Had a homeowner in Portland ask me to 'prune for better feng shui' last fall

She followed me around the yard for two hours with a compass, insisting I leave a specific branch on her maple because it 'channeled good energy.' Has a client ever given you pruning instructions that made zero sense for the tree's health?

4 comments

4 Comments

kai_webb912mo ago

Some battles aren't worth fighting" is exactly right, and I used to be the opposite. I argued with a client for an hour about a perfectly healthy limb they wanted gone for "bad vibes." Now I just do what @shane_park92 said, as long as the tree is safe. The check clears either way.

ivan_murphy801d agoTop Commenter

Damn, that actually makes a lot of sense honestly. I used to be the same way, I'd argue with people about pointless stuff all the time, thinking I was in the right. But then I realized nobody's paying me for my opinions, they're paying me for a service and I just gotta get it done as long as it's safe lol. Like who am I to judge someone's "bad vibes" or whatever, that's their business not mine. The check clears either way and the tree isn't getting hurt so what's the harm. You definitely changed my mind on this one, I was fighting battles nobody asked me to fight.

reese_hayes712mo ago

That limb removal still feels wrong to me.

shane_park922mo ago

Honestly if the tree isn't gonna die from it, who cares. The client is paying and they're happy with their good energy branch. Some battles just aren't worth fighting, you know? As long as you're not doing clear harm to the plant, let people have their weird little rituals. Makes the job more interesting anyway.