The problem with planting a conifer too close to a structure is it will eventually overtake it. Unfortunately they do not take well to drastic pruning to reduce their size. It should green up in time by itself and I would not change the care it it has been getting. It sounds like you are facing its being removed in time. Al

The manager sure is a nice person! Can you send him/her over here? I have some palms that need to be pruned... :D

A living tree is a lovely gift. Many pine trees are not very well suited to small suburban lots, however.

If the tree is dropping debris in the rain gutters it is planted too close to the houses. It will green up again, and it will keep growing. You should consider how the roots will affect the foundation of your home, in addition to worrying about the effects on the roof. It is expensive to fix foundations and roofs- and you may be responsible if you planted the tree. If the HOA is responsible, it may raise your fees.

It will only get more expensive to remove the tree as time goes on, and the manager may not pay to have it trimmed next year. I hate to say this, but you may want to consider having it removed.

What also came to my mind was getting a new living tree to symbolize a new beginning when your mom gets home.

I hope your mom gets home soon and everything works out well for the two of you.
Renee

If the branches that now appear brown lack
green growth, they won't green up. That's just the nature of conifers.

That said, the side toward the building has less green than elsewhere because it's the shady side.

Further, removing 3 feet from the top will change the shape from conical to bushy. You may end up removing it before you planned to do so simply because of its appearance.

We bought a house in 1960 with a Spruce tree about 15 feet tall in the front yard of the 1905 Victorian house. It was about 15 feet from northwest corner of the house and quite attractive. By the time we sold the house in 1998 the top had been cut back by PG&E a few times. The city made us trim it to clear the sidewalk twice. It over hung the roof about 3 feet and seriously darkened the second floor bedroom. We wanted to remove it before selling the house and called an arborist. Every cutting back had caused the trunk to increase in diameter. It was about four feet thick up to about 20 feet. The arborist said it was the biggest Spruce he had ever seen and quoted at least $2000. We declined and put the house on the market as is. The lady who bought the house said that beautiful tree was one of the reasons. We were lucky, but had we known,we would have removed it when we bought the house. Al

I love my old living Christmas tree, sat in a 5 gal bucket for years, planted in dry, N-poor dirt around '95/'96, sulked in a near bonsai-like form for a few more years, then branched out to the point where I need to prune soon to get the open-center shape back.

{{gwi:552391}}

Napa County moved the road I live on, and I needed trees to screen the new road from our view. A nursery had some Italian Stone Pine Christmas trees in five gallon containers several years past their prime. I offered five dollars a piece for three. On the highway right of way, beyond the reach of any water source, I planted them in the middle of winter. All three grew, looking much like dicots with no pruning or care from anyone. Makes a great screen. Al