Griffith Park Blog » Oogli Trees

Contact Me and an oogli tree.

Donna Barstow — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:32:27 +0000

Oh, dear. Now I find out that my Contact Me tab on the top hasn’t been working for a while. For some reason, Yahoo mail, owned by ATT, has decided not only to give me repulsive ads on each page of my mail program, usually of women with their skin falling off, or peeling off, can’t tell which from the corner of my eye, but has also been blocking email from certain phps, which WordPress uses everywhere. Including my Contact Me page.

So if you have tried to write to me and didn’t get a response (and I reply to everyone), please do try again. Sorry about that, kids. * Contact page fixed now!

An oogli tree in Silver Lake with suckers.

Here is an oogli tree on a very expensive street in the hills of Silver Lake. The owner obviously takes good care of her home, and loves her little front yard garden, but figured she’d save a little money by having the “gardener” or some body, who obviously isn’t licensed, trim her tree. And now she has an oogli tree, particularly offensive under lamplight.

Poor tree, all knobbly and shapeless, when we know shape matters so very much in this city. The tangled hair balls look like nests, but I think there’s only one nest, and even that might be the cutter’s mistake!

Just a few weeks ago I talked with a helpful LADWP tree trimmer, who said he was a Tree Surgeon:

…he was kind enough to take the time to show me how DWP trims more effectively than Davey Tree Service, by cutting exactly at the “v” crotch. This trains the tree to grow away from the power lines, whereas cutting higher up the limb, causes ugly suckers, those branches that grow straight up from the cut and makes the limb even heavier. (note: could be grounds for an oogli tree.)

I think this is the perfect example of what he was talking about, and this tree certainly sucks.

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Oogli tree in Silver Lake.

Donna Barstow — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:43:00 +0000

About 2 blocks from the Lake, with view. The house is at least a million.

I especially like all the pock marks and the stumps from cut limbs. The owner obviously has control issues with this tree.

It’s planted in a small walled structure, so the tree was planned. How did it go so wrong, and become so disappointing to the owner? We can only guess at some things.

Oogli tree in Silver Lake, unwanted, with a nice twist.

Or were you looking for one of these?

Los Angeles needs more tree plastic surgeons

Donna Barstow — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:29:50 +0000

Someday, whether you like it or not, LA Street Services or the LADWP will send uneducated, unskilled men, with no supervision, to steal from you. They will take thousands of dollars from the value of your home and your neighborhood, dirty your air, make the street hotter and your air conditioner work harder, uglify your view, and sometimes make you cry. Sometimes they kill; they always maim. Your tax dollars will be paying these men, and in Southern California they are often illegals. Of course, I’m talking about tree cutters!

Many of these unfortunate men are city employees, but I think the city subcontracts at least half of the work. Golden Bear is one of the worst businesses; they also sell firewood, so…integrity, much? I know DWP has been using Davey Tree Service for a while, another over-zealous and unqualified bunch. I called a few weeks ago to ask their national office what percentage of their tree cutters are licensed arborists, but they never called back. Many states require all tree cutters to be licensed, but not California, oh no, because like, we have SO MANY trees here in LA, why put any thought or money into keeping the ones we have healthy? (/sarcasm)

(Definitions of arborist licenses are in my ISA blogroll link, in case you do value the quality of your life and financial worth of your home, and seek out an actual certified arborist. Otherwise? You’re a gambler. I would guess that only 5 % of city tree trimmers, and even less of private companies, are certified.)

Is this a trim or a rape? Excuse the language. Photo by Jupiter Images

City tree trimming is done NOT for the health of the trees but because the city is such a scaredy cat about lawsuits from falling limbs, or people tripping over the sidewalk. So they cut back each tree to leave 3 or 4 or 5 branches on it that become twice as heavy. Stupid, much?Â You don’t have to be an engineer to understand that every branch hacked off means more leaves grow on the remaining limbs, making them heavier and subject to imbalance, splitting and falling. And trimmed trees are left with open wounds, and you will see the sap pouring down for days; these holes punctured in the protective bark are invitations for destructive insects, and fungus, and weaken the tree’s immunity system to diseases. Death ensues.

Some species MAY require trimming every 5 or 10 years. But in Los Angeles, these scary destroyers come around every 2 years. In Silver Lake, it’s every 18 months! Even with no rain! (See what I mean by makework?) But what about mv, you ask? What about his Million Tree project? Doesn’t that mean the Mayor loves trees? Well, I’m not quite sure what or who the Mayor loves now, but the cutwork sure hasn’t stopped, even when it would save the city tons of money, and help with tons of smog.

No matter what department of the city is doing the work, remember: you have every right to demand that a certified arborist be present when the work is done on your street or on your property! I do! Cause you don’t want any Oogli trees on your turf, do you?

Or were you looking for one of these?

Maybe the Los Angeles Times just doesn’t like Mexicans.

New category: Oogli Trees

Donna Barstow — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:40:53 +0000

Cut in the prime of life by Davey Tree “Expert” Co. Just in time for Halloween.

I went to an all girls high school, which was stressful only because everything was college oriented, not because it was stereotypical catty. So it wasn’t until I went to college that I heard the term (from guys) “ugly stick.” Only they said it like this, “O-o-o-o-gli!” pointing in a mocking, unkind way towards anyone they didn’t like (meaning women who weren’t a 10). Under their breath, I guess, because I don’t think they got busted by sassy college girls.

I never did this towards a person, but I am condemned to notice the outrageously hideous tree trimming all around the city. When a mature tree on a property is worth a cool $10,000 minimum, what exactly are homeowners thinking about? Not the value of their home, I guess.

When a tree is on the meridian (? I forget what you call trees on the other side of the sidewalk) and not on private property, that’s different. No matter who paid for those trees, the city owns them, and is responsible for them. When the LADWP or LA Street Maintenance comes bulldozing through the streets to trim, homeowners are notified ahead of time. (apartment dwellers just have to guess – 2nd class and all that.) If you don’t want to risk a careless or bad job, the trees scarred and/or botched for several months (or forever), request a LICENSED ARBORIST from the city to be at the site while your tree or street is trimmed. You can’t believe how much better your tree will look than your neighbor’s. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

This poor Oogli tree is quite close to me. The LADWP subcontracted Davey Trees to do the trimming. These are high voltage wires, and DWP requires that trees be cut 10 feet radius from them.

Same tree. I don’t know what type it was, but now it’s an Oogli tree.

Instead, Davey cut about 25 feet from the wires. Could it be any uglier?

Remember, there are no Oogli trees, just Oogli cutters.

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