DD's tree gone wild

[thistlebloom]

Go for it Steve! You aren't going to cause any damage to it.
Hawthornes are beautiful in bloom, but their thorns keep them off my personal list.
There must be a wild variety, or else some birds have been gifting me seeds from a distant neighbors. Those puppies hurt when I'm out there bushwhacking.

 

[seedcorn]

& puncture lawn mower tires. Best advice, KILL IT!

 

[thistlebloom]

& puncture lawn mower tires. Best advice, KILL IT!

Haha! My sentiments exactly, but I hesitated to give that advice...

 

[lcertuche]

It doesn't look like much so it would probably be all right to prune. If it's some kind of disease better to do it earlier than later. If not then it can probably wait if need be. I cut dead branches off sooner than later.

 

[ducks4you]

Buy a pair of welder's gloves at your local hardware store. DH has a pair and he moves burning wood pieces in our firepit with them and they have long, protective sleeves. If you have a pair of lopers you can use them also as large pliers, instead of putting your gloved hand deep in the bush and ripping your upper arm! You probably should have pruned in early March, but you can still do some, than plan to do more in 2018.
First remove any dead wood, as best you can.
Next, sacrifice the blooms for a better bush Next year. You can clearly see where it is thick, so thin than out.
Then, attack the height, ESPECIALLY if there are power lines close to the bush, like my DD's have on Their back yard bush. I think this will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/hawthorn/pruning-hawthorn-trees.htm
It is similar to pruning a fruit tree.

 

[lcertuche]

Maybe a thick layer of mulch will keep the weeds down so no one will be harmed in the mowing, bushwhacking, etc.

 

[digitS']

@ducks4you , DW had exactly the same idea for gloves ..

. after I'd stabbed myself in both wrists! I'd protected the digitS' with my insulated buffalo hide gloves. It was cool enough to wear them yesterday while I pruned about as much as I dared to and made a run to recycling.

While out and about, I stopped at a park where I'd seen a nicely shaped tree. Professionals must do light pruning each year! You could hardly see where branches had been removed. I hope DD's tree doesn't send out 3 or 4 branches for each taken off! Shoveling sand against the tide if it does!

Steve

 

[Collector]

Them thorns are nasty on the hawthorns for sure. It seems like you can be careful as possible and the limbs lash out at your hands and arms. Sounds like you came out on top though so all is well. I never looked forward to pruning our tree , got poked and scratched up every time.

 

[digitS']

Ha!

There is a landscaping service ad at the top of this page, now.

My next task over there is to till her front yard. It has very little grass, less so (maybe none ), now that I have sprayed it with weed killer. One intent was to open up that fairly small area to more sunlight. The hawthorn is right in the center, in a raised bed. Southern exposure but it was taking a great deal of the light. The neighbor's ridiculously huge and messy elm is a big part of the problem but I don't know what we can do about that.

I will change the oil on the rototiller this morning and till in the weeds. I'll do that soon, anyway. There should be sufficient cool weather left to get some lawn grass started. Watering has been another problem. I bet that tree is centered so well, pop-up sprinklers on the 4 sides of its framed bed would be just about perfect for lawn irrigation.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

There's always the option of removing the tree...your daughter is young and planting something fresh (and less hostile!) would give her something to watch grow. Hawthornes are only pretty for a short time, then they're just sort of homely, or at least unremarkable.

Something like a redbud, or a Japanese Snowbell tree, or a Japanese Stewartia would be pretty even when not in bloom. And they won't draw blood when you need to work on them. Plus they stay on the smaller size so they won't overwhelm the front yard.

Just my opinion, and we all know how opinionated I can be.