We perform a number of tree surgery services. Anything you need done to your tree, we're very sure we can take care of it! Of course we also fell and clear trees if that's what you need!
Before you hire a tree surgeon it is important that you find out with your local authority if the tree is under a Tree Preservation Order. If it isn't, we're good to go! If it is, then we can help guide you through the process of obtaining permission to work on it. Tree Pruning The most popular service we perform is this one. Tree Pruning involves removing parts of a tree that are damaged, decaying, rubbing together or unstable due to growth. We target specific branches and shoots that are detrimental to the trees health, then remove them. First, we analyse the tree and figure out which parts need work and which should be left alone. This is an important step as we'd like all the healthy parts of the tree to remain healthy, rather than cause them trauma. Next, we figure out how and where each branch we cut will fall. We then put signs and hazard tape up and keep bystanders out of the way. We obviously don't want branches falling on people! How do we cut branches? If we're cutting a stem, we cut just above a bud or side shoot. We do this with an outward one if possible to stop congestion of growth. The cut will be a quarter of an inch above the bud and it's a fairly simple cut straight through. If we're cutting a large limb, the first cut will be a wedge, slightly further up on the underside of the branch so that it doesn't tear. Further along the branch we'll cut all the way through from above the branch. Lastly we make a parallel cut just above the stem collar to leave as little of a stub as possible so that the branch can grow back healthily. Tree Pollarding This is another popular service of ours. Tree Pollarding involves carefully cutting the top of the tree. This is done for aesthetic reasons, to encourage growth of a young tree or to stop it from growing up to power lines or streetlights. The way we do this is by removing all sprouts to the knob. We then cut branches so that there is 5-8cm of the stem left. We also cut them as cleanly as possible so that the branches grow back healthily. Pollarding is something that should be done regularly, once every 1-5 years depending on the species of tree. Tree Spraying We offer tree spraying services in order to protect or rescue trees and shrubs from insects. Certain species are heavily targeted by insects, pests and diseases. If we believe a tree is in danger of being targeted, we will normally spray a preventative dormant oil during the late Winter/early Spring. We don't do this for every tree, only those we feel are in danger. This is done by us calculating Growing Degree Days and Phenological Indicators. Otherwise, if you find your tree is infected with insects or disease, then give us a call and we'll spray the tree with a remedial oil. We only use non-toxic Tree Topping You may have heard this term before and we'd like to make clear, we don't perform tree topping as not only is it harmful to the tree, but also causes it to grow back improperly and cause long-term stability issues. This means that the tree requires work performed on it every year or we run the risk of the tree falling. When a tree is topped, all the branches are cut back indiscriminately. This means any terminal shoots are cut back to a place where no terminal branches can take its place. This makes the tree grow unstable as heavier branches grow back above this position. It also makes the tree look as if it's had a buzz cut, not a very good look! The tree also begins to suffer from damage from over exposure to the sun, attack from insects and decays as a result. This is also part of what causes the tree to become so unstable. In short, we don't top trees and we discourage anyone else from doing so! If a different tree surgeon tells you they do tree topping then they probably aren't certified and they certainly don't care about the health of the tree! Remember, any damage caused by a falling tree is the responsibility of the property owner, so you want to make sure that your tree is properly cared for! For a free, no obligation quote, phone us on 02080501398 or fill in the form to the right! |
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