kid messing with plant

J

Jane Doe

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I have a large plant in a square pot outside at the neighbouring fence. The 'fence' can be stepped over. The kid next door throws the soil off it around the ground and i am afraid he will damage the plant and have moved it for the moment.

I want to put it back and was wondering if there was something thorny i could put on the soil around the plantor any other ideas. If I stop him getting to the soil he may pull at the plant. Basically I want to give him a reason to keep away.

Considered putting a 'danger poison' sign on it but i do not know if that would be legal.Or if he could read, he is quite young. Thought of thorny wire but if he cut himself would i be responsible seeing as he is only a child
 
How many time has he done this?
Maybe if you just leave it alone, he'll get bored with it (and move onto something else)
 
leghorn said:
How many time has he done this?
Maybe if you just leave it alone, he'll get bored with it (and move onto something else)
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twice yes that is what i did last time but i am afraid he will pull the roots or damage the plant. before theb plant was there he was messing with the door bell, good kick up the This post will be deleted if not edited to remove bad language his so called mother wants
 

Have you talked to his parents about this? Leave it be and he'll get bored.

Whatever you do don't put any wire around the plant. If he injuries himself because of this wire you will be held responsible for causing harm as he is only a child, he's not legally responsible for himself.


Maybe you could used discard chip grease fat on the soil? I haven't a clue how this would affect the plant though.
 
 
I'm sure it won't harm the plant as it would break down naturally???

Whatever action you take remember don't put anything around the plant that could harm the child as you would be committing a crime.

As for the wooden trellis I could see him climbing all over that. At the end of the day he's only a kid and is probably acting out his imagination... which is a good thing in a way but still, it is a bit annoying for yourself.
 
UptheDeise said:
At the end of the day he's only a kid and is probably acting out his imagination... which is a good thing in a way but still, it is a bit annoying for yourself.
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his mother is not a kid and this plant/pot cost near 100 euro. if he was my kid he would not be interfering with other peoples property
 
UptheDeise said:
I agree with you, he shouldn't be interferring with your property.
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is putting that burgular paint on the trellis illegal. you know the messy stiff that does not dry he could not climb over it then. i should say of course i do not want to cause him any harm
 
Jane Doe said:
is putting that burgular paint on the trellis illegal. you know the messy stiff that does not dry he could not climb over it then. i should say of course i do not want to cause him any harm
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I don't know about the paint. That type of paint is usually used for walls and as far as I know in Britian the paint mustn't be used under seven feet, so to put the paint from the bottom up might not be allowed under our laws??? Maybe you could ask the person you're buying the paint from?

Also, be careful in how you handle this. If the kid gets paint on his clothes they are ruined. I don't know what his parents are like but they might retaliate with complaints against you.

Is there any chance you could move the plant to another location? this could get messy and I'm sure you don't want that.
 
UptheDeise said:
I don't know about the paint. That type of paint is usually used for walls and as far as I know in Britian the paint mustn't be used under seven feet, so to put the paint from the bottom up might not be allowed under our laws???
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good point, if i just put it at top he cannot get over but don't think trellis is 7 ft tall
Also, be careful in how you handle this. If the kid gets paint on his clothes they are ruined. I don't know what his parents are like but they might retaliate with complaints against you.
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on what grounds? It would be in my yard and not theirs not even at the fence but at my side of fence. Surely it is up to his mother to control him. If he comes in and gets his clothes dirty messing with my car am i responsible?

Is there any chance you could move the plant to another location? this could get messy and I'm sure you don't want that.
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No cos it was at each side of door. Should have said it is one of a pair. I also wanted it for a bit of privacy as the doors are near. And before it was there he was ringing the doorbell not often but i do not want that.
 
I migh get this [broken link removed] and put burgular paint on his side?
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Looks like a messy climbing frame. might even attract more kids!

Would it be possible to plant some pyracantha along the wall? Maybe get some reasonably large ones. This would also solve the problem of future incursions!
 
leghorn said:
Would it be possible to plant some pyracantha along the wall?
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There is no wall just a little fence you can step over
And I paid for that plant with the intention of having it there and do not see why i should move it.
 
If you plant pyracantha along where the fence is, then the kid won't be able to step or climb over it any more.
 
leghorn said:
If you plant pyracantha along where the fence is, then the kid won't be able to step or climb over it any more.
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Sorry I picked you up wrong. That is a briliant idea But I would need a tall thorny plant that can be in a pot because he can reach over the fence unless it is tall. And the ground is cement out side my front door fo a couple feet till you get to lawn. i.e cement path in front of house

Will pyracantha grow in a pot or if not what thorny plant will?

Edit: see number 6 http://gardening.about.com/od/containergardening/tp/FallContainers.htm

Thanks
 
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It always amazes me how some people have absoloutely no concept of how expensive and time-consuming some gardening can be. They just allow their children to tread on plants, break blooms off and generally without the consent of the owner. I have noticed this even amongst people who I would consider reasonably sensible people.
If I were you I would just move the plant until he forgets about it.
 
Would something like this from Argos work? You don't say how much space there is between the fence and your front door, so I don't know if you could fit your pot and a planter full of lovely thorny shrubs as well! A garden centre would be a good place to get advice about what thorny plants will thrive in pots.
 
Pyracantha is thorny but it's also very decorative as well. However I would plant two or three, one to a pot if you don't have ground to put them in. Also, in the pots, they can be put somewhere till they have grown big enough to be a 'barrier' to unwelcome visitors.
 
The paint you are talking about is anti-climb paint. Not recommended to be used around plants. There are no rules here governing its application, however its recommended that you put up a sign notifying tresspassers of its presence. The paint could be used in conjunction with prikka strip. Great for keeping kids away.

When kids are causing this type of hastle its best to move the plant / item out of their way, because no matter what you do, you will be wrong!

Next time your in the garden ask him if he wants to help you do the gardening.
 
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