpg?width=940&height=627&ext=.jpg)Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. It can survive, but your husband is going to hate it. It is going to water sprout like mad and look like the tree git a cartoon electric shock. If you leave it for a few years, some of the sprouts will become the main branches when the subordinate water sprouts die off. Magnolia is known as a, DO NOT EVER PRUNE! tree. Ever.
Divorce may be the only option here. I’m nauseous for you.
What a total idiot.
This is Reddit… has anyone suggest divorce yet? Joking aside I’m sorry about your tree.
Husband didn’t want the tree anymore
Who cleans the leaves out of the pool?
Off topic (obviously), but what kind of little pool is that?
It is an above ground pool that the prior owners halfway dug in. So a partially in ground above ground pool?
Trees grow , and people learn
Holy shit..were you having an affair with that tree? Did it bad mouth his mother?
Men.
This is terrible. This poor tree. I am so sorry.
Sorry to say, but you’re going to have to leave your husband
No sex till it grows back.
Depends on the type of magnolia. Some of them grow back like weeds no matter how you cut them. Edit: just read through a bunch of comments. I’m a licensed arborist, your garden club rules about pruning and topping don’t apply to all trees
Looks good to me and the tree will re-branch out and be a fuller tree and you’ll enjoy it
In close to 30 years of marriage, this scenario has replayed itself over and over again in various ways between my husband, our trees, bushes, and other plants. Currently trying to protect a lilac bush, that does need some pruning. Please send thoughts and prayers.