pruning advice for a banksia grandis (bull banksia)
By Sarounette
South Africa 
The 10m high banksia grandis tree of our neigbours is planted near our boundary wall. The tree has two big trunks and one of them is definitely hanging over our wall, shedding our house and making our garden very dirty. How and when do we cut the branches/trunk invading our garden space?
Are we, in South Africa, allowed to do so?
The neighbour is absolutly not interrested to even mention pruning her tree. Thanks for your help. the Aich Family in Sandown, Gauteng Province.
28 Jun, 2009
Answers
As Spritz above says, you need to check with your local authority, or council as we call it here. In the UK, the law says that any plant which grows on someone else'sproperty cannot be touched by you, UNLESS it is overhanging your border, or the edge of your territory, if you like, so here, hanging over my garden from next door. In that instance, we are legally entitled to cut back anything which overhangs our fence or wall into our space in a vertical line up to the sky, but not over their side. The cuttings so removed actually belong to the owner of the tree, though they rarely want them, I find!
29 Jun, 2009
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I'm so sorry you haven't had an answer - in the UK, we'd know what to do, but the laws where you are are bound to be different.
I think you should get advice from your local authorities before you do anything.
Good luck.
29 Jun, 2009