Nectarine Tree In Front Yard

 

I have more of an etiquette question than a growing question.

My nectarine tree I planted four years ago is producing fruit like a
lemon tree! It's bowing the limbs there are so many.

Today, as I walked out through my garage to the strip where I'd planted
the tree, I saw a "neighbor" helping himself to my nectarines. I'm not
upset about that -- even slightly. As I said, it's producing nectarines
like a fiend on speed. I'm willing to share. What caught me off balance
was his wanton destruction on light limbs and branch tips. If a piece of
fruit resisted, he'd snap the branch.

We exchanged a couple phrases about his pruning tactics and I strongly
requested the eight nectarines he'd packed away in his jogging suit
pockets.

Is this normal for fruit trees in people's front yards, even those
located clearly on said owner's property?

I just don't get it...

The Ranger

 

This is the kind of behavior one would expect from a child, not an adult.  At
least he
wasn't trying to be sneaky, like doing it at 2 am.  I would have let him eat the
fruit, and then
tell him that you spray with poison chemicals, and he better go to the nearest
emergency hospital.
If he repeats his activities after you warn him off, I would not hesitate to
call the police.  I
wonder if they make a Have-A-Heart big
enough for him to crawl into?

                                 Sherwin D.

The Ranger wrote:

 

The Ranger wrote:

Is this "neighbor" known to you? That doesn't sound like normal
behavior, in the sense of "what normal people do." But if your
neighborhood is normal, you're likely to have one or two residents who
are not quite normal.

Perhaps you need to work on your reputation as "the surly *sshole with
the nectarine tree," and folks will give you and your tree a wider
berth. ;-)

 

[snip neighbor poaching fruit]

Only because he walks past my castle everyday. He lives a couple streets
over. We're less-than nodding acquaintances.


I was grousing to my FIL about this and he observed from his daily walks
that apple, pear, and cherry trees are heavily poached. He does his part
to let the offenders know that not everyone appreciates such brazen
actions but it's an uphill battle, particularly during autumn harvest
times.


I'm already known as the neighborhood kook... I'll set MARCOM to working
on the "surly" immediately.

The Ranger

 

The Ranger wrote:


A couple of streets over!! Wow, that's even weirder than I thought. I
pictured it being the guy next door who just had to walk across his
property line several feet. I also figured he knew you well enough to
think you wouldn't mind.
Man, I think I would be putting up an electric fence or something!

Steve